Honing machines and honing how to

[dkmc]

It looks like Engineer negotiating is what you need to be working on. I don’t think a hone has any place in this job. Maybe the companies buyer can help you communicate the issue. Correlation between surface finish and tolerance is mistake often made by Engineers that do not fully understand machining. A close tolerance can not be properly achieved without a good surface finish unless you only measure the peaks of the tool marks, the valleys will be a few thou deeper. This subject is covered in the 16 edition of Machinery’s Handbook. Not so much in a newer edition I have.
This is easily a twist drill job. You can make the drill drill consistently oversized within reason with one slightly longer flute. I love an old Oliver drill pointer.
I ran a part similar for years, 2 1/2 sq x 10” with 1.753 -0 +.005. We ran it in a Gishult turret lathe no pilot hole is important to hold size and .009” feed as I recall.
I am sure they will reason with you when they tactfully understand . Good luck

I agree completely, and the intermediary involved is going to explain the implications of the situation. Hopefully clearer heads will prevail. I'm exploring options in case there's no other reasonable compromise. I have been drilling the hole in a Gisholt #5 coincidentally enough (and 297 RPM/ .009 feed as well!). Allied spade drill which has been producing a really nice finish, it looks like its been reamed. And lucky, holding it in soft jaws that run quite true, I'm able to flip the part around (drilling from both sides) and it's amazing to me how well the holes line up, barely can see the line in the middle of the bore. I have one of the inner shafts that I've sanded down a few thou undersize and it slips thru freely. I'd rather open up the hole than sand down every one of these 40" long shafts, that's not happening. Luck will help, thanks!

 

[dkmc]

I only know Sunnen:
1) There is no substitute for honing oil, preferably Sunnen. Nothing else prevents galling and stone problems as well. Yes, I've fumbled along with DIY substitutes, but they're a far second. The stuff is expensive but if you're serious about getting decent results, you bite the bullet and buy it.
2) Truing sleeves can be pretty much any steel of the right size. You want your truing sleeve to be the same size as what you're going to hone, so the stones and shoes match up. You use the sleeve by honing it with just a bit of oil, then shut the oil off. The stones create their own grinding paste and everything wears in to perfect geometry. Sometimes, if you have enough parts, a sacrificial part makes a nice truing sleeve. Once the process is going, you shouldn't have to use truing sleeves often, if at all.
3) Follow the recommendations for stones and settings- they've been doing this for a while!
4) Be sure to set up a clamp and use the torque bar. Safety first!

Well finally spare time finds the honing machinery unloaded from the trailer. And......a Sunnen MBB1600 on the trailer. Picked it up over the weekend. It comes with a separate pump/filter system but what I will want to do is downsize the built in oil tank. So Conrad, could you comment on how you reduced the oil tank capacity on your machine?

EDIT: Conrad....I found your honing page on your website!

 

[Conrad Hoffman]

To reduce the capacity I put a dishpan in the tank, with the pump in the dishpan. I'm guessing it holds a gallon or a bit more. I unscrewed the pipe fitting on the drain and installed a barbed fitting. Leave the pipe in the settling tray so you don't lose it! The next person may thank you. That got a hose that runs into the dishpan. When you do this you lose the use of the settling tray, which accumulates a lot of stuff if you're doing production runs and keeps the oil clean. I only do a few parts at a time, so it's no problem.

 

[dkmc]

To reduce the capacity I put a dishpan in the tank, with the pump in the dishpan. I'm guessing it holds a gallon or a bit more. I unscrewed the pipe fitting on the drain and installed a barbed fitting. Leave the pipe in the settling tray so you don't lose it! The next person may thank you. That got a hose that runs into the dishpan. When you do this you lose the use of the settling tray, which accumulates a lot of stuff if you're doing production runs and keeps the oil clean. I only do a few parts at a time, so it's no problem.

A gallon or 2 will be plenty for my purposes. If you look in the pic, behind the machine is a tall thin tank. That is an optional extra oil tank with pump and filter. That must be for round-the-clock production applications. Not sure how many more gallons that adds to the system.

 

[dkmc]

Had some time to pay attention to the honing machines lately. Investigated the Superior and got it cleaned up. The clutch was either worn or mis-adjusted so there was little torque available at the spindle. Adjusted that, and the brake. Looks like someone replaced the motor and the one V belt which is to narrow, and it won't allow full range of RPM with the vari-speed pulleys. Ordered the right one.
The dial indicator cleaned up but the dial is stuck, won't rotate. Have to address that.