Boring bar/head

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by petro1head on 14/04/2017 15:26:35:

All sorted, finally arrived yesterday.

I am sure I read somewhere that its a good idea to replace the set screws as the chineese ones are like cheese?

Perhaps in two messages a bit higher up this page…

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Dave, strictly speaking it was the father of the owner of RDG who purchased old Myford.

You get what you pay for with RDG, some good, some is not so good, but they will always treat you fairly.

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

Any idea where I can buy UK/US set screws. The ones on ebay are from the far east ie **LINK**

[John ReeseParticipant @johnreese12848]

I have a Chinese made boring head that proved quite serviceable. There were only two issues. The grub screws were soft. The dial for adjustment was numbered backwards. Lathe type boring bars work quite well but need to be shortened. High speed steel works quite well because the surface speed will be fairly low. Cheap boring bars from China that accept round tool bits work quite well. Always use the shortest tool that will reach the bottom of the hole. Too much stickout almost guarantees chatter.

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

Posted by John Reese on 16/04/2017 19:47:57:

I have a Chinese made boring head that proved quite serviceable. There were only two issues. The grub screws were soft. The dial for adjustment was numbered backwards. Lathe type boring bars work quite well but need to be shortened. High speed steel works quite well because the surface speed will be fairly low. Cheap boring bars from China that accept round tool bits work quite well. Always use the shortest tool that will reach the bottom of the hole. Too much stickout almost guarantees chatter.

Did you replace the grub screws and if so where did you get them from?

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

If I want decent quality fixings I go to Sterling Nuts & Bolts Ltd of Peterborough. All their stocks are certificated for use in industry. More expensive than the cheap stuff on epay but, as nearly always, you get what you pay for.

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

 

Did my first job using the boring bar and wasted a day creating a lot of swarf.

However the head cuts fine but the problem is the adjustment. It just pants ie dial in 0.40mm and it cuts 0.60mm then the next time 0.55mm

Its my own fault for being a cheapscate so am looking again but this time something of decent quality where the scale actually does what its mean to.

So looking again for suggestions.

 

Edited By petro1head on 24/04/2017 20:51:25

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Erikson "Tenthset", adjusts in increments of 0.002mm on diameter, available with various size tool sockets, 1 just sold on ebay for around £75 but they can go for as little as £35. Shanks are screwed in so different types are available, there are a couple on ebay at the moment if you want to see what they look like.

Emgee

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bristol-Erikson-Ltd-No-10-Tenthset-Boring-Head-30-International/302293447491?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40656%26meid%3D96923960027b40258f534d1ee0fa2a56%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D132157401608

Edited By Emgee on 24/04/2017 21:15:56

Edited By Emgee on 24/04/2017 21:17:05

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by KWIL on 14/04/2017 16:31:41:

Dave, strictly speaking it was the father of the owner of RDG who purchased old Myford.

Clearly he was some kind of marketing genius as he is now able to sell the same machine as years ago for a tenfold increase.

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by petro1head on 24/04/2017 20:51:02:

 

Did my first job using the boring bar and wasted a day creating a lot of swarf.

However the head cuts fine but the problem is the adjustment. It just pants ie dial in 0.40mm and it cuts 0.60mm then the next time 0.55mm

Edited By petro1head on 24/04/2017 20:51:25

Maybe try the boring head build in M.E.W? It was a good one if I remember rightly, and none of that fuss of having to measure taper thou per foot with morse tapers when you can be smugly satisfied cutting a whole 8 degree taper for the shank.

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 24/04/2017 21:31:28

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by petro1head on 24/04/2017 20:51:02:

… the head cuts fine but the problem is the adjustment. It just pants ie dial in 0.40mm and it cuts 0.60mm then the next time 0.55mm

Its my own fault for being a cheapscate so am looking again but this time something of decent quality where the scale actually does what its mean to.

So looking again for suggestions.

Edited By petro1head on 24/04/2017 20:51:25

Hi Petro1head,

I'd suggest spending a bit more time getting used to the tool before parting with your cash.

Boring bars are bendy things and the amount they take off varies with each pass. What you're seeing could be normal.

When boring (which I do for England), I take deep cuts without worrying much about dial accuracy until the hole is close to the required diameter. Then I stop, measure the diameter, and use the dial to move in to size. The important part is to finish off with shallow cuts, with a number of passes at each dial setting. The idea is to minimise the boring bars strong tendency to act like a spring.

A quick way to check dial accuracy would be with a digital caliper.

Dave

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

the head cuts fine but the problem is the adjustment. It just pants ie dial in 0.40mm and it cuts 0.60mm then the next time 0.55mm

Is backlash the problem, just as any lathe or mill settings?

Or perhaps you need a dro on it!

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 24/04/2017 21:29:47:

Hi Petro1head,

I'd suggest spending a bit more time getting used to the tool before parting with your cash.

Boring bars are bendy things and the amount they take off varies with each pass. What you're seeing could be normal.

When boring (which I do for England), I take deep cuts without worrying much about dial accuracy until the hole is close to the required diameter. Then I stop, measure the diameter, and use the dial to move in to size. The important part is to finish off with shallow cuts, with a number of passes at each dial setting. The idea is to minimise the boring bars strong tendency to act like a spring.

A quick way to check dial accuracy would be with a digital caliper.

Dave

Hi Dave

Thats kind of what I did, got the hole to close to what I wanted then went carefull with shallow cuts. Maybe I just need to practice to get an idea what each incrament actually cuts

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

Posted by not done it yet on 24/04/2017 21:40:09:

the head cuts fine but the problem is the adjustment. It just pants ie dial in 0.40mm and it cuts 0.60mm then the next time 0.55mm

Is backlash the problem, just as any lathe or mill settings?

Or perhaps you need a dro on it!

Could be, will check tomorrow with some test cuts

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

Well I have spent this morning stipping and cleaning the boring bar so that it works smoothly. I then did an intial cut of 17.83 mm and then rotaed the dial one full turn (1mm) and it was 19.83. I then adjusted the dial 8.5 incraments and the resuly was 20mm

So am now satisfied that yesterday must have been beginers error.

Thanks again for the help .

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by petro1head on 25/04/2017 12:42:35:

…

So am now satisfied that yesterday must have been beginers error.

…

I'm an expert on beginner's error!

I've found self-teaching to be a minefield because of the amount of trial and error involved. It's hard to tell if the problem is due to the tool, the material, the apprentice, or a combination. I'm not a natural craftsman and made better progress when I stopped blaming my tools. Although decent tools make life easier, they don't guarantee success. One thing is dead certain: buying a Stradivarius would never turn me into a Violinist, let alone a virtuoso.

My worst humiliation as a novice has been brazing. After swotting up on the subject I made a complete mess of joining two bits of mild steel together. I roundly blamed the flux, gas, blowlamp and solder. Then a knowledgable friend came round and did a neat job with the same kit in a few minutes – he made it look dead easy. Watching him do it I realised that I was getting the work alternately too hot and cold; I wasn't judging the right moment to apply the rod; and then I wasted a lot of time looking for pliers, dropping the rod, and generally flapping about. Even knowing what I was doing wrong didn't fix the problem: I still need to practice more, perhaps a lot more!

It is fun though.

Dave

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 25/04/2017 13:27:07:

Posted by petro1head on 25/04/2017 12:42:35:

…

So am now satisfied that yesterday must have been beginers error.

…

 

I'm an expert on beginner's error!

My worst humiliation as a novice has been brazing. After swotting up on the subject I made a complete mess of joining two bits of mild steel together. I roundly blamed the flux, gas, blowlamp and solder. Then a knowledgable friend came round and did a neat job with the same kit in a few minutes – he made it look dead easy. Watching him do it I realised that I was getting the work alternately too hot and cold; I wasn't judging the right moment to apply the rod; and then I wasted a lot of time looking for pliers, dropping the rod, and generally flapping about. Even knowing what I was doing wrong didn't fix the problem: I still need to practice more, perhaps a lot more!

It is fun though.

Dave

I only realized after having trouble getting solder to shtick, that I was using the wrong flux, I read the CuP alloys guide and it set me right. If the flux burns off at a lower temperature than the brazing then it's pretty much useless.

I think my worst humiliation on here has to be the 1st rolled copper tube I made which i'm forever reminded of. ​

If you image trying to make a tube out of quality street wrappers, that was about the same sort of texture

Well theres nothing worse than being too proud for your own good so maybe it's better that it happened.

I now have an aversion to rolling tubes but rest assured I have since gone onto make a lot of very sound brazed joints. It has to be one of the best ways of joining mild steel without a lot of bother.

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 25/04/2017 15:26:40

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