To Die for

[Scottie-TX]

Tellya what I'm tryin' ta do: These vienna dial bezels. The dents in 'em. I'm tryin' to make a die that is the reverse shape of the bezel into a piece of rather soft - not balsa - wood and then make another - a positive of the same shape and radius such that I can put the bezel upside down in the die and strike it with the die's mate and remove the dent - or at least improve it significantly. Parameters. I have only a drill press and belt sander for power tools. Here you can see how I've started by scribing the arc, making the vertical cut that will lead into the radius and chipping toward the radius. Whaddya think?
http://photos23.flickr.com/25372208_d840cb26f7.jpg

[Scottie-TX]

Tellya what I'm tryin' ta do: These vienna dial bezels. The dents in 'em. I'm tryin' to make a die that is the reverse shape of the bezel into a piece of rather soft - not balsa - wood and then make another - a positive of the same shape and radius such that I can put the bezel upside down in the die and strike it with the die's mate and remove the dent - or at least improve it significantly. Parameters. I have only a drill press and belt sander for power tools. Here you can see how I've started by scribing the arc, making the vertical cut that will lead into the radius and chipping toward the radius. Whaddya think?
http://photos23.flickr.com/25372208_d840cb26f7.jpg

[Ralph]

You might try heating and quenching it, to anneal it before trying to form it. The bezel is work hardened somewhat from it's previous forming and the dent added to it.

IMHO

Ralph

[RJSoftware]

Could you poor molten lead in good section let it cool and use that to hammer dent out?

I could imagine that you could simply tilt the bezel and let gravity fill a section.

But I do not know if the molten lead would discolor or damage it further.

[bangster]

I'd try Casting Epoxy, for both the male & female halves. But grease the brass first.

bangster

[Scottie-TX]

RALPH, etalii: This metal is VERRRY soft - very malleable. Simple disfigurement, etc. I remove with a hardwood spudger used for solderwork. SO! We're dealing with VERY form-able or reformable material. It yields VERY readily. "BONG": I LOVE your idea. You're so eloquent. I tried ever' way to avoid "male/female" hmmm "innie/outtie" naw. neg/posit - naw, BONG! It's MALE/FEMALE. That's it. That's all. At 2:10 AM I'm ready to get out my two part epoxy and start kneading into a form. PLEASE! Don't let BONG or me stop your thought processes. But - "Yes." I like the possibility of epoxy. NO. I luvvitt.

[T.J. Kloss]

Scottie:
Did you ever work for the phone company?

[Joe Collins]

Hi Tom,
I thought of the same question for Scottie.

Joe

[T.J. Kloss]

Yes. Spudger is on in the every day vocabulary of the general public.

[Robert M.]

Scottie,I guess I've banged out my share of dents when I was a Tinknocker in a previous life.You'd be surprised at what you can do with a mini sand bag or a pellet bag like the custom motorcycle builders use to stretch out a gas tank shape.Place that bezel open end up on your bag,push it into the bag for rigidity and take a small chisel or body and fender spoon,and hammer,and slowly stretch your dent back to the desired configuration.Sometimes you can make up your own little assortment of stretching tools to suit your particular needs.
Why don't you check out eastwood.com..They are a body and fender supply house in Pa. and they have some great tools and pellet bags that would suit your needs just fine and they're very reasonable.They have a great catalogue also.I have no personal affiliation with them.
I hope this is of some help to you.
Your Pal,Bob Fullerton

[Viv Rose]

I've used a drill press to form brass strips into half circles.
Maybe after you make the epoxy dies you could use the drill press with a piece of thick dowel in the chuck to gently press the dies on the bezel.
Should be a lot more controlled than hitting it.

[Scottie-TX]

"RM" - thanks for an additional method to consider. VIV, I find there are applications for both pressure and impact. My experience with removing dents from metal is that impact works better because to remove the dent, the metal must be moved PAST deformation to return to form. Pressure does not do that. But, "YES" pressure can be controlled better. You can only control impact with velocity of strike. "WORK" for the phone co.: Not exactly. I was employed by A.T.&T. ( anybody remember them? ) for thirty years - inside technician - I fixed things. So "fixing things" has been and is still, my life. "Pass me that buttinski please. I gotta check that drop - I think the tip's open - the line looks good."

[T.J. Kloss]

Hi Scottie:
Soon as I saw spudger I figured as much. I had 28 years with Long Lines as a CRAFT then they sold me. All the way from telegraph to satellites.

Tom Kloss :wink:

[Steve Patton]

Scottie, Klossee,
I'm still with Long Lines, AT&T, soon to be
SBC!!! 32 years and counting. A spudger comes in real handy for movement work.

Steve

[Dick Feldman]

So will one of you phone dudes please post a picture of a Spudger?

We lay people are waiting out here with baited breath.

As an aside, I once worked in a mine and a pipe wrench there is called a "buzzy"

We await,

Dick

[Joe Collins]

I don't have one to photograph but the one Western Electric issued me in 1956 was made from a red fiber material, It was approx. 7 " long and 5/16" in diameter with one end tapered similar to a pencil and a chisel shape on the other. They took it away from me in 1958 when the recession caught up with the phone companies. Still got my 'flats' though.
Joe

[T.J. Kloss]

"TaDa"

By popular demand a Western Electric KS-6320 "spudger".

http://tomsclocks.com/bbpix/spudger2.jpg

[Joe Collins]

W-E Installation Division called that an 'orange stick' Tom.

Joe

[Scottie-TX]

O.K. BONG. Cut me some slack. "No it's not perfect." But I can live with this BONG! I did make both negative and positive dies but did not use the positive die to strike. For the strike I formed a piece of rosewood to approximate closely the radius. I'll keep the other die tho for dents from the backside. Thanks all! Great suggestions. Da Duffer
http://photos23.flickr.com/25820559_03c35e7331.jpg

[Clickman]

Scottie, what type of material did you use to make the die?

[Scottie-TX]

Don't even know the name of the mfr. BOB. MANY mfrs. of it. It's a two part epoxy usually comes in what looks like a log or tootsie roll. Sometimes the two ingredients are banded together in the necessary ratio. Others have two separate rolls and you combine them in ratio of the instructions. It is kneaded until it resembles silly putty and has a homogeneous appearance and then ready to use or form.