How many remember this

How many members can remember this little tool.

Edited By Derek Lane on 31/01/2022 09:55:49

If I'm correct, it's part of a "James Walker" kit for making O-rings from strip material and Super Glue.

The O-ring cord would be put through the corresponding hole and a razor blade pushed through the slot to cut the cord square. The ends of the cord would then be joined using Super Glue.

I'm not sure how successful it was, but lining up the joint was hit and miss affair, although the vee grooves on the end of the tool were supposed to help with alignment. Plus, the joint line would be quite brittle.

Fine for emergency repairs I guess.

I still have one in my tool box, not used it in many years, as Bo'sun says the resultant "O" ring was only really suitable for static applications. Getting a good clean square cut was difficult, The joint was suprisingly strong once made. Make your own "O" ring kits are still available although the cutting and joining jig is different

I still have a part used O ring kit in a red box got from RS Components many years ago.

Agree that it was pretty much only good for gasket type applications. Stretching over something to sit in a groove in a shaft was possible but very hit and miss. Even with a washer in the way slipping over a bolt was almost certain to break the joint. I had some success in countersunk holes but the O ring usually came out broken on dis-assembly. Held together long enough to squidge down to form a seal tho' which was good enough for me.

Clive

Yes - one place I worked at used O-rings made this way to seal cooling-water passages in injection moulds for thermoplastic products.

I still use one now and then when making "O" rings

regards

Hi, I think I've got a yellow one somewhere, many companies had their name on such kits.

Regards Nick.

I use to use this one when I was a plant mechanic, but not for hydraulics because of the pressures involved it has saved me many times

Like Derek I have used one many times to get out of the mire ! but I made up a block to aid lining up the ends in the various section sizes. Noel

I remember trying to make a new drive belt for a turntable out of o ring material with one of these. Total failure.

I have had these over the years and have a stock of o ring material. I find that not all superglues will bond the material sucessfully. When I worked in aircraft instruments, we had one of those tiny watchmakers lathes and the leather belts were about 5/16" diameter and past their best. I substituted some rubber tube using the newfangled superglue and we had very good drive belts

Mmmm, we used to scarf O rings at 45 degrees to make a greater surface area for the adhesive. I don't remember using superglue though. I worked for Dowty at the time, if I remember correctly their O ring catalogue showed that method, maybe they had a special adhesive. I think they were only used for development purposes, a proper O ring would be made for the final production parts.