Tool advice, please

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apochronaut
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Re: Tool advice, please

#31 Post by apochronaut » Wed May 16, 2018 1:54 pm

You have just made Bausch & Lomb special tool # *****. Nicely made and worked like a charm, I'm sure.

I was so hoping you had used a cracked socket, though.

MHF needs a tool lending library.

MichaelG.
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Re: Tool advice, please

#32 Post by MichaelG. » Wed May 16, 2018 3:13 pm

apochronaut wrote:You have just made Bausch & Lomb special tool # *****. Nicely made and worked like a charm, I'm sure.
So, you're not entirely against self-made tools then [?]

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

apochronaut
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Re: Tool advice, please

#33 Post by apochronaut » Wed May 16, 2018 4:09 pm

of course not. they just have to be made well enough to do the job.

Hobbyst46
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Re: Tool advice, please

#34 Post by Hobbyst46 » Wed May 16, 2018 5:34 pm

wporter wrote: ...and drilled two 0.0625" (1/16" or about 1.6mm) diameter holes about 0.30" (~7.6mm) deep, in the end, at a spacing equal to the holes in the microscope locking ring, and cut two pins of 0.625" music (piano) wire about 1/2" (12.6mm) long to fit the holes (a press fit)...
Amazing DIY project !! Drilling 1/16" diameter holes in metal can be tough! I have seen such drill bits get struck and break when the holes are deeper than about 5-6 mm, in aluminum and even even in brass, and those sockets are made of steel!

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wporter
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Re: Tool advice, please

#35 Post by wporter » Wed May 16, 2018 7:01 pm

Thanks for the compliments.

About the drilling: in addition to being whatever tough alloy that Proto made their socket from, when the end was cut off with the abrasive disk, the cut surface of the socket became much harder than the rest of the socket, so that there was a 'crust' that needed to be broken through when drilling. I dulled a couple of import low-quality drill bits at first, then managed to get throught the crust and complete the holes with a single US-made high quality bit (which was not dulled by the task in the slightest).

There is a HUGE difference in drill-bit alloy (even among those labeled 'high-speed steel') and heat-treating quality between various drill bits sold in the US, with the imports generally at the bottom, and name-brand drill-bit maker (more expensive ) ones at the top. When one walks into a hardware store over here (Home Depot, Lowe's, ACE, True Value, Orchard, etc) one doesn't know what one will get, since a lot of them will rebrand imports with their own name to sell. Even the big tool brands will offer import bits (DeWalt, Milwaukee, Ryobi, Irwin), so sometimes it's a crap shoot. Some of the Taiwanese bits are pretty good. I have both kinds,cheap and expensive, using the cheap ones for drilling through softer materials or non-critical hole sizes. I get the best bits from dedicated industrial-supply houses, e.g., McMaster-Carr.

In drilling small deep holes like in this project, use a high-speed (2000+ rpm), a light touch on the drill press, and plenty of tapping/drilling fluid. Apply pressure with the press for about half-second, withdraw to clear the chips, relube, repeat until hole is finished. If you drill this way, you will usually have minimal bit breakage and minimal bit wear.

Making your own custom tools like this pin spanner is very satisfying, but time-consuming. It's a judgment call. In this case, I opted for the custom-tool route since the locking ring was inside a recess, and had a couple of threaded shafts in the way; if it had been less encumbered, I might have been able to get some vise-grips on the ring, or been able to use a simpler spanner. In other cases, you may have to decide how much scarring and gouging of the machine surfaces you are willing to accept on the stuck part. It can be a matter of pride to get a stuck part off with no tool-marks on it!
Last edited by wporter on Wed May 16, 2018 7:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hobbyst46
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Re: Tool advice, please

#36 Post by Hobbyst46 » Wed May 16, 2018 7:43 pm

wporter wrote:...I can be a matter of pride to get a stuck part off with no tool-marks on it!
Yes, after I start, it becomes personal!
Thanks for the advice about drilling - important information!

apochronaut
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Re: Tool advice, please

#37 Post by apochronaut » Thu May 17, 2018 1:23 pm

wporter wrote:Thanks for the compliments.

About the drilling: in addition to being whatever tough alloy that Proto made their socket from, when the end was cut off with the abrasive disk, the cut surface of the socket became much harder than the rest of the socket, so that there was a 'crust' that needed to be broken through when drilling. I dulled a couple of import low-quality drill bits at first, then managed to get throught the crust and complete the holes with a single US-made high quality bit (which was not dulled by the task in the slightest).

Off and on, some of the surplus tool sellers on ebay sell really good drill bits and usually in dozens. That's how I bought all of my smaller sizes.1/16" to 3/16' or so. They break, I lend them out, they become dulled and I tend to sharpen drill bits in bunches; many at a time, so having extras is always good. They are usually very cheap : I think the last 3 dozen I bought were 4.99, to 6.99. Countries of mfg. are usually not disclosed but often you can see it marked in the pictures. Those last 3 dozen were made in Austria, Switzerland and China. The Chinese ones, I took a chance on because I couldn't tell from the pictures and even they are pretty good. The Austrian and Swiss ones are first rate. I also have bought U.S.A. , Germany and Gt. Britain made drills in dozens in the past for very little and all have been good to excellent.

MicroBob
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Re: Tool advice, please

#38 Post by MicroBob » Fri May 18, 2018 8:06 pm

When drilling brass it is advisable to change the grind of the drill before. It has to have a less aggressive geometry.
Here is a video showing this: DE67500105175419727228
It's nice to have small medium fine, hard stones to do this change for small drills. Above 4mm it is not too difficult to do this whith the bench grinder. The flat can be very small and can be ground away quickly before the drill is used for steel of aluminium.

With the standard geometry the drill tends to grab in brass, especially at the bottom of the hole.

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wporter
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Re: Tool advice, please

#39 Post by wporter » Thu May 24, 2018 8:16 pm

Here's another spanner wrench:

http://www.skgrimes.com/products/spanner-wrench

I actually have one of these, in the flat-blade version, procured years ago for camera lenses. Very robust. Pricey. The round-tip version would be more appropriate for the locking rings under discussion here, as long as you keep pressure on it to keep the pins from sliding out & gouging something.

MicroBob
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Re: Tool advice, please

#40 Post by MicroBob » Fri May 25, 2018 10:56 am

This is a fine tool! The trammel bar is square stock to resist twisting. They seem to run through the tips at an angle. This square hole is not easy to make. I could only think of spark eroding or forging it. So the price is realistic though it is a simple tool.

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