Where can I find out about the workings of chain-making machines?
chain-making machines
Feb 04, 2007
3 Replies
not easy- its not like they have downloadable parts breakdowns on the Grizzly site.
these guys sell used machinery to the jewlery industry, and have chain making machines both old and new for sale-
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fact, you can buy a whole chain making factory right now.
I doubt any american company has made chain making machines for a good
50 years- the high end of the market is held by the europeans, primarily Fasti,
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and the low end by the Indians and the Chinese.
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You best bet is going to be to take a trip to Rhode Island, and pretend you are a serious buyer, and go to the Gold's warehouse. They have old and new machines you could look at, and figure out the mechanisms. The newer Fasti's are CNC, but I am sure Golds has some old mechanical ones there.
Really big chains were made by hand by blacksmiths, not machines. Each link forge welded.
They had a segment on "How It's Made" on chain-making just recently on one of the satellite channels. Didn't cover all sorts of chains, just a couple of different sorts, but they did some slo-mo takes on the mechanisms. I just watch with the drivel turned down. They do re-run episodes frequently. I think there's a website where they've got the schedule.
Stan
--Maybe he's making anchor chain... ;-)
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