Stored in the Shed

[Stephen Harris 5Participant @stephenharris5]

Hi All

In my shed, and it's been in there over 20 years, is a thing called a "Diaform" (think that's how you spell it).

I know roughly what it's used for but my question is: do they still get used or is it obsolete??

If it's any use to anyone, when I've done enough posts, (how many do I need), I will stick it in the classifieds.

Regards. Steve Harris

[Stephen Harris 5Participant @stephenharris5]

Diaform

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Like this ?

**LINK**

DIAFORM TRD Tangent Radius Dresser

MichaelG.

[Bill Davies 2Participant @billdavies2]

Or alternatively…

Diaform dresser – a pantograph used to dress forms onto grinding wheels, using a template to provide the form. Where I worked, they were used to dress wheels for grinding hobs and gear shaper cutters. Can be set to various reduction ratios, I think we used usually 20:1.

It uses a diamond lapped to a shallow angle with a specific radius on the tip. Diamond The follower used against the template is a magnified version of the diamond shape. I don't know whether they are much used now, but there seem to be plenty of firms making or relapping the diamonds. I don't have the pantograph, but I have one of the mounted diamonds left.

Bill

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

I have used them many times. I would use one to form a grinding wheel for forming a shape on a mould of die which was hardened previously or for forming a cutter shape to cut a shape. I have also used one on a cylindrical grinder to grind a pin or shaft to form a snatch or mould shape ie moulds for seals and O rings.

David

[Bill Davies 2Participant @billdavies2]

Diaform videos

Used on a large surface grinder: Diaform on surface grinder

This shows the operation, especially the rotation of the follower – if you haven't seen a Diaform, the pantograph action is easy to understand, but the rotation around the tip of the diamond is less obvious: Use of Diaform

Which do you have, Steve?

Bill

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I used Diaform in my mould making time but they where getting little use by the end of the 70s. We switched over to "Optidress" from a company called Precision Grinding. With skill/care and practice we coul form the wheels without making the templates required for "Diaform" a boon where most jobs where one off's.

[Stephen Harris 5Participant @stephenharris5]

Hi All

Bill, the one I have is almost certainly the one shown in you "Use of Diaform" link. There's a serial no. which starts with M1885 and if you google this, "diaform M1885" it brings up various pictures the same.

I think it's complete as it came to me when I bought some stuff in a job lot from the college where my wife worked.

I can't send any pictures to this site as our broadband if useless (very little upload capability)

Regards. Steve Harris

[Stephen Harris 5Participant @stephenharris5]

Hi again.

I lied.

I was looking in the wrong place on the machine.

It looks to me like the one in the link but very slightly different.

The actual serial number is 2843 ATR

Can't get much sense out of google with this.

regards.

[Bill Davies 2Participant @billdavies2]

Stephen, I've sent you a PM.

Bill

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