SignalFailure
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2008
- Messages
- 366
- Reaction score
- 3
I'm having some problems getting an accurate bore on my mini-lathe.
As the engines I'm making have cylinders in the 8 to 20mm range I have one of the smallest indexable-type boring bars (6mm shank) that will fit into a drilled hole around 8.5mm diameter. If I need to make a long (well, say 30mm) bore of 12.5mm dia I find that the resulting hole has variable finish, and worse, slightly variable diameter. I'm guessing that over such a length the boring bar is flexing and that's the cause of the problem.
I can see that maybe for a 12mm bore I should drill to 10mm then bore the rest but the bar I have is the only one that will fit in a 10mm hole and I'm sure it will get the wobbles on even light cuts when it's at 'full reach'. I'm not sure I fancy drilling holes bigger than 10mm on the mini-lathe!
The other problem is boring to the very end of the cylinder if the end is flat against the chuck (and for a 30mm piece of metal in the mini-lathe it pretty much has to be!)
I've tried making a boring bar to take a home-made silver-steel bit but couldn't get a good cut with it (http://www.truetex.com/boring.htm)
How does everyone else cope with these problems? Any tips or advice welcome before it all goes in the bin!
Paul
As the engines I'm making have cylinders in the 8 to 20mm range I have one of the smallest indexable-type boring bars (6mm shank) that will fit into a drilled hole around 8.5mm diameter. If I need to make a long (well, say 30mm) bore of 12.5mm dia I find that the resulting hole has variable finish, and worse, slightly variable diameter. I'm guessing that over such a length the boring bar is flexing and that's the cause of the problem.
I can see that maybe for a 12mm bore I should drill to 10mm then bore the rest but the bar I have is the only one that will fit in a 10mm hole and I'm sure it will get the wobbles on even light cuts when it's at 'full reach'. I'm not sure I fancy drilling holes bigger than 10mm on the mini-lathe!
The other problem is boring to the very end of the cylinder if the end is flat against the chuck (and for a 30mm piece of metal in the mini-lathe it pretty much has to be!)
I've tried making a boring bar to take a home-made silver-steel bit but couldn't get a good cut with it (http://www.truetex.com/boring.htm)
How does everyone else cope with these problems? Any tips or advice welcome before it all goes in the bin!
Paul