Using a boring head

I get a new Vertex Boring head this week, 10-100 with inserts.

Normal milling one lock as many moving axises as you can for stability in the mill.

Using a boring head you have to feed it down, manually in my case.
So how do you do it-?
-Do you lock the mill vertical head and move thw quil down with fine adjustment-?

-Do you lock the quil and feed down with mill head-?
-Do you slightly tigten the millhead or quil using it to go down-?

Edited By Chris Mate on 24/07/2023 04:55:07

I tend to lock the quill and lower the head, may use the quill for initial cuts but last few are done with the head. Less extension of the quill = more rigid setup and hopefully a less tapered hole.

Edited By JasonB on 24/07/2023 07:17:45

... Or of course raise the table, if your milling-machine has a fixed head, with the quill fully home.

Either way also allows a finer, steadier feed than using a lever-driven quill; and on a mill like mine (a Myford VMC) gives more room for measuring the bore.

Still needs a spring-cut at intervals.

If using the quill to downfeed you need to make sure it is descending in a true vertical plane, otherwise the hole will be bored at an angle to the top face.

Emgee

Oh dear, as usual I am out of step, on the vertical mill I use the quill:

I sometimes use the quill lever for roughing, but mostly use the power downfeed on the quill as I am lazy, and it gives a more consistent finish.

For deep holes, that exceed the quill travel, I use the horizontal mill:

Andrew

You are not out of step Andrew you just don't have a benchtop mill like the OP (RF45 clone) and I do where the head moves rather than the knee. You also have powered feed to the quill so have the option to use that that the OP does not.

You do also raise an interesting point about quill travel, which is another reason moving the head on the benchtop mills can be of benafit as that often exceeds quill travel. If that fails there is always the option to use the lathe as a horizontal borer for those that don't have a dedicated machine with the bonus of the lathe having powered feed.

Though both our CNC machines move the head when boring.

I use the quill, but it is INT40 and has a power down feed.

Dave

I had a problem recently with a bore being slightly tapered when using the quill of the round column mill. It has 5" of movement and very little wear, but still the taper was a nuisance. The Tom Senior light vertical has only 2 1/2" of quill travel, but also has a knee which makes up for that. I posted a thread on the subject earlier this year. You can use either depending on the hole depth, but if using the quill, have the clamp slightly done up to tighten up the movement somewhat.

I usually use the quill - easier to take a few spring cuts using the lever

Thanks for the info, I did a mod to the quil previously, maybe I can add a stiffer spring(bit more pessure before tight), and see if it works, otherwise the head up & down.