Hello Jim,

What CSM is that? Seems like an Autoknitter, but not of UK manufacture! I am guessing it is either a US or Canadian die cast version.

How many needles? Guessing this is about 4 1/2” in diameter and 36 slots (or less) in the ribber?

I’ve had, or got, ribber dials in cast iron, brass, aluminium and pot metal. Pot metal ones need to be stored dry! I would not recommend aluminium – that New Zealand copy of a Beehive machine (basically an autoknitter) made a black gunge when in use and was likely wearing out PDQ.

They don’t look too difficult to make, just as long as the etc includes a rotary table or similar, to index for the slots. Just repetitive machining once the cutters are shaped appropriately.

Let’s hear how you get on as I need to start makiing a few – when I get round to making new cylinders.

You can make them like ribber dials on other machines – they all seem to work as long as they fit. American autoknitters take needles with larger butts than UK machines, btw.

I recently noted a CSM with 3Dprinted parts. I don’t know how long it might last, mind!

I quite fancy using aluminium bronze, but some don’t like machining it. I started a cam shell in Al bronze, for an early AKMC, some time ago, but the project stalled about eight years ago, due to health reasons. Time to find the casting again…

Edited (now I see your pics) : Oh, you mean the cam plate.  Best of luck on that.  Is the rest of the machine still good? Plenty of those come up on epay, from machines where the cam shell and cylinder have expanded and cracked. That part could be OK in Aluminium, I suppose.

Edited By not done it yet on 30/12/2017 17:10:45