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Making a leather washer for a springer

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Making a leather washer for a springer

Postby Andy.I » Tue Mar 02, 2021 6:30 pm

During the Covid-19 lockdown I bought and assembled a vapour blaster which, for me turned out to be an epic project which turned out to be an unqualified success. Not only am I very popular among my motorcycling friends and acquaintances, I'm having a lot of fun learning a lot about how to use it and also the dry abrasive blaster I subsequently bought. I went on to buy a 30-litre ultrasonic cleaner and I'm now considering getting into zinc-nickel alloy electro-plating, but I digress...

I came across this Youtube video, while researching vapour blasting, of somebody restoring an old blowlamp and he subsequently made a leather washer for the pressure pump:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buZclIC5Mw0

My observation is that this is an admirable example of typical American self-reliance and ingenuity. While anti-murkins might say "what's the point because it's possible to buy leather washers for most springers for a few quid", which is indeed true, it fascinates me to see a demonstration of what seems to be historical reverse engineering at its most basic level! :thup:
"Everything not invented by God is invented by an engineer." HRH Phil the Greek.
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Re: Making a leather washer for a springer

Postby flintlok » Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:18 am

Coincidently, I attended a class today on zinc nickel electroplating coating using and acid bath solution and also using a alkaline nickel zinc plating solution. The US company that hosted the training is Pavco. We were also looking at the plating waste stream treatment. The alkaline solution is the more difficult to manage as cyanide is generated as a plating byproduct. It's treatable and cyanide can be destroyed but it's more work than treating the acid bath waste stream. Other than that I picked up Zastava M57A Tokarev pistol today in 7.62x25mm. Not a bad day in all.
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Re: Making a leather washer for a springer

Postby Andy.I » Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:20 pm

Have a look at this UK company and tell me what you think:
https://www.gaterosplating.co.uk/

They seem to be very helpful and are very knowlegeable about environmental issues. :thup:
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Re: Making a leather washer for a springer

Postby flintlok » Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:03 am

Are setting up a plating shop to do commercial work or is this a home project?
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Re: Making a leather washer for a springer

Postby Andy.I » Fri Mar 19, 2021 10:35 pm

flintlok wrote:Are setting up a plating shop to do commercial work or is this a home project?


The straightest reply is 50:50 - I've got a bead blaster and I've done a few motorcycle engines and frames for friends and acquaintancies and also some car parts; they seem to be pleased with my work because they keep coming back asking me to do more jobs. My beer cabinet is quite full so I'm wondering if I can make a business of it but I'm reluctant to dive in due to covid so I'm trying to explore what else I could do and it seems to me that vehicle restorers may have more requirements than just bead blasting so I'm looking at the possibilities of diversification.
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Re: Making a leather washer for a springer

Postby flintlok » Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:41 am

Cool. I am not a plater but I did work in several jewelry facilities where we did plating and etching. I got involved with some of those operations. As a extension of that work I routinely attend meetings of the New England Surface Finishing Association which is a regional plating shop business organization. I use the meetings for certification credits for several chemical operators licenses that I hold. One of the cool things about the organization is the Smith & Wesson plating shop employees routinely attend the meetings. I tend to trade gun owner type information with them. It's something to do and I get a free lunch too.
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