Brake Rotor Disk Construction

[knots]

I was thinking that a brake rotor disk would be a good start rotating jig .   The first one i picked up is unusable because of corrosion  but the corroded edge got me to thinking.  Have alook at the thumbnail  of the disk edge below.  Looks like this one was lamimated.   Anyone have information of how and from what brake rotors are manfactured .

[Jim Coke]

Greetings Knots,

 

I think you will find brake rotors are cast and would not hold up as a bolster plate...  Also they will crack and brake very easy..  Best use a better metal for your project.

 

Keep thinkin     Jim

[knots]

Thanks Jim,

 

From the deterioration that I observed, I basically had given the idea up.   However I was surprised that the corrosion damage revealed what appears to be a complex structure of the metal.   As usual my curiosity has kicked in .  The tthumbnail may not be sharp enoigh to show the change in metal across the thickness of the disk.  

[Walking Dog]

Your disc brake rotor would be a good start on a work stand or something similar.  Remove the bearings and fit a pipe into the center hole.  Make the attachment solid by fitting a scrap of round stock under the lug bolt, and welding its other end(s) to the pipe. 

[knots]

I have been considering using one as a saw stand.  I have one pedistal stand which used an old flat belt sheave for the base.  However it is to short and light for my current wet saw set up.  The disks that I have are the type which slipped onto a hub with lug bolts.  it will be very simple to  make up an adjustable post and roller assembly for that stand using the brake disk as a base. 

 

The original question grew out of the thought that a brake disk might be a foundation for a dinner gong forming fixture.  The plan was to weld a 2" rim formed around the brake disk perimeter.  If the disk is cast iron as reported,  this would not likely work because even if I could get the hoop welded on the disk the question would be if a steel to Cast iron weld would hold in used as a form.  The simple thing is to roll a ring or cut a ring out of a large diameter pipe, and then fit and weld a steel plate disk to the ring.   In this case the stand works but the gong pan fixture will not.