Replacing or building brake bands

I have an old Gibson Model D that the Brake bands have rusted apart on them. I doubt that I will be able to find replacement bands for them. So where do I go to find someone to build new ones? Brake shop, Sheetmetal Shop or Machine Shop?

How are you at fabricating? Making a brake band is not all that hard. I do not know what a Gibson model D is, So I can't tell you right off what material to use, but here's some comparisons. Brake band on a Farmall M is about 10 gauge. T-6 IH crawler probably 8 gauge or 1/16", with a hinge in the middle. Once you have selected a thickness, you have to make the eyes for the ends. If the originals were loops, just wrap the end of the band around the appropriate size bolt and weld. Fabricated ends? Carefully cut all the original fittings off the old band and weld them onto the new one. A good welder for this job is a small wire-feed. Don't weld across the band if you can help it. In the case of looped ends, cut a long, shallow taper on the ends of the band before you bend it. This will give you a place to weld nearly parallel to the edges of the band, to avoid a stress crack. Don't weld the end! Now for the lining. Brake shops are probably the least likely place to procure this stuff, they're afraid your Gibson Model D is going to run out of control into the grandstand and kill untold millions, and then you'll sue them for providing the brakes. I would try a company who relines bands for cable cranes and hoes, and these guys can be found in Rock and Dirt. Look in the classifieds, or contact any of the companies contained therein who distribute friction products. Crane and Machinery, off the top of my head, wouldn't sell friction products per se, but they might point you in the right direction. You could also swipe the lining from an emergency brake band from an old truck, but if your bands are as big as those on a Fordson with tracks, that may not be worth the effort. Another way to approach this might be to find a band with a similar body, and attach your fittings to it. Fritz.

McMaster-Carr sells various types of friction material and attaching hardware after band is fabbed as per other poster.