Delapena honing machine

[Old SchoolParticipant @oldschool]

i have a small bench top honing machine, I want to hone the big end of a conecting rod with a bronze bush. The bore is 4.5mm anyone know where I can get the hone mandrel and stones from without breaking the bank

[Old SchoolParticipant @oldschool]

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

They show up now and then on a well known auction site, but I've never seen them anywhere else

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

Delapina have a website

Whether your bank will remain intact, I don't know

Roy

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

Been on the bay to find used or near new hone mandrels and adapters etc. Now I know why they are not so popular. There is a conversion for the Superior honing system as well. None of it is cheap. Then the small 4mm to around 6mm are in increments of 5 thou or so in diameter, and they all need truing sleeves for good results. Then there is the selection of stones required as well. So I just got a few sizes that I will use for now.

The Superior system looks just great, but turns out , you need truing sleeves for almost every size if you want really good results. Like 3.98mm uses a different sleeve to 4.01mm , that sort of thing, even though it takes the same stone set. More suitable for doing larger volume of the same thing compared to the Sunnen or Delapena type of honing systems.

Also picked up a Sunnen hone gauge PG800E . It has a range of 5 thou in diameter and graduated in 0.00005 inches of diameter. They don't come up for sale very often so got it anyway. An extremely useful tool for model engine cylinder liner checking, for roundness and for checking taper etc. It measures from 3/8 to 3/4 (9.5mm to 19.05mm )and then the other side is 3/4 to 1-1/2 (19.05mm to 38.1mm ). The metric version of the gauge is the same gauge, but has a metric 0.001mm diameter graduations for the back ground strip and a range of Ø0.13mm. Mechanically is still the same machine. Next is to get the PG400 setting Fixture if I can find one for a hobby price. They are after all , really just a comparator device to make life easy while honing sleeves or car engine conrods etc.

Saw an engine recon shop, and they are getting the stone and rebonding to the older shoes for the sizes that they do not use very often and are more difficult to get. Some stone sets are only available is packs of 6 or 12 etc. SO I can now see why people are opting to just lapping and sticking at it. I also now see why the actual machine is the cheapest part of setting one up too. In saying that, I don't know where all the old machines and mandrels etc have gone to from all the engine reconditioning shops and the places that used to recon brake master cylinders etc.

Already used it to open up the inside of a quickchange tool post main block through hole to fit the centre post of a Hardinge lathe. Was very happy with it and how quick it was to open it up a small amount.

So keep looking for those who have them.

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