Some old Iron - a bit different.

[Ian Barley]

This is a gloat. I don't post many but thought that this glimpse of a somewhat specialised machine might be of interest and is at least unlikely to start a flurry of competitive comparisons.

A bit of background. My product uses a specific component 11 times in its manufacture. That component has to have an 8mm counterbore hole 10mm deep drilled in its face near both ends - with a centre between 10-12mm from each end. I reckon that I get through about 8-10,000 of these components in a year. Thats 16-20,000 holes. I have had a number of jigs on the drill press to ease this but they have all lacked precision or speed. The precise ones are slow and the quick ones are imprecise. This is a tedious job but getting it right makes a big difference both in ease and quality.

So I set about trying to find a better way of doing it at a realistic cost. After about 18 months of looking - enter the Brookman Twin Head boring machine. (My wife finds it funny when I mention the boring machine to say "What - another one?").

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Basically it is big chunk (about 1000lbs) of cast iron with two direct drive drilling heads and a bunch or pneumatics. The foot pedal at the base of the machine starts the cycle. Step on it and the pneumatic clamps are activated. When they have gripped the workpiece the slideway that the two heads are mounted on advances until it hits an adjustable stop, then the slideway retracts, the clamps unclamp and the job is jobbed. Basically the idea is to be able to set the workpiece up, start the cycle, and then start prepping the next workpiece.

The two drill heads are adjustable across the width so that varying workpieces can be accomodated. The height of the table can be adjusted using the kick ring which is visible just above the foot pedal.

I plan to make up a series of jigs to fit my varying workpieces and have started to get my head around pneumatics for this and some other facilities that I have in progress.

Not the sort of thing that many people will have much use for but for those of us who have it will hopefully prove very valuable.

[Richard Wolf]

Great looking machinery, Ian. I sure it will work out good for you. Lots of luck.

Richard

[Rob Russell]

Ian,

Looks like a good machine for your purposes. Out of curiousity, what is the product you make and how do all these holes fit in?

Rob

[Carl Eyman]

I particularly like the fact the machine is doiing the "do" operation while the operator is doing the make-ready for the next cycle.

[Ian Barley]

Ian,

Looks like a good machine for your purposes. Out of curiousity, what is the product you make and how do all these holes fit in?

Rob
Nothing exotic Rob - I make a line of Adirondack style outdoor furniture. The component is the seat slats and the holes are the counterbore for a plug to hide the fixing screw.

[Jim Becker]

Rob, I'll add that Ian's "Product" is extraordinarily well made.

Ian..."Another boring machine"...LOL! I love it! BTW, I think it's getting time for a new tour, if you know what I mean, now that the cow barn is, umm...a memory.

[lou sansone]

nice machine ... I am tempeted to say something sarcastic about reverse engineering but I will hold my peace :p

seriously though it is a great find.. ok so how old is it and what about some of the stats... hp, rpm, phase , voltage, capacity and the like

lou

[Ian Barley]

nice machine ... I am tempeted to say something sarcastic about reverse engineering but I will hold my peace :p

seriously though it is a great find.. ok so how old is it and what about some of the stats... hp, rpm, phase , voltage, capacity and the like

lou

Ok Lou - I have very limited information but there is a pic of the rating plate below. Basically it is three phase 415V. Brooks motors - 1.1kw each with a fixed rpm of 2850. That may be a bit fast for some of my applications so I may expereiment with a variable frequency drive at some point in the future. In truth most of the system is in the pneumatics.

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I would guess the build as early fifties? No real evidence but the shape and style just feels of that sort of era. I purchased it from a dealer who gave it the once over and machined some new drive dogs etc. I had a look on the popular old woodworking machines site and while they list Brookman as a manufacturer there is no information and they identify them only as supplying dovetailers.

I don't quite understand the reverse engineering comment - care to expand?

Carl - that was one of the attractive features for me too. It could be a bit tedious to think about what you do as a factory process but for me thats where most of the fun is - working out how to do it not only better but faster at the same time.

Jim - I know, I know - but I'm still sorting out after the move and all.

[Chris Barton]

Heavy metal... I love it!

[lou sansone]

hi ian
thanks for the info on the machine. It sould like it should work out real good for you. Reverse engineering is when a machine is taken to a foregin country and taken apart by its engineers and copied and then resold back into the original country of origin. happens sometimes you know.

lou

[Ian Barley]

Lou - I understand what reverse engineering is - I just don't get how it relates here. If you have info on a similar machine that you think this is a copy of I would be interested to know more.

[lou sansone]

Lou - I understand what reverse engineering is - I just don't get how it relates here. If you have info on a similar machine that you think this is a copy of I would be interested to know more.

no... sorry I messed this up .. I will just leave well enough alone
lou

[Chris Barton]

Does anyone else find it ironic that Ian is making "Adirondack style outdoor furniture" and we are making period reporduction pieces based upon English and European designs?

[Jim Becker]

Does anyone else find it ironic that Ian is making "Adirondack style outdoor furniture" and we are making period reporduction pieces based upon English and European designs?

When I first met Ian, I sorta had those thoughts, but after thinking about it, there is no reason why good design shouldn't be popular "anywhere". Ian has a good advantage, however...he's a big fish in a small pond (on the other side of a very large pond...) with a "really well made" product...which is why he can make a nice living selling a limited line of chairs.

But I will say that his accent isn't anything you normally find in the Adirondacks!! :)

[Ian Barley]

Does anyone else find it ironic that Ian is making "Adirondack style outdoor furniture" and we are making period reporduction pieces based upon English and European designs?

Chris - The irony is not lost on me either. Basically a good design is a good design. I actually have a lot of interest from Scandanavian counries and several people who have contacted me in that respect claim that it is a very traditional style in that area. I figure with the flows of people that were taking place when the style first became popular, influences on it may have come from all over.

Basically, built right, a good Adirondack chair is as comfortable for outdoor seating as you can get. English folk are nearly as partial to comfort as anybody (read "Notes on a Small Island" by Bill Bryson for context - heck just read it ;cos its funny). The problem is many commericially available designs are based on reducing the cost of production rather than increasing the value of ownership, I like to think that I take a different approach.

Jim says nice things about my chairs which is very kind of him. The truth is I care about them because I still love doing what I do and I hope that shows in the product.

If you want real irony, my largest single customer is based in the US. They want hardwood chairs for durability and appearance and they believe that mine, even with their shipping cost, represent the best value - go figure!

Jim - Accent? What accent? Its all you guys that talk funny.

[Andy Hoyt]

...... The problem is many commericially available designs are based on reducing the cost of production rather than increasing the value of ownership, I like to think that I take a different approach. .....

Ian - I've spent ages trying to find the right words to this philosophy. To steal from your phrase book - It is "spot on". Thank You!

[Larry Browning]

Ian,
Is Farnborough anywhere near Bristol? I am leaving tomorrow for a business trip to Bristol, and I was thinking that if you are a within reasonable distance to Bristol we could make arrangements for a visit and a possible shop tour. Do you think it could be arranged?

Larry

[Ian Barley]

Ian,
Is Farnborough anywhere near Bristol? I am leaving tomorrow for a business trip to Bristol, and I was thinking that if you are a within reasonable distance to Bristol we could make arrangements for a visit and a possible shop tour. Do you think it could be arranged?

Larry
Larry

I always have to be careful with the concept of "far" when I talk to folk from the US. Bristol is about 100 miles from Farnborough. That equates to about 2 1/2 hours driving. Over here we would classify that as "far" but terms of reference vary!

Where are you flying into? If you are coming to either Heathrow or Gatwick then you will likely drive straight past the workshop (which is in Woking) on the way.

It would be great if this can happen - let me know and I will do what I can to help. I will PM you my phone number so that if it looks possible you can contact me.