I need to drill a (fairly) accurate 5mm hole in aluminium to hold a 5m
silver steel rod, which will be acting as a pivot. I thought silve
steel was fairly accurately cut to diameter, so I first drilled a 4.
mm hole in the aluminium as I read that drill bits tend to cu
oversize. The s.s. wouldn't fit, wouldn't even enter the hole. So
opened the hole out to 5mm. Still wouldn't enter (and a micromete
check on the s.s. showed it as about 4.97 mm). A tiny touch of filing
still no fit. In the end I had to use a 5.1mm drill before I could ge
the s.s. through. What gives? Should I invest in a 5mm reamer?
Brenda
--
anotheri
Norman Billingham - 01 Oct 2006 18:39 GMT
> I need to drill a (fairly) accurate 5mm hole in aluminium to hold a 5mm
> silver steel rod, which will be acting as a pivot. I thought silver
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> still no fit. In the end I had to use a 5.1mm drill before I could get
> the s.s. through. What gives? Should I invest in a 5mm reamer?
Invest in a 5 mm reamer. Drill 4.8 or 4.9 mm and ream. The silver steel
will fit beautifully. Run the reamer about half drilling speed and use
plenty of lubricant.
Only problem is that good 5mm reamers are not cheap so if there's only one
hole to do I'd try to borrow one.
Neil Ellwood - 01 Oct 2006 19:31 GMT
>> I need to drill a (fairly) accurate 5mm hole in aluminium to hold a 5mm
>> silver steel rod, which will be acting as a pivot. I thought silver
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Only problem is that good 5mm reamers are not cheap so if there's only one
> hole to do I'd try to borrow one.
Don't forget to break the corner of the silver steel as this can make
entry difficult.

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Neil
Delete l to reply
Nigel Eaton - 01 Oct 2006 20:19 GMT
>> I need to drill a (fairly) accurate 5mm hole in aluminium to hold a 5mm
>> silver steel rod, which will be acting as a pivot. I thought silver
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>Only problem is that good 5mm reamers are not cheap so if there's only one
>hole to do I'd try to borrow one.
Why not use a bit of the silver steel to make a 'D' bit and use that to
enlarge the hole?

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Nigel
When the only tools you have are a Bridgeport, a CNC Taig Mill, a Colchester
and assorted other stuff, every problem looks like a steam engine.
anotherid - 01 Oct 2006 23:07 GMT
D-bit?
Brenda
--
anotheri
Nigel Eaton - 02 Oct 2006 00:25 GMT
>D-bit?
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5701/smallpipes/tools.htm
FWIW, I think his description's OTT. I wouldn't bother with the
"swarf-lock" slot, for example - certainly not for a one-off in a
through hole.

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Nigel
When the only tools you have are a Bridgeport, a CNC Taig Mill, a Colchester
and assorted other stuff, every problem looks like a steam engine.
Gary Wooding - 02 Oct 2006 09:48 GMT
> D-bit?
>
> Brendan
Its called a D-bit 'cos the cross-section of the cutter is something
like a D. For a through hole, don't bother going to the trouble of
making one by cutting an axial flat as shown on the website; a much
simpler, though just as effective, one can be made by cutting a flat at
an angle. Imagine sawing the end off of a rod of silver steel, but
instead of holding the saw at right-angles to the axis, hold it at a
rather sharp angle so as to cut a thin wedge. The shape of the tool is
then something like...
/|
/ |
/ |
/ |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Make the angle about 20 degrees - its not critical at all. For aluminium
its not even required to harden the silver steel. After cutting the
wedge off, file the flat so as to make nice sharp edges - that's the
only important part: its the sharp edge that does the work.
In use, treat it like a drill - first drill your undersized hole, then
use the new D-bit.

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Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)
anotherid - 01 Oct 2006 23:06 GMT
Would a hand reamer hold in a drill chuck? I could then drill the hol
on my mill and enlarge it with the reamer immediately afterwards. Coul
I do this under power or should I turn the drill chuck by hand fo
reaming?
Brenda
--
anotheri
mark - 01 Oct 2006 21:04 GMT
> I need to drill a (fairly) accurate 5mm hole in aluminium to hold a 5mm
> silver steel rod, which will be acting as a pivot. I thought silver
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> anotherid's Profile: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/member.php?u=80362
> View this thread: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=577122
sound like you have a burr on the silver steel
all the best.mark
anotherid - 01 Oct 2006 23:08 GMT
I did check for that and I also chamfered the end slightly. Stil
wouldn't go into the 5mm drill hole!
Brenda
--
anotheri
anotherid - 01 Oct 2006 23:39 GMT
Forgot to say - the 5mm silver steel entered a 5mm hole in a drill gaug
plate very snugly and cleanly.
Brenda
--
anotheri
Dave Baker - 02 Oct 2006 00:32 GMT
> Forgot to say - the 5mm silver steel entered a 5mm hole in a drill gauge
> plate very snugly and cleanly.
I suggest you measure your drill bit. Set a micrometer or vernier to 5mm and
very carefully rotate the front cutting edges of the bit between the anvils
to see if it clears or fouls. Chances are it's slightly undersized.
--
Dave Baker
www.pumaracing.co.uk
"Why," said Ford squatting down beside him and shivering, "are you lying
face down in the dust?"
"It's a very effective way of being wretched," said Marvin.
Lee - 05 Dec 2006 02:27 GMT
> I did check for that and I also chamfered the end slightly. Still
> wouldn't go into the 5mm drill hole!
>
> Brendan
Hello,
I just installed ProE and was browsing these net emails.
I am not a Mechanical Engineer but an Electrical Engineering so please
don't take offense but I think to pass a 5mm rod you will need some
clearance so it doesn't bind as it goes in the hole. However, I don't
know how much clearance is required.
Lee
SimonJ - 01 Oct 2006 22:43 GMT
> I need to drill a (fairly) accurate 5mm hole in aluminium to hold a 5mm
> silver steel rod, which will be acting as a pivot. I thought silver
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> still no fit. In the end I had to use a 5.1mm drill before I could get
> the s.s. through. What gives? Should I invest in a 5mm reamer?
Drills tend to make a triangular hole, the points of the triangle will be
slightly over 5mm, the flats slightly under, so the rod will be getting
blocked by the flats.
Ream or (as suggested by someone else) make a 'd' bit from the silver steel.
I have made quite a few d bits, following curly's instructions, and they
work pretty well.
pentagrid@yahoo.com - 03 Oct 2006 07:55 GMT
>> I need to drill a (fairly) accurate 5mm hole in aluminium to hold a 5mm
>> silver steel rod, which will be acting as a pivot. I thought silver
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>I have made quite a few d bits, following curly's instructions, and they
>work pretty well.
D bits for drilling accurate flat bottomed holes need to
flatted to few thou over half diameter and carefully relieved on
the noncutting side of the end face.
For a hole that is already near final size the quick and
dirty method is to replace the half diameter flat with a simple
45 deg cut across the end face. This face must have a dead sharp
edge but, for a few cuts in light alloy, the silver steel does
not have to be hardened.
Jim

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anotherid - 03 Oct 2006 18:33 GMT
Got chance to check my (three) 5.0mm drills tonight. All will enter th
jaws of a micrometer set to 4.99mm. The silver steel won't. Perhap
drills are made to cut undersize these days?
I'll have a go at making a drill bit out of the silver steel. Hey
suddenly I'm a toolmaker! :)
Brenda
--
anotheri
Nigel Eaton - 03 Oct 2006 21:46 GMT
>Got chance to check my (three) 5.0mm drills tonight. All will enter the
>jaws of a micrometer set to 4.99mm. The silver steel won't. Perhaps
>drills are made to cut undersize these days?
>
>I'll have a go at making a drill bit out of the silver steel. Hey,
>suddenly I'm a toolmaker! :)
<G>
Dilettante. When you find yourself making a tool to make a tool to make
a tool to make a tool to make something that you've forgotten where you
put the castings, *then* you're getting somewhere.

Signature
Nigel
When the only tools you have are a Bridgeport, a CNC Taig Mill, a Colchester
and assorted other stuff, every problem looks like a steam engine.
mark - 02 Oct 2006 00:54 GMT
> I need to drill a (fairly) accurate 5mm hole in aluminium to hold a 5mm
> silver steel rod, which will be acting as a pivot. I thought silver
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> anotherid's Profile: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/member.php?u=80362
> View this thread: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=577122
it's possible if you drill the hole too quickly and to drill a spiral
sided helter-skelter hole.
i would say drill it at over 1000 rpm also
you should maybe push the "undersized" 4.8- 4.9 drill bit in and out
of the hole two or three times to clear this up.
All the best.mark