Floating Reamer Holder

Hi

For those interested in DIY tooling, I made a Floating Reamer Holder, something I'd been wanting to build for a while, a tool making competition motivated me to get it done and enter the competition.

Part of the competition is to create a video of your tool, have a story line, show it being made and used.

This is my video for anyone interested.

I made it so that it can be used for drilling as well as reaming, I've used it a few times and it's been great, surprising the difference in getting an accurate reamed hole. I know there's more to it than just reamer alignment but this at least address one aspect.

Here's a picture of the tool, it's the bronze looking bit.

I used a chuck because I mostly use chucking reamers. I do have a few larger reamers with morse taper shanks so now have an idea how I can make a similar tool for those.

All made fro donated scrap off cuts, the best material for DIY tooling.

The tool making competition is #TMC2020

Nigel

Edited By tractionengine42 on 19/06/2020 20:20:21

Splendid. A product of some fine engineering skill! Was the ally bronze made to fit a standard ‘C’ spanner? Or are you going to make one (just to finish off the job).🙂

Let’s be seeing the Morse taper part, next, please. I’d like to see how it is done, with a view to making one myself (but nowhere near as easy/good as yours) - if I ever get round tuit!

Excellent video and tool, first time I have watched a video of this type to the end well done.

Great video, hope it did well! A project I quite fancy doing sometime as I remember using them but they don't seem to b so popular these days. Great Idea putting the chuck on it.

A really great idea. Thanks for sharing.

A good video and some excellent workmanship in creating this tool. However, although the tool is of an interesting design, it appears to be overly complex, and in that I refer to the provision of 'azimuth displacement' effected by the roll of the head by using a ball bearing / pad design. The axial displacement is all that one 'should' need unless the lathe is hopelessly out of alignment.

The use of the chuck also puts a lot of mass outboard of the flexible joint - notice the drop of the reamer as it exits the hole. Surely the use of single split collets allows for a simpler design and a lower mass of the moving parts. A very simple and effective design is the old Buck & Hickman model 20BA.

Overall a very nice machining job though, congratulations!

I deliberately made mine with plenty of clearance, between the body, and the four capscrews which effectively stop the reamer holders from rotating within the body..

For Hand reamers the body uses ER 25 collets.

For machine reamers, i made up some ER 32 collets with 1MT, 2MT and 3 MT bores. Being a coward, the MT collets are only slit from one end, but they seem to grip well enough to do the job; so far!

Howard

notice the drop of the reamer as it exits the hole.

Is it not bound to drop? I would not expect anything else. Especially if the designed-in clearance for reamer lateral movement happens to be in the vertical plane?

Surely, the whole purpose of having the reamer float is so that it can follow the existing hole, rather than be off centre and act as a boring bar?

Consequently, the reamer can move off centre and will drop by the amount of "float" when it leaves the hole.

That has never caused me any qualms or problems, or have I been lucky?

Howard..

NDIY -

"Is it not bound to drop? I would not expect anything else"

Well yes - I'm not surprised it drops with all the mass of the chuck outboard of the 'swivel' mechanism. I would be concerned that a drop like that could, and I emphasise this is only conjecture on my part, cause a 'bell mouthing' at the end of the hole if the withdrawal rate was lethargic enough.

It's the need for the swivel mechanism I am questioning - surely a half decent machine has the headstock and tailstock in a reasonable parallel axial alignment I do not see why you would want a swivel - but if there is a good reason for a swivel I would have considered the need to keep outboard mass and overhang down to a reasonable level. An 'Albrecht style ' chuck is a heavy piece of kit.

It would be nice to see a small split collet arrangement similar to the old B&H model 20BA

Thanks everyone for your interest and complimentary feedback. My post seems to have stimulated some discussion, all great stuff.

There's a few points i'd like to clarify/respond to which I will do once I have had a chance to digest all the replies.

Meanwhile I have a Lion Loco to build, so I'll catch up with you all fairly shortly.

Cheers

Nigel

I have a hinged type C spanner that can be used on different diameters, really useful, It's like this one

Nigel

I have noticed some angular alignment issues in my set up with reamer/drills deflecting as they enter a previously drilled hole, so I included the ball to try and address this. I did wonder whether the mass of a chuck would be detrimental, approaching this as a hobbyist I thought it was worth a try, the tool was an experiment and for sure could be improved.

I based my design upon a commercial product I was shown some time ago which was just as "floppy" as my design and I was told it had some angular freedom of movement as well as radial. While I didn't get the finer detail of it's design this is my best guess how it worked as far as I can fathom, my design achieves, as best as I can, the same result as the commercial one I was shown.

You got me thinking and it would be possible to move the pivot point in front og the taper on the collar/chuck carrier, the tool works very well for what I want so I'm not inclined to spend any more time on it.

Other than the one I was shown I'm not familiar with any other designs and didn't look into it, my aim was to replicate the commercial one I was shown and saw working.

Thanks for some interesting feedback.

Nigel

Thanks for the picture that explains allot of what your are saying.

I would like to also make a Floating Reamer Holder for taper shank reamers, you've given me some food for thought.

Cheers

Nigel

Nigel,

Thanks for your responses above and more importantly thank you for accepting my criticism in a positive way. I would hasten to add that the machining performed by you was exemplary and I would have been thrilled to make something with anywhere near as the detail you have shown.

BTW, can I ask what mill you have? It looked from the brief view of the table like a Deckel FP2.

Best of luck in the competition!

Martin

Hi Oily Rag

My go to mill is a a Deckel FP1 circa 1947 amazingly accurate inspite of it's age, one of my few indulgences. An Elliot Shaper and Omni-mill are my other prides of joy. Unfortunately my lathe is not in that category but adequate.

Cheers

Nigel

Unfortunately my lathe is not in that category but adequate.

Being a bit of the devil here - does that indicate it is a more modern lathe of far eastern manufacture?😈

My kit is mostly ‘old iron’ - the only far eastern items being tooling, the rotary tables being the largest items.

Yeah, you've hit the nail on the head. My lathe is good for the money and got me into the hobby, it's 20 years old now so no complaints. So far a good old iron lathe has eluded me. When you move to a rigid machine the difference is outstanding.

Nigel

I can attest that the Lion build series is fantastic - i enjoy watching it very much !
I really should get off my lazy butt and make your floating reamer / tap holder although i would need to make an adapter to fit my morse taper reamers or modify the design to fit them .

Ian.

Edited By XD 351 on 21/06/2020 14:19:22

Thanks Ian

Great to hear your enjoying my Lion build on YouTube, it's quite a big effort to do the videos so your interest is much appreciated.

Cheers

Nigel