Hi Guys,
Thanks Chris and Dale for the offers to take the cosmetically challenged (pre buggered) parts.
I haven't given up on the one with the broken drill, it's just that I know I could spend days trying to get it out (been there done that) as there is no clearance between the flutes of the drill and the base material. So using Alum or whatnot for chemically removing it, the chemical is only acting on the top surface very slow going doing that. An EDM would make quick work of it, and then yes, I would put a plug in it and redrill it will again be mostly hidden by the steam chest so for the final assembly cosmetically it won't show. I thought of drilling it out from the inside - but the hole is outside the 1.25" front opening....
Dale if you don't have access to an EDM I don't think its coming out unless you have allot of time - if you still want it let me know:
As to how it happened well my excitement got the best of me
.I received my new auto reversing tapping head and wanted to try it out. Well I didn't have the right arbor to mount it on (different order form different vendor) but it was the same taper as the arbor for my drill chuck
well after trying it just once and realising I needed to finish all the holes first I switched back the drill chuck onto the arbor. Guess I didn't seat it right and tight when it went back on.
This part would be funny if it didn't happen to me drilling the hole the chuck came off the arbor as the machine was half done the peck drilling cycle so it quickly stopped rotating then progressively got pounded in as the cycle continued until I could find the stop button ( a few seconds is a lifetime watching this happen) which was too late as the machine had moved sideways to the next hole and broken the bit the retract was not high enough to clear the tapper
. I wasnt watching as closely (I was only a few feet away) as before as this was the 8th time Id run that sequence so I knew the sequence was good just wasnt expecting that particular problem!
So anyways I have effectively bonded HSS and aluminum together with a new process I think I've invented - peck pounding
I have to check and see if there is a G code for hammer and nail...
I should be putting this post in the Mistakes, Blunders and Boo Boos thread or humor thread instead of here..
Mike