Opinions \ options on portable line boring gear

macds · Apr 17, 2018

I have had requests to add portable line boring to my arsenal. Never done it personally, but I'm confidant I can figure it out.

Could I get opinions on various gear thats out there, or should I just make my own?
Also, looking for opinions for adding the rotary welding unit onto an existing mig machine.

I believe I could keep a guy busy pretty near full time if I could take on the work.

Thanks

DDoug · Apr 17, 2018

Over at Heavyequipmentforums.com this has a couple of good threads.

Discussing the various brands, and the good as well as the bad.

As well as the add on bore welding heads.

ewlsey · Apr 17, 2018

What's the application? Pins and bushings on Bobcats is a lot different than rolling mill bearings in a steel mill.

macds · Apr 17, 2018

ewlsey said:
What's the application? Pins and bushings on Bobcats is a lot different than rolling mill bearings in a steel mill.

Good point ewlsey.
I think initially, I would like to be able to service my agricultural and aggregate clients. Then, moving onto industrial equipment.
So probably start out with doing pins and bushings in place type work.

ewlsey · Apr 17, 2018

Are you already set up for field service work?

edwin dirnbeck · Apr 17, 2018

YouTube has many fascinating line boring videos.Some are pretty cheezy,but some are very clever and well thought out.Haveing run some very good lathes for the last 60 years,I am very skeptical when I hear them talking about holding plus or minus .001 bore size.Even the best ones are flimsy when compared to a real machine tool Edwin Dirnbeck

gbent · Apr 17, 2018

Around these parts you would starve to death doing line boring on ag equipment. The equipment isn't made to a very high standard in the first place, and almost everything is sloppy enough just torch out the welded in place bushings and weld in new ones at +1/64 to +1/32.

Construction and mining is where you will find equipment made well enough to deserve refitting bushing bores, reworking buckets, and other line boring work.

macds · Apr 17, 2018

ewlsey said:
Are you already set up for field service work?

My daily driver to the day job is a 1 ton 4x4, welding rig, small crane and torches.
Nobody can seem to figure it out.... I just tell 'em I have a lot of shit on the farm that needs fixing.
Need to add a compressor and a good genset, but Im already better equipped than most of the guys around here.

The ag guys here are willing to dump the cash if it means they dont have to fix it again for a good while.
Most ag stuff is engineered as absolute shit to begin with, so if I can install my own quality bushings and pins (that require pin replacement only), Ill be laughing...
The guys around here dont have time to lose, as we have much shorter seasons. When they need it, they needed it yesterday

So, what are you guys using?

DDoug · Apr 18, 2018

edwin dirnbeck said:
YouTube has many fascinating line boring videos.Some are pretty cheezy,but some are very clever and well thought out.Haveing run some very good lathes for the last 60 years,I am very skeptical when I hear them talking about holding plus or minus .001 bore size.Even the best ones are flimsy when compared to a real machine tool Edwin Dirnbeck

And yet I watch my friend line bore a 2" dia. bore, and then Press fit in a bushing.....All with one of those "Dinky Looking" line boring machines.

What's your tolerance for a 2" dia. bushing press fit ?

Farmer Phil · Apr 18, 2018

We we line bore and weld, and we hit consistently hit our numbers using a variety of different types or boring machines. The hydraulic boring machines can cut up to 45 inches.

sealark37 · Apr 18, 2018

On-site welding and line-boring requires an experienced welder who is also a competent machinist, who is comfortable working by himself in an unfamiliar environment. He will be required to make a sequence of measurements and value judgments that determine what, and how, the repair will be made. He must be able to communicate effectively with the customer to convince him of the proper course of action. He must be intimately familiar with the boring machinery, (my guy designed and built the machine he used.) My employer was a large Cat dealer that employed nearly a hundred field mechanics. We did very little field welding and boring on Cat equipment. The average year had 4-5 boring jobs, mostly on cranes and other large equipment. Most dimensional tolerances included "eliminate the wobble". Regards, Clark

Farmer Phil · Apr 18, 2018

sealark37 said:
On-site welding and line-boring requires an experienced welder who is also a competent machinist, who is comfortable working by himself in an unfamiliar environment.

When in the field, we work in teams of two, a welder and a machinist. You'll find that most construction/heavy industry sites require two employees be together at all times due to safety protocol.

ewlsey · Apr 18, 2018

I built my line boring rig. I've used it a few times.

As stated above, around here, line boring loose joints is seen as a luxury. As long as the thing starts and moves, it's good to go. I've seen all-thread used as pins. I've seen bushings welded into slopped out holes. I've seen pin bores so loose you could stick two pins in them. No one cares.

I make a whole lot more money fixing air conditioning. These operators and farmers can't live 2 minutes without AC.

Matt_Maguire · Apr 18, 2018

Depending on who’s around macds it could be a go. If these folks are wanting track frames (track type tractors) or have large buckets on loaders & backhoes a person can stay real busy.

Everyone I’ve known at it (including me “part time”) ends up with a mountain of misc stuff. For bars (outside OZ) climax is pretty much the production machine. For bore welders I’m partial to my BOA borewelder. It really doesn’t hurt to have a VanNorman 944 size cylinder boring machine to stub bore with, or to drive a true line bore rig.

Bye the bye, all this is pretty expensive but oddly you find yourself using it in your own shop. Or reclaiming somebody else’s Boo-Boo’s.

Good luck,
Matt

JRIowa · Apr 18, 2018

You'll probably see more of these out there than others: Portable Machining, Welding & Valve Testing | CLIMAX PORTABLE
We had one.
Used a lot in oil and gas.
JR

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