Will a boring head work on small mill

[geoff]

I have a bench top Mill/drill similar size to the sieg x2 and am thinking of geting a boring head to make larger holes upto 40mm, and wonder if a small mill is capable of useing a boring head as whenever i use a onesided type of cutter or countersink the machine wobbles a bit and clearly is not happy working that way. Otherwise it performs well enough. Has anyone got any experiance of this. ?
regards geoff

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Jeff---I have a Canadian BusyBee tools CT129 mill. I'm not sure how that compares with your Sieg, but its a small mill. It handles a boring head quite easily, because you are only removing a bit of material from the perimeter of the hole with each pass, not the entire hole cross section like a drill would do.---My mill wants to blow fuses when using drills larger than 1/2" in steel, but handles the boring head with no problem.---Brian

 

[Anko]

Just be carrefully with the speed, as the boring head acts like a counter-weight and with high speed will move all the machine.

you cant put a boring head counter-counter-weight to compensate this, and like Brian sayd, just take a lighter cuts (make a rough bore berofe in the lathe or drill, an then just finish it in the mill)

Saludos

 

[Tin Falcon]

I have a criterion s-1 that I have used on my x-2
Tin

 

[vigsgb]

I have a micro mill drill and use a boring head on that and it worked fine if I made light cuts.

 

[Don1966]

I have a Micro Mark Microlux mill and it works well on it. You are just limited by the Z Axis on how deep it can cut.

Don

 

[kf2qd]

I have a 2 inch boring head that I use quite often. As long as you watch the speed it works great. Sometimes a little more speed works better also as it gets you past the resonant speed of the column. I have even been able to drill a hole, set my boring head and get repeatable results, saves on the number of reamers required...

 

[geoff]

Many Thanks for your quick replies guys, looks like i have permission to get one myself, Very useful to get others experience.

Geoff

 

[ironman]

I have the HF 47158 Micro Mill and use 2 inch boring head. Does fine.

Go slow and take light cuts.

Ray

 

[Goldigger]

I have a SX2 mill, and looking at using a boring head..how are people finding the finish when used on a manual mill?

Aprt from being able to cut the ID of a hole and OD off a round object, are there any other uses for a boring head?

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I find the finish of bored holes with my small mill to be just fine. Probably a power feed on the quill would make the finish better, but for everything I do (And thats a lot) the finish is fine. The only other thing I have ever heard of doing with a boring head is to mount it in the tailstock of your lathe, mount a 60 degree center in it where the cutter would normally go, arrange the center of this 60 degree center to be horizontal with the center of the tailstock--and then you can dial in offsets for turning tapers in the lathe.

 

[Philjoe5]

Also good for cutting arcs:

Phil

 

[ELM6061]

Do not own a boring head or used one, but it is on my to buy list.
I have seen them used for facing, milling a round slot/gutter for diy rotary table, boring round and semi circle holes, also as has been mentioned, used for taper turning on lathes via mounting in the tail stock. With the amount ingenuity I have been amazed with, in regard to tool use and mounting technique's, I am sure there are way more uses for a boring head.

Eddie

 

[purpleknif]

How do you get a consistent feed ?

 

[Brian Rupnow]

How do you get a consistent feed ?

You don't!! It doesn't seem to affect things too much. I don't use the power feed on my lathe carriage either.

 

[velocette]

How do you get a consistent feed ?

This is my solution to steady feed on "Z" axis turn down original minature

hand wheel to 30 mm diameter turn down boss on "new" hand wheel to 30 mm

Make a sleeve-bush to fit and secure with "Grub Screws"

hope the picture tells the story

Eric

 

[bazzz]

Thanks for posting those pics, they really do tell the story. First time I have seen this mod and will add it to my ever growing list of things to do list.

Dave

 

[Goldigger]

Forgive me if I'm being dumb, add the bigger hand wheel on the fine feed?
Also what's the black assembly with metal bar coming out of it, on the front bottom of the head?

 

[velocette]

Hi " geoff " please accept our apologies for "Hi Jacking" your posting If this is at all offensive I will remove my postings on your thread if you wish.

The question directed to me is

"Forgive me if I'm being dumb, add the bigger hand wheel on the fine feed?
Also what's the black assembly with metal bar coming out of it, on the front bottom of the head?"

Fiddly little Knob fitted as original is almost useless for "Fine Feed" also needed to keep fingers from poly vee pulley so hand wheel fitted

Black Assembly normally has guard mounted on it removed for pics

Hope the pictures explain better

Thanks to geoff

Eric

 

[Goldigger]

I took the plunge and bought a MT3 50mm boring head...
Comes in handy when i need to cut an arc, rather than having to line everything up on the rotary table..

Am i limited to the two types of boring tools seen in this link http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/TOOL_S_FOR_BORING_HEADS.html
Flat and brazed tip?

Can we get tools that will let us create a shamfer or create small oring grooves?
Can we buy blanks that we can sharpen to make our own tips?

Cheers