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 Post subject: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:11 am 

Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:10 pm
Posts: 101
Location: Michigan
I have recently begun to familiarize myself with our McCabe Flanger. I have read what appears to be a sales brochure for the McCabe, a brief booklet of supplementary instructions, and the Railway Educational Bureau's booklet on Flanging.

I was wondering what other recommended reading there is to become more adept at the use of the McCabe or whose brain to pick. Any comments and advice are appreciated.

Our Machine is the 3/4" machine if that helps any.

Thanks in Advance

Dave Sutter
Railroad Specialist
The Henry Ford


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:04 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
I think Dennis Daugherty actually had a collection of them a few years back. Might contact him, and brother Bensman who has had a lot of hands-on. I haven't had the pleasure, but it sure must be an improvement on heat and beat.

dave

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“God, the beautiful racket of it all: the sighing and hissing, the rattle and clack of the cars over the rails. These were the sounds that made America the greatest country on earth." Jonathan Evison


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 3:14 pm 

Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2004 1:41 pm
Posts: 834
Location: Bowling Green, KY
I have had the pleasure, and what a pleasure it is! And Dave could not be more correct... Mr. Sutter you need to contact the man, the machine, the legend, the Bensman!


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 3:40 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 10:52 pm
Posts: 337
Location: Las Vegas, NV
OK, I'll admit my ignorance. When I read the subject I thought we were talking about a piece of MW equipment with wings. :-) Now I'm guessing this is s tool for working on steam boilers?

Greg


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:38 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
It takes nice, smooth, flat boilerplate and ruins it by kinking it into corners.

daveb

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“God, the beautiful racket of it all: the sighing and hissing, the rattle and clack of the cars over the rails. These were the sounds that made America the greatest country on earth." Jonathan Evison


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:15 pm 

Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 2:50 pm
Posts: 2815
Location: Northern Illinois
How do they work? I mean, they have a very narrow jaw, as I recall, so one must have to run the plate back and forth, progressively increasing the bend in stages. I suppose that's how they can do curved flanges.

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Dennis Storzek


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:13 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 8:51 pm
Posts: 2041
Location: Southern California
Quote:
I think Dennis Daugherty actually had a collection of them a few years back. Might contact him,


I do believe that Dennis collected at least one of each size. He is still on staff at California State Railroad Museum; ran into him as he went through the library to get to the administrative office there a couple of weeks ago.

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Brian Norden


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 Post subject: .
PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:39 am 

Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am
Posts: 2561
Location: Strasburg, PA
.


Last edited by Kelly Anderson on Thu Dec 01, 2022 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:22 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
Interesting - I never thought about tensility and malleability being mutually exclusive. Must look for a newer edition of Machinery Handbook.

Now, does anybody have a picture of McCabe and Mrs. Miller?

dave

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“God, the beautiful racket of it all: the sighing and hissing, the rattle and clack of the cars over the rails. These were the sounds that made America the greatest country on earth." Jonathan Evison


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:32 am 

Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 10:05 pm
Posts: 38
Location: Martinsburg, WV
Let me try to cover several points brought up here. Dennis Daugherty has owned and sold several McCabe Flangers - I think they all were 3/4" machines. Many years ago, I stored three of them in my shop in Fort Wayne - along with my 3/4" machine - we took a photo of all 4 of them lined up. Through Dennis D's efforts, all the remaining stock at the Mc Cabe factory was donated to Illinois Railway Museum. They got at least one of each size machine - 1/2" , 3/4" and 1" - these were new from the factory demonstration showroom. Many patterns for the dies as well as finished dies or rough castings were also obtained. These machines now sit outdoors at IRM - rusting and sinking into the mud. Efforts by other groups to preserve and use the machines have been unsuccessful.
Concerning operation of the machine - it works best to lay out bending stations around the plate at 6" intervals - or half the width of the top ram.
Bending the plate 15 degrees at a time results in a smooth, consistent flange. Differing forms require die changes during the flanging process.
To flange a rear flue sheet for a key-hole firebox requires 42 die changes.
Also, SA-516 is the preferred steel for flanging. I have never had any problems flanging Grade 70 - but Grades 55 and 60 are also available.


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:25 pm 

Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:10 pm
Posts: 101
Location: Michigan
So it seems I am on the right track with figuring this machine out. The first bend I attempted came out looking that way. My flange was an inch and a half deeper than anticipated and had some small buckles and waves. I was going about 27 degrees at a time and along the plate about 6 inches. My second bend was slightly better the flange was still longer than anticipated but fewer buckles and waves. My 3rd and most recent attempt came out a lot better correct flange depth to what I calculated, nice radius, and no buckles or waves.

Now just comes more practice and calculating the right formulas for the correct flange depth and the correct distance distances between flanges.

Thanks everyone for your input.


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:44 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 10:52 pm
Posts: 337
Location: Las Vegas, NV
On a modern welded boiler, would the tube sheet be rolled, or would the flat plate just be welded to the shell?


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:09 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
If it were me, I'd try not to flange it if at all possible, but with the understanding that it may require heavier bracing since the radiused area of a flanged plate isn't used to determine the portion of the sheet that needs to be braced. The more the flat area, the more area that needs bracing, the more brace to do the job.

I still like nice flanged contours on the door and throat sheets - the flat square corners just seem wrong when you look at them.

dave

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“God, the beautiful racket of it all: the sighing and hissing, the rattle and clack of the cars over the rails. These were the sounds that made America the greatest country on earth." Jonathan Evison


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 Post subject: Re: McCabe Flanger
PostPosted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:26 pm 

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 2:38 pm
Posts: 215
Location: Roanoke VA
Quote:
All the remaining stock at the Mc Cabe factory was donated to Illinois Railway Museum. They got at least one of each size machine - 1/2" , 3/4" and 1" - these were new from the factory demonstration showroom. Many patterns for the dies as well as finished dies or rough castings were also obtained. These machines now sit outdoors at IRM - rusting and sinking into the mud. Efforts by other groups to preserve and use the machines have been unsuccessful.


Why I ask are other groups unsuccessful at using and or preserving these pieces of equipment, when they are not being "Preserved" at there present location? As mentioned in the quote above these were fresh from the factory, what better examples, and a wonderful complete set. Is there a lack of space for these indoors or lack of interest, seams to me that if another group can use or preserve them why not let them place them in a better environment rather than rust away. If there is a legal reason limiting the present organization in letting them go to a new home or some other factor (I don't know the details) knowing of it would help understand the current situation. If there isn't then what’s the reason for letting them deteriorate? Museums and Organizations who can not take care of what they have need to either expand to do so or shrink their inventory to a more manageable level, simple as that (I now it's not that easy, but why not?) especially if there are other qualified groups willing to take on some of their burden. Now after saying all of that I don't know of the reasoning behind the actions of the parties involved in the above quote, but this might be something to learn from...

Just my .02 cents

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Steven Smith
Roanoke / Salem VA


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