MEW 239 Boring Head FreePlan

Has any body else made this Boring Head? And did they succeed in fitting the lead screw assembly into the slide and body?

Chinese Puzzle? I failed the test.

My solution was to rework the Leadscrew Nut. remove the the M5 stud and in that position drill and tap M4. The M6 hole is made without the need for orientation.

The nut screw and support are assembled and dropped into the slot. With the dovetails engaged the body will then slide over the the slider. An M4 cap head screw is dropped through the hole ( intended for the M5 stud on the leadscrew nut) and screwed into the top of the Nut.

John H

There is another thread that did discuss the screw.

Screw leadscrew into leadscrew nut until it is just coming out the far side.

Put leadscrew nut into body.

Fit slide and push all the way to the end.

It should push on far enough to reveal the hole for the leadscrew support.

Fit leadscrew support and push slide back until end of leadscrew emerges from support.

Test fit dial, if all OK, secure with threadlock.

This does rely on the cumulative fit of several parts and the positioning of holes being right.

To get more room you can lengthen the slot in the body, shorten the threaded end of the leadscrew or slim down the leadscrew support.

Neil

LINK **LINK**

Thank you to Robbo for the Link. Before posting I did do a seach for Boring Bars; in this case left off the the key word MICROMETER!

In the Jon Gibbs posting, How do you open these photo bucket logos.

Guidance on setting the carbide tipped boring bars (as in Set of Nine) would be welcome.

Neil, what type boring bar areyou using?

The thread i did pick up, Neil your quip " a boring subject made interesting", One contributor recommended using a slot drill as boring bar. Yes it works fast and the flute gives a smooth finish. There was also advice on the crbide tipped cutter but I couldnt follow it on first reading.

John H.

If they are anything like the set I got with my generic Chinese boring head, they will have tips fashioned from some form of brittle material rather like Brighton or Blackpool rock. I have tried on several occasions to actually cut metal with them by way of a challenge but each time they have simply fractured on first contact.

If they are of similar quality, I would suggest the best course of action would be "setting" them in the bin!

Murray

@John Harding. Photobucket no longer allows linking to photos in their free accounts. Sorry to say unless the OP pays no one can view them.

I use a generic set of HSS boring bars, always with zero top rake, or they rub.

Hi

I downloaded these plans with a view to building one. First thing I did was priced up the materials and tools I'd need to buy, eg the 2" steel round bar, and a set of boring tools. Turns out it will cost in the region of £45 if buying cheap Chinese or possibly Indian carbide tipped boring tools. I compared this with what it would cost me to buy a boring head already made, and in a plastic case, including the boring tool set, around £60. So now I'm just debating on whether to build or to buy!

Another thing I noticed was that on the drawings, for both the body(figure 3) and the slide (figure 7), the height of those parts is not given. On the body, there is a 16mm dimension for the depth of the hole the arbor screws into, and the height of the dovetails is given as 7mm, but there is an undimensioned section between those 2 points, that looks about 5 or 6 mm. Again, on the slide, there is a dimension showing the depth of the holes for the boring tools(15mm), and a dimension from the opposite end to the threaded cross holes for the boring tool fixing screws at 24.5mm, but no overall height - I'm guessing it to be about 32mm or so.

I only noticed because I was trying to work out how much 2" bar I'd need to buy, but it didn't matter in the end as I'd just buy a 6" length of it quite cheaply.

Always worth having a short Buy or Build debate. Much depends on your objectives.

It's rarely possible for a hobbyist to compete on cost with mass-produced tools. And buying is usually better than building because you can have the tool now, probably with some form of warranty, and then spend your valuable time on something more useful or interesting.

On the other hand, it's a hobby, and making your own tools is rewarding with other advantages. You gain skills and might improve on the commercial offerings. Getting the stuff necessary to make a tool also boosts the capability of your workshop. Starting up I was often frustrated because I didn't have tools or materials to hand. Takes all the fun out of it. Much easier now I've gathered a decent range of tools and metal. Took a few years but I can walk into my garage and make things without flapping because I haven't got something ordinary like a boring bar, a few inches of brass, or a tap-size twist drill. Depends on budget, space and what you're making, but I've found it good strategy to acquire tools and over-stock materials on all major projects. Tools and left-overs come in useful later, for what ever reason I bought them, either to get on with it, or to develop my skills.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 17/04/2019 10:11:52

Regarding Boring bars, would lathe boring bars work on the boring head? (shortened of course)

Hi Dave,

I agree with you on the aspect of building up of materials and tools by building instead of buying ready made, since I am really just starting out, and don't have much in the way of stocks of metal, or do I have a lot of experience in machining.

I do have some experience, as I have owned my Warco Mini Lathe, and Clarke micro mill/drill for around 10 years, but I had them in my shed, which is also the shed for my gardening stuff and my motorbike stuff, so I needed a good 20 minutes of clearing out before I could even get at my lathe! I have recently moved those tools into my spare bedroom, so I am starting to do all those projects I have been dreaming of doing for the last 10 years, LOL

Currently I am making improvements and accessories for my mini Lathe, and have also made a start on BAT, an O gauge steam loco, and started making L C Mason's small lathe - just because it looks cool, I'm planning on making C J Thorne's Clockmaker's throw, as well. So with all those projects, I should start building up a decent stock of metals, and get some valuable experience too.

As regards the boring head, I need it for a specific job, making a modified cross slide for my mini lathe, but I'm sure it will get a lot of use once I have one. I am inclined towards making it, because the experience will be good, and at the end of the day, I'll be able to point to it and say, "I made that".

Cheers

Ricky

If you make the body 28mm overall you should not go far wrong.

Edited By JasonB on 17/04/2019 13:17:34

I bought a cheap bar end from a steel stockholder.

Well done of spotting the missing dimensions!

The lower block is 28mm overall (it's actually marked on my original drawing!) so Jason is spot on.

The upper block is drawn at 27.5mm, but not marked on the original drawing... neither is critical.

Neil

is that right Neil?

Atom one has it at 25.7mm from end to base of dovetail and 32.5mm overall thickness

Thanks for those measurements. I've made a start today on machining the head, as I found a piece of round bar 2" dia by around 6" long, looks like it is cast iron, so I'm using that

I'kk post pictures as work progresses

Cheers

Ricky

Strange, just checked, 27.5mm.

But TurboCAD also gives me ~20mm for a 25mm dimension?

AH! I was looking at a paper layout which is scaled smaller to fit an A4 sheet.

Go to the original model and its 32mm overall, the Atom person must have worked it by eye..

Neil