Fred Miller Custom Woodworks (established in 1980) has recently found an interesting line of precision millwork.
Basswood brake shoes are used on many drum lifts in the mining Industry. The first contract happened quite by accident when a local engineer http://www.spencerengineering.com/ approached Mr. Miller to produce shoes for a lift being refurbished in Canada and destined for Bolivia.
His second contract for a Cargill mine lift on Avery Island, Louisiana came a year latter. Milling wooden brake shoes out of basswood amounts to precision layout, and a very carefully planned process. Brake shoes for drum lifts usually have 2 curved faces so many of the steps like angled end cuts and mortising for reinforcement pins has to be done while the stock is still square. Once the curved faces are machined you have lost your opportunity created by the strait edges.
For a detailed look at the process including photos and descriptive text please visit
http://www.canadianwoodcraftsman.com/stories/storyReader$387
For further information
Contact
Fred Miller Custom Woodworks
RR#1 Chatsworth, Ontario, Canada
ph 519 794-3865