Ends of coupling rods - and con rods for that matter

Wonder if anyone would be good enough to tell me how they get the ends of their coupling rods circular at the ends? I see LBSC method of putting a pin in the vertical slide or whatever and hand holding them with your hands against the side cutters on a slot drill but this seems a bit hairy fairy scary broken wrist to me. There must be a better method.

Filing buttons, clamped securely to a rotary table then milled, CNC, etc

I do it same as lbsc..Jason, what are those?

On a mandrel in a chuck on RT on mill table, with a toolmaker's clamp attaching it to one of the jaws, or filing buttons for small things.

Neil

I don't have the luxury of rotary tables or CNC. What are filing buttons? Is LBSC's method safe?

Filing buttons are just a couple of slices parted off a rod of teh same dia as the outside of your rod end and drilled to the same size as the hole, some people harden them I just use mild steel as it is.

You then slip a pin through your rod hole, a disc either side and file away, when teh file hit sthe discs they act as rollers and stop the file cutting any deeper.

It may seem a pain making them but keep them and you will save having to make them the next time, you will soon get a good collection

Couple of ways to do it in the rotary table

Edited By JasonB on 20/04/2015 19:03:01

Thanks for explaining that. Its simple enough even for me

I have used some old bearings from HDD recently as filing buttons. These worked great as there are hardened and they roll.