Hey Everybody!
A month or so ago, someone mentioned something about CC brake shoes, and I said I'd check with one of my buddies at a major airbrake manufacturer. He took a look into it, and checked the types of places that'd source an average-joe CC'er with materials, and made recommendations. Note: this guy is a professional, the real McCoy, regularly designs brake systems and specs drum, disk, and lining materials, and solves all sorts of problems with really large equipment- most often it's railroad, but also serious hoisting equipment, elevators, etc., so if you wish to argue, you'd best have your research done!
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Adhesive:
3M Scotch-Weld Epoxy Adhesive DP-420, comes in tubes (it's a two-part epoxy) to use. Try to push both cylinders down the same depth (not equal amounts) and then mix the epoxy together.
It requires a light clamping of the parts while curing.
Allow the epoxy to cure for 24 hrs.
Brake shoe materials:
Classic brake lining materials for low-temperature applications include leather and hardwoods. they're inexpensive, easy, and produce excellent results for low-speed applications.
Where high temperature operation is required, real brake material is recommended.
There are a few suitable materials listed in McMaster Carr:
-Molded lining, for rivit or bonding, with friction coefficient of 0.445:
-Non-metallic, with max rubbing speed 3000 fpm at 250 psi with max temp 400F
and also
-Semimetallic 5000 fpm at 150 psi and 500F max.
Available in:
3/16" thick X 2" wide is $3.87 per foot
3/8" thick X 2" wide is $7.49 per foot
Many more sizes and types are available at similar prices.
At 19mph (with your 23" tires and 8" disks), the brake disk is turning at only a fraction of these materials' rated speeds, and since it's not a highway vehicle or under continuous braking load, it's extremely unlikely that you'd ever approach the 300F temperature range.
For those willing to experiment, start with the classic oak shoe, and if the friction coefficient isn't high enough for your liking, either increase leverage or apply a layer of leather to the oak. Oak/leather brake shoes are still a popular combination for equipment that has been operating reliably for upwards of a century... it is the tried-and-true basis for many antique machines, and is still quite favored especially for machines that require modulatable braking under high-leverage linkages.
Using non-metallic or semi-metallic compounds, just pick the right thickness, use the DP420 according to instructions, and clamp the pad (or shoe) so that the compound is firmly pressed against the backing, then let it cure for a full 24 hours. Once it's cured, trim off the excess lining to fit the backing, and you're done.
