Q: Fastening an Armstrong Bros bracing jack to a machine table?

Good Evening, All --

Please take a look at the Armstrong Brothers ad the Factory Whistle website: Factory Whistle: Photo

At the top of the ad, a picture of a die block installed on a planer table, supported by planer jacks, held down by "finger" strap clamps, and braced against lateral force by, probably, four bracing (aka telescoping) jacks. The clamps and jacks illustrated farther down in the ad, although the bracing jacks aren't specifically identified as bracing jacks, but instead appear to be members of Armstrong's "non-skid jack" family.

I'm curious about how the bracing jacks are fixed to the planer table. In the die-block picture, there appear to be some sort of side-pushing "kicker" screw threaded through short, angle-faced blocks installed in the table's T-slots. I suspect that Armstrong sold these kicker-screw blocks, but don't remember ever seeing one either in the metal or in literature.

So . . . can anyone here provide a description, drawing, or photo of this type stop? Every bracing jack I've ever seen being used (only a couple dozen over the last five decades) has either been butted against a planer stop pin or some improvised stop made of junkbinium.

Thanks,

John

John Garner said:

I'm curious about how the bracing jacks are fixed to the planer table. In the die-block picture, there appear to be some sort of side-pushing "kicker" screw threaded through short, angle-faced blocks installed in the table's T-slots. I suspect that Armstrong sold these kicker-screw blocks, but don't remember ever seeing one either in the metal or in literature.

So . . . can anyone here provide a description, drawing, or photo of this type stop? Every bracing jack I've ever seen being used (only a couple dozen over the last five decades) has either been butted against a planer stop pin or some improvised stop made of junkbinium.

Thanks,

John

Click to expand...

Various names for these dog point clamps.
There are ones for the T slots and ones for the peg holes in the planer table.

Treatise on planers, practical information and suggestions ... - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library

Armstrong never made them.
The ones in the picture, holding the angle jacks, are not in the T slots.
They are in the peg holes of the planer table.



Rob

junkbinium

The "Miracle Metal." (Its a miracle if it works for you.)

Like unobtainium but you have plenty of it.

Joe in NH

John,

Here is an excerpt from another Armstrong catalog offering more details on their product line for hold-down tooling. Specifically, what I've copied for you here is called a bracing jack.



It looks like Armstrong did offer them in 4 different sizes. This page offers another view as to their composition and suggested use.

Thank you, gentlemen.

After examining the illustration in the ad more carefully, it does appear that the bracing jacks intersect the machine table between the T-slots rather than at the slots. The stops still don't look like the usual "screw pins" as they appear to have angled faces, but they pretty much have to be inserted into the table pin holes.

LeakyCanoe, I do appreciate the Armstrong catalog page you attached; it's one I've not seen before.

John