Small boring head

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lensman57

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Hi,

Happy new year to you all, wish you all a healthy, prosperous and peacful new year.

Does any one have plans for a small boring head that I could build to use on my Taig or Sherline mills? I have the Sherline boring head but I find it difficult to work with and there is quite a bit of flex in the body and the HSS tool. The usual 2" Chinese or Indian stuff are just too long and bulky to use on a Taig. I can't see myself wanting to bore anything larger than 30 mm diameter at the moment.

Regards,

A.G
 
Hi Lensman

I built one for my taig mill a few years ago, see the link below.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/f13/boring-tool-holder-2055/

I made the body from aluminium, if I was to do it again, I would go for steel.
As it is, I really need to revisit the build, and add gibs to the dovetails, the
aluminium on aluminium is not optimal... sticks to itself. Usually right when you just need that last thou of adjustment.

Good luck, and show us what you come up with!

Cheers, Joe
 
Thanks Charlie for giving my web site a mention, and in particular the mini boring head. This was specifically designed for the smaller machines for which at the time, probably now but I have not looked, a suitable head did not seem to be available.

Readers of this thread may like to see the picture of it being used. This is at
http://homews.co.uk/LrgMiniBoringHead15.jpg

It is shown being used with my lathe mounted milling head

Harold Hall
 
Last edited:
Hi Harold,

May I first say that I have a couple of your books and I have thoroughly enjoyed them and recommend them in particular to inexperienced soles like myself.
Of all the designs that I have studied, yours seems to fit my requirements the best. Do you think however, that this design is suitable for a Taig mill as at least in my case I do not think of it as a rigid enough mill, I know that others have a different opinion than mine.

Regards,

A.G
 
The simple answer is A.G. that it depends what you want to do with it. Inferred by that of course is that yes it will work within the limits of the machine.
I do not have any first hand experiance of the Taig but have seen evidence of useful work being done on them, some being items from my books and articles. I am not in the workshop at the moment but the head will work upto about 30mm probably a little more. At that diameter I would see no reason why there should be a problem providing you kept the width of cut and feed rate down.

The head width of cut is calibrated in divisions of 0.025mm but is not numbered as there is not room on such a small dial. However, this enables one to increase depths of cut by known small amounts, say 0.05, 0.1, 0.2mm depending on the material being machined. If you have a lot of metal to remove then you probably will have to be patient, but that is often the case when using a boring head.

Do you use a fly cutter on the mill, if so then you can be assured that the boring head will do better than that as invariably the cut is continuous, which is rarely the case with a fly cutter.

Harold Hall
 
Hi Harold,

Many thanks for your reply, I have already gathered the materials for the boring head and will probably start the construction soon. I think that the free length of the boring bar has a lot to do with the flex that a boring head set up suffers, IMHO most of the boring bars that I have seen , in particular some HSS ones have too long a free length to be rigid, I'd probably either have to source or learn to make efficient rigid boring bars.

Regards,

A.G
 
Thanks Charlie for giving my web site a mention, and in particular the mini boring head. This was specifically designed for the smaller machines for which at the time, probably now but I have not looked, a suitable head did not seem to be available.

Readers of this thread may like to see the picture of it being used. This is at
http://homews.co.uk/LrgMiniBoringHead15.jpg

It is shown being used with my lathe mounted milling head

Harold Hall

Hi Harold,
I am about to complete the 75 mm wide BoreHead from your book. But I am recycling surplus bars so BH ended up 50mm wide but it fits well with my Japanese Mini Mill. I like your mini version in the foto.Please advise source of this plans? If it is in your latest book,I will glad to buy same.See foto of your book and BH.

IMG_1246.jpg
 
The details you require Gus for the mini boring head can be found on my website at
http://www.homews.co.uk/page199.html

I am pleased that available materials have prompted you to downsize the boring head described in my milling book as I have always thought it was too bulky for the smaller milling machines now available. The boring head was first published in the Model Engineers' Workshop magazine in 2002 (the book then in 2004) when the mini mills were only just appearing, apart maybe for the Tiag/Sherline mills which I think had been around earlier. The design therefore had the larger mill drills in mind. I would like for the book now to give this fact a mention, suggesting that the design could be scaled down a little, but the publishers are not keen on changes unless they are for major errors.

I am not sure if I have given this a mention on this forum but I recently changed the details of the items on my website from a random list to an alphabetical one making it much easier to find items. This helps readers (and me) to locate articles such as the mini boring head. The first page of the index can be found at http://www.homews.co.uk/page463.html

Harold Hall
 
I've always thought this design was worth building - by Harold Hall. Link to the page on his website ... http://homews.co.uk/page199.html
Good luck on your quest ...
Charlie

Hi Welkie

Thanks for the drawing. If I had seen this earlier,I would have gone for it.
For the Japanese Vertical which takes 12mm end mill max. This BH is best suited. However,the 2" BH is now completed and waiting for the boring bar to come in from UK. See foto.


Gus

IMG_1262.jpg
 
No worries Gus - I'm glad I could help in a small way. I've built a few of Mr. Hall's designs and all have performed very well to say nothing of the sense of achievement. His web site has given me hours and hours of enjoyment and education as I browsed through it. The tricky bit is remembering all the gems "hiding there".

I love your choice of back drop in your boring head photo. The head looks great!
Cheers
Charlie
 
The details you require Gus for the mini boring head can be found on my website at
http://www.homews.co.uk/page199.html

I am pleased that available materials have prompted you to downsize the boring head described in my milling book as I have always thought it was too bulky for the smaller milling machines now available. The boring head was first published in the Model Engineers' Workshop magazine in 2002 (the book then in 2004) when the mini mills were only just appearing, apart maybe for the Tiag/Sherline mills which I think had been around earlier. The design therefore had the larger mill drills in mind. I would like for the book now to give this fact a mention, suggesting that the design could be scaled down a little, but the publishers are not keen on changes unless they are for major errors.

I am not sure if I have given this a mention on this forum but I recently changed the details of the items on my website from a random list to an alphabetical one making it much easier to find items. This helps readers (and me) to locate articles such as the mini boring head. The first page of the index can be found at http://www.homews.co.uk/page463.html

Harold Hall

Hi Harold,

Thanks. I find your book------Milling,A Complete Course very useful. The projects when done will provide ample practice for the machinist,beginner to intermediate. Am about to go thru" LatheWork" too. Having done machining in Trade School 50 years did help. Will machine the small BoreHead shorlty from now. Your small BH is about the size sold by Sakai Vertical Mills.Same from Japan will cost a bomb.
 
Gus, The most feared aspect, for most, when using a lathe is to machine parts fitted to the faceplate. When you have completed the boring head, if using my methods, such a fear will be largely overcome as its a good project to come to terms with the process. Good luck with the project.
Harold Hall
 
I think Gus may have gone swimming if it had fallen over the side...

Hi Guys,

Gus was so enthralled by two weeks of daily efforts to finish up mill. Used fan grinder to sand BH. Sand Grinder is Emory Sander Roll. File and sand paper was too slow.

Used the sunlight to take fotos.If the boat rocked,BH will be gone forevever into the mud bottom. Fortunately the sea was mirror calm and no boats or ships passing by.

Fishing was good Saturday with two 10 pounder Marine Catfish. Sunday was bad. Zero. But we had a good time,beer ,good food and good time chatting away. They say-------fishermen live longer. The fishing-----the food-----or the beer????
 
Gus, The most feared aspect, for most, when using a lathe is to machine parts fitted to the faceplate. When you have completed the boring head, if using my methods, such a fear will be largely overcome as its a good project to come to terms with the process. Good luck with the project.
Harold Hall

Hi Harold,

I have double fear. Have no faceplate so have to make one. Oh Well.Another project------make face plate. Will order CI disc.No worry. By now my slotting cutting not too bad. See you.

Gus from faraway Singapore.
 
Gus, I see that you even take your boring head fishing with you :D

Paul.

Hi Paul,


Gus will take you out for a spin and beers.And if the fish will bite,we will fish for dinner.No worries.We won't get lost. I have Chartplotter and AutoPilot.The inland sea is very calm.No storms.
Where about you live? My daughter lives in Glenhuntly. Nellie and Gus would drop by now n then to see the two grandchildren before grow too big and tall.
 
Hi Harold,

I have double fear. Have no faceplate so have to make one. Oh Well.Another project------make face plate. Will order CI disc.No worry. By now my slotting cutting not too bad. See you.

Gus from faraway Singapore.

Hi Harold.

BoreHead completed. After shop trial,will go on to build the mini BH using 1 1/2" Square Bar on hand which will be best suited to turn on my mini lathe with the 4" x four jaw chuck. Now reading up the "H.H." material diligently before jumping in. Also want to build your Rotating Table. Please advise this can be found in which "H.H." Book. See fotos. Calibrating the Dial was fun.I used method done by my father's turner sometime just after WW-ll. Graduated Cardboard and rubber band.The marking finish looks OK.

IMG_1287.jpg


IMG_1280.jpg
 

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