Droop and rein

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Looking for photos

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

I am slowly putting together an account of my apprenticeship in the late 60's with Vickers Armstrongs Aircraft Weybridge, later to become British Aircraft Corp etc.

At one stage, I worked on a large Droop and Rein copy mill some 30 – 40 feet wide and 12 feet tall. Its machine bed was in the vertical plane, with the copy pattern mounted to the left, and component to the right. We were machining VC10 engine beams in Nimonic steel Alloy using nitrided HSS cutters.

I am now looking for a photo of such machines (I don't have model nos. etc). I would be interested in any other workshop photos of the Weybridge works as well.
Thanks in advance.
Bob Humphrey (Weybridge 1963 – 1970)

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I will have a search to see if I have any pictures of a smaller Droop used at one place I worked at. I was employed there to operate a "Keller" copy mill so never got to use the Droop. We are going back to the days when affording the processing after taking photographs was prohibitive ! Chris GEC 1963-1971

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Bob,

Is this the sort of thing you are looking for http://cnc-mills.com/ws/droop-rein-starrag-fog-milling.html

I dont remember what make they were but on a Tour around Hatfield many years ago there were similar machines machining the main spar's for the then new Airbus aircraft.

Martin P

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Ooh! No Martin, long before that. These were copy mills before CNC had been invented and the bed was vertical (like a wall). Hope Chris has something tucked away. As apprentices, we used to 'ride' on the machine console – it had a chair and small desk – even a place for your sandwich box (Can't call it a lunch box these days !). Progressive cuts were made by reducing the diameter of the copying 'finger' which followed the metal pattern that had been drawn up in the mold loft. We did have a PC machine (Pneumatic Control), it used paper tape about 2.5" wide with paper flaps punched into it. As the tape passed over the 'read head', air escaped through the hole causing solenoids to activate the X and Y servos (No Z control)
BobH

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Not Droop and rein, but may "look like" what you seek

2 copy mills

Edited By Ady1 on 16/03/2016 10:49:06

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

In the Pressed Steel tool room at Cowley we had 2 Droops that had replaced 2 Kellers, so the Keller bay had No.1 and No.2 Droop and Kellers No.3 to No. 8 . No.1 and No.2 Droop had a Cincinnati Acramatic 4 numerical control only but No.2 was NC or tracer controlled copy mill. As in Ady1 pic the bed had massive angle plates fitted to give a vertical working bed and in our case the model would have gone Keller style above the die being machined, both our Droops were installed around 1970 as NC controlled machines were getting more popular No.2 kept a foot in the old world by being a hybrid although I never saw it used as a copy mill. Both machines were installed in a pit as the tool room was not high enough for large machines and the travelling cranes to clear each other. Sorry no pics and even a google image search doesn't come up with quite the right machine.

Mike

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

ADY1 – Certainly that sort of size, but with the copy form being left of the piece being milled. I don't remember the 3rd axis being used. It could have been a horizontal mill modified with angle plates (Big uns) with the copy mechanism turned through 90deg. I don't know why the bed was vertical – swarf clearance ??

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

On our Droops the swarf fell into a screw conveyor along the edge of the base table beneath the die being machined and finished up in a bin.

Mike

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

When I saw the tetle "Droop and Rein", I thought "I recognise that". Then I read the content and realised it was from my time at Brooklands 1980-1987, so they must have still been going then. Alas no photo's.

Bob, Have you seen this site before?

https://sites.google.com/site/rawkinssu/home

Stuart

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Thanks Stuart, we used to have lunch with Terry. His Dad was in charge of the carpenter's workshop. I found a not very good print of the Droop plus my first pay pay slip !! £ 4 2s 6d – (when £sd meant money and not drugs). Memory playing tricks as the copy profile was above the component.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Alas I have not found any pictures but it looks like you have something. Very much like a Keller in operation. I remember now the smell of the cutting oil "Lard Oil and Paraffin", great machine to use though as all the swarf dropped away You where very well paid down South, my wages grossed at two pound nineteen shillings and eleven pence in 1963.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

The only copy machine I have seen (Vertical) had the name , DeHavilland on it and was special to purpose for making propellor blades and face masks for individual faces. Quite a big machine at about twice my height.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I have used many copy mills. Hayes diemaster with hydraulic copying/Cincinati/Various Deckle machines an Alexander copy mill plus a Bridgeport but for me the best was always the Keller for the way the swarf dropped away.

Oh just remembered using a Gorton as well.

[Author]

Posts