Chicago Dreis and Krump Brake - Identification Help Needed

I'm looking for knowledge on a Chicago Dreis and Krump Brake Size L4 Serial Number 50705

i'm interested in purchasing this unit and want to know what its worth and any information about it. It has the tall "I beam" looking fingers in front. unfortunately I don't have a picture of that. Also has more conventional interchangeable fingers (see box in the bottom of picture)

Any help or reference is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I try to never buy machines that were painted like that one is, where they took a can of spray paint and a funky old machine and stood back and just wailed away, painting over every fastener and nameplate. That said, it is still possible to clean them off, just a lot of nasty work.

By your use of the word "fingers" (what box?) I assume it's a box and pan brake. How many of the original fingers are there? Missing fingers drop the value quickly. D&K used several finger designs over the last 8 or 10 decades. Because so many machines are missing fingers, they are rarely found and dearly priced.

I did see the counterweights - it's good to have those included.

I used to own a 412 Chicago D&K finger brake. Old one. I had to put inserts in a lot of the threaded adjustment holes. Look very closely at the adjustment mechanisms to make sure the holes aren't stripped out. Same for the screw holes on top of the fingers (if any) - a lot of those were stripped out on mine too.

As to value, let's assume it has all the fingers and the holes aren't stripped. Then the value is based on how wide the machine is and the rated sheet metal gauge it can bend. My old 412 was 4 feet wide and could bend 12 gauge mild steel sheet. I had thought that all D&K brakes had numeric model numbers like that. I don't know what an "L4" is.

Knowing what I know (very little) I would pass on that machine unless it were really cheap like under $300.

metalmagpie

57eyes said:

I'm looking for knowledge on a Chicago Dreis and Krump Brake Size L4 Serial Number 50705

i'm interested in purchasing this unit and want to know what its worth and any information about it. It has the tall "I beam" looking fingers in front. unfortunately I don't have a picture of that. Also has more conventional interchangeable fingers (see box in the bottom of picture)

Any help or reference is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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Did you contact Dreis & Krump like I recommended in your thread on the other forum, or look at the literature that's posted on Vintage Machinery's website?

Look at figure #50......looks like an adjustable double brake?

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/10601/16447.pdf

Or could be an universal brake, look at figure #26?

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/10601/22994.pdf

Kevin

Not sure of the specifications of an L4 but that serial number places this one around 1943. Doubtful that D&K can provide any parts and if they did you couldn't afford them. As I recall the want like $100/inch for fingers.

I would agree with bsg that its probably a double height brake. Rare, but not particularly more valuable because its rare.
The vast majority of users want a Universal box and pan, and it would be worth more if it was one of those, with a complete set of fingers.
Very old, and, most certainly, you will be making any needed parts yourself.
If you need to do things like bend narrow boxes, or want to build custom dies to bend big radius bends, this would be handy, but as a second brake, in my opinion.

Ohio Mike said:

Not sure of the specifications of an L4 but that serial number places this one around 1943. Doubtful that D&K can provide any parts and if they did you couldn't afford them. As I recall the want like $100/inch for fingers.

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The current price is about $145 an inch, just got a quote on a set for a 48" brake missing the fingers!

Kevin

I did contact Chicago D&K -- and receive the following response.

Hi! Your model L4 is 4ft 12ga.

Sorry no parts or manual.

bsg said:

The current price is about $145 an inch, just got a quote on a set for a 48" brake missing the fingers!

Kevin

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My call to them was prior to COVID so that doesn't surprise me.