To keep busy while broke and unable to push projects, I've been polishing the handles and their cranks, and parts of their dials, on the knee mill.
In the process, I found this:
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| well, shit - also, why are there vise marks?!? |
My handle is a little sloppy, but not in need of replacement and a new clutch will help tighten up that interface anyway. So, not the end of the world. But when I first looked at it, I couldn't figure out how it got cracked. It goes inside a close-fitting part and over a close-fitting pin, so it's very well supported, there's no way for a side-load to appear on it.
Then I looked in the end with a bright light...
Some ham-handed buffoon didn't line it up with the key and when it wouldn't go in, he forced it. Probably used a hammer.😠O_O I don't... I, I, I can't even. WHY?? 😱
This is abuse of a very fine and expensive tool. The crack made it a bit of a spring fit inside the bearing housing it goes into, but I was able to get it out with skinny 60 year old brute strength and no tools, wooden wedges, etc so I've got that going for me, which is nice.
Obviously I can't let this go. Hopefully I can find a replacement that is cheap and also machined from billet, not some HIP / powdered metal BS*. Mostly what I'm finding so far is handles with the clutch are cheaper than buying a clutch alone. WTH. Of course.
New plan: buy the package, sell the handle, now the part I need is "free" minus my time. »sigh«
_______________________________________________________________
powdered metallurgy from Europe or America I'll buy.
powderered metallurgy from China I will not buy, due to past experience.
But what if they machine it a bit after? Can you tell? I don't know if I can. :(
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a
little
worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider
price only are
this man’s lawful prey." -- J. A. Richards


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