Jump to content

Byrnes Drawplate


Recommended Posts

Hi All,

 

Santa was good enough to bring me a Byrnes Drawplate :).

 

I've never used a Drawplate before and would appreciate any tips and pointers. Thanks.

 

Best,

John

Member:

Connecticut Marine Model Society

Nautical Research Guild

Model Ship World

"So we beat on, boats against the current, bourne back ceaselessly into the past" F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby

"If at first you don’t succeed.......skydiving is probably not for you”

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Byrnes draw plate and it is the best one I have. It has a great cutting edge at each hole. It is easy to use and I would not trade it for anything.

 

Insert the material into the side opposite the countersink and then pull it through from the countersunk side of the hole. You can use pliers to hold on to the end while you draw it through. I use my thumb and forefinger, but others use pliers.

 

You can clamp it to your desk or table, but I have never done that. I hold it in my hand as I work. I can usually get a 5-6 inch length on each piece if I want them that long.

 

Make sure you have a piece that is not too large for the hole. I draw my bamboo through the same hole several times, angling it differently with each successive pass to ensure I am ready to move to the next hole. Be patient and do not try and work too fast. The faster you go, the more breakage you will have. Also, the more practice you have, the easier it will be to use.

 

You should experiment with it to see what approach works best for you. Have fun.

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are also draw tongs.  They are for gripping wire, but work with

bamboo - if pieces of sandpaper are used as an interface to grip and

you do not squeeze too hard.

 

post-4267-0-78441300-1482791012.jpg

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These tongs really only make sense, when you have a draw-bench. A draw-bench is used for drawing wires, not wood/bamboo. The draw-plate is fixed at one end and at the other there is a chain with a geared winding mechanism, or a belt. The hooked arm of the tongs points upward, while the straight one slides on the bench - in this way the pressure on the wire increases the stronger you pull. Here a historical example from the Internet:

draw-bench.jpg

Source: http://phiden.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/draw-bench.jpg

 

I don't think these tongs would be useful to draw material for tree-nails ...

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Guys.

 

Can one draw other woods than bamboo?

 

Best,

John

Edited by Landlocked123

Member:

Connecticut Marine Model Society

Nautical Research Guild

Model Ship World

"So we beat on, boats against the current, bourne back ceaselessly into the past" F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby

"If at first you don’t succeed.......skydiving is probably not for you”

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, any wood can be drawn. Some will probably be better than others. A straight grained material will be best. It will have less breakage be easier to pull.

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I draw a boxwood nails. Requires a nice straight grained piece to cut the strips from, but works fine after some practice. Also works as a reliable mood measurement tool. One must be totally calm when using it - otherwise the piece will snap somewhere in the small hole :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

May not be the best technique but I also found it is better to soak the wood to be drawn first; especially bamboo.  

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited by BANYAN

If at first you do not suceed, try, and then try again!
Current build: HMCSS Victoria (Scratch)

Next build: HMAS Vampire (3D printed resin, scratch 1:350)

Built:          Battle Station (Scratch) and HM Bark Endeavour 1768 (kit 1:64)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone used Orange wood to draw and make nails? From somewhere in the past I have acquired a box of 2500 Orange Wood cuticle sticks. Bound to be useful for something other than glue sticks.

Dupree

 

"A slow steady hand conquers a fast shaky mind" - me

 

 

HMS Triton 1:32 Cross Section

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These tongs really only make sense, when you have a draw-bench.

 

 

Thanks for the explanation and photo; I wondered what the curved handle was for.  You learn something new here everyday.

 

Cheers

Slog

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

HM Bark Endeavour (First Wood, On Hold)

Borodino (1:200 Card, Current Build)

Admiral Nakhimov (card 1/200)

Mazur D-350 Artillery Tractor (1:25 Card) 

F-8 Crusader (1:48 Aircraft, Plastic)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You will have better control and results if you clamp the drawplate and use both hands to pull the material through.

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course draw plates were originally used to reduce the diameter of gold and silver wire for jewelers.  The wire was annealed and pulled through from the larger diameter side of the plate to squeeze the wire to the smaller size.  The wire was annealed again and the process repeated as many times as necessary to achieve the desired diameter.  This can be done with brass wire to get that odd size that you cannot find.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although hardened steel draw-plates were used for brass and iron/steel, these would wear rapidly, resulting in a gradual increase of the diameter. So, today carbide or ruby dies are used for anything harder than copper and, of course, in any commercial context.

 

I would doubt that drawing your own wire without a draw-bench as illustrated above would be successful. The forces and steady action required would be difficult to apply by simple drawing with elbow grease. The process results in the metal sort of flowing and this has to be maintained also without changing the direction of pull. Otherwise the wire will break.

 

However, this is digression from the original subject ...

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually grasp the wood with a folded piece of sandpaper between my thumb and finger but resort to pliers now and then.    The sand paper gives better control.  Everything else Russ said as well......  

 

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although hardened steel draw-plates were used for brass and iron/steel, these would wear rapidly, resulting in a gradual increase of the diameter. So, today carbide or ruby dies are used for anything harder than copper and, of course, in any commercial context.

Also, commercial drawing machines flood the die with oil, which lubricates the hole and takes away heat.   Even for hand drawing of metals, some oil, wax or grease is recommended to reduce wear of the holes and to reduce the required pulling force.  This is, of course, messy if done by hand, so I can see how a drawing bench would be desirable.  

Bruce

Stay Sharp - Stay Safe

Judgement comes from experience:  experience comes from poor judgement.

  • USS Constitution: Scratch build solid hull 1:96 scale
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes but it was done by hand for many years before someone came up with the bench idea.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My first knowledge of a draw plate was in one of the French classics, which I read as a teen.  The author described a man, earning a living by, sitting on the floor bracing the draw plate with his feet while he pulled the gold wire for the jeweler. 

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...