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Looking for opinions on floating reamer holders

Turner421

Plastic
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Hey guys I'm needing opinions on who you think makes the most quality reamer holder. I was going to buy a Bald Eagle setup, but have seen a couple bad reviews in other forums. I also like the JGS, but I don't know if hands free is the way to go or not? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Hey guys I'm needing opinions on who you think makes the most quality reamer holder. I was going to buy a Bald Eagle setup, but have seen a couple bad reviews in other forums. I also like the JGS, but I don't know if hands free is the way to go or not? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Been using a JGS for 10 years now. I'm unfamiliar with the Bald Eagle, but I prefer my JGS to the Manson the shop owns.

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Used Glenzer or Scully Jones floating holders are WAY better than what is now being sold to gunsmiths.
 
i am in the ptg line when it comes to floating holders.

i built my own but lost it to a fire, nought the ptg and have been happy
built a national championship rifle with it.
 
Do you have any pictures of your reamer holders ?

Thanks
Hal


PTG reamer holder:

Chs1ne7NFvszhfpNsKhuUqR8elltfqF2Qm11E9NRBA0P-pyxG0hvrEbe8WIFsOUQK-NIwkwL3bpRdlmKP3VNu2XlNiomUZUx73OSGjf2fcMvHcq4nQvPgjDxFavobY7vV_g3apLWK18vbdhXkS5NJbwRTJP36ZstPYpvHkQNobpig8-m6BkmC-SJyXbZ1nNCxe322d4yzUrfYXayZGAxGlYuBwcgssU18t-3Of68EaauyNekvlKJts1Z2zbqjnEVRiXp4_oS0GRuaqiy64qXv3jFv1xQbtWAidNBNK0XMX1maNhpnGSe1TSEd5oLRi8KJ3zSmUNmWk1ghrC7N7hOJgoeYCe7t-L9Dc4Lvj_gm3P2GX6yz8QyP7J0GVWaERlgoezKODbRo8ODlbwahCUYFQX-rHTf_zICFGX-FlD-MGayBS59jA0DHTUNZW-VJXhcHBccj1a0jZGoJf2lfSfIPlLgukSwue3bZlceK3tCbE2nE8EKG0rqDMDnKpeup2bo6-HL0LPNoicIRTBQcCLl8v1zM0aTgIMzrZlpNkaT87xEW7RJpRoTaUQ0Y3Lsx94d1VKJ3HUpka_1gWTgxAKljOMvehpeXi9tk_V917GXfh_wh1enGawRZrLO1ZydWQ-mKOkfrUYk8PNhTWOQgiQ0NyaFBvUBD3mbCdbgjjMUlHca1TnB6T3oK8uAmJM82K-acCgmPZpzRH4B6e4sbBddujc_9w=w1024


PTG Standard Floating Reamer Holder Head - Pacific Tool and Gauge

ptg-standard-floating-reamer-holder-head.jpg
 
what's pushing the holder ? i see the tool post in front ??

When I set the Haas up I wanted the same setup as I use on my manual machines for finish reaming. I want my hand on both the reamer and the hand wheel on the tail stock. Each provides different information. The tail stock has a graduated hand wheel so no indicator setup need to get the chamber to the correct depth. It has a morse taper adapter that is the pusher. That was the lazy way out this time. I've taken drill chuck arbors and made pushers out of them in the past. When the rough cycle is done the saddle moves into alignment for the tail stock set up. That's tool #5 in the inventory. Free up the Z axis turn the coolant on and go to work.
 
When I set the Haas up I wanted the same setup as I use on my manual machines for finish reaming. I want my hand on both the reamer and the hand wheel on the tail stock. Each provides different information. The tail stock has a graduated hand wheel so no indicator setup need to get the chamber to the correct depth. It has a morse taper adapter that is the pusher. That was the lazy way out this time. I've taken drill chuck arbors and made pushers out of them in the past. When the rough cycle is done the saddle moves into alignment for the tail stock set up. That's tool #5 in the inventory. Free up the Z axis turn the coolant on and go to work.

?????????????
 
Dave wants the reamer to follow the hole, drilled, bored, or whatever. his setup does not allow the reamer to do anything, but to follow the hole. I believe his pusher is flat where it bears on the reamer.
Dave chambers more barrels in a week than most do in a lifetime.
 
I made a homemade copy of the Bald Eagle floating reamer holder, but with a minor change. Instead of having the reamer holder have an internal rear flat surface which bears against the rounded pusher in the tailstock, I instead pressed a ball bearing into the rear of the holder, and that bears against a flat pusher. My reasoning being that if the pusher is rounded (as in the Bald Eagle design), it will bear pressure off centre on the reamer holder, if the reamer holder floats off centre. If its the opposite way around as I made it, then the reamer holder will always have pressure centred on the reamer, even if it is deviating from the centre of the pusher as it floats to follow the bore. Plus, it was easier to push a hardened ball bearing into a hole, than machine a hole with a perfect internal flat surface for the pusher to bear against.
 
Do you have any picture of your reamer holders ?

Thanks
Hal
IMG_0519.jpg
The left item is a Glenzer floating tap driver adapted to an ER32 collet chuck.
The middle 2 items are Scully Jones MT x MT holsers. The right item is Glenzer MT x MT.

If I were using one of the MT holders I would use 7/16 split drill driver or 1/8 pipe split tap driver to hold the reamer. The flats on the reamer will not engage those drivers. I consider that a safety measure. The grip the driver has on the reamer depends on how hard you seat the driver into the taper. These holders are designed for radial float only. If the retaining nut on the back of the Scully Jones holder is backed off a bit it will allow some angular float.

I think the PTG holder is based on the Glenzer design, omitting some of the bearing balls.
 
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It seems like an oldham coupler would serve well, the few floating holders I've seen didn't seem to float sideways without significant drag.
An oldham can be built with dovetail cutters, should be easy enough.
 








 
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