New download - Boring system drawings

[Handturnedbowls]

I looked a long time to find what I deemed the perfect boring system. There are plenty out there, but none fit my bill. I have 23 yrs experience in tool and die, machining and engineering so I am quite picky on that aspect.

I decided to design one that met my criteria:

- Heavy enough to absorb the worst vibration
- easy to manipulate with no strain on my bad back
- flexibility in cutting access and tool shapes

I have made and am using this system, and the design allows you to purchase low cost 1/2" square Cobalt tool bits and grind them to any shape I want and use with this boring tool.

It is extremely heavy, but the design allows it to glide effortlessly with only a few fingers and make heavy cuts with only a light pressure.

Depending on your tool grind, you can make a cut so smooth you will not have any desire to sand the inner walls.

In addition, you can use 1/2" bar stock, and mount carbide tool inserts on the end as a cutting bit as well. I use a 1/2" round carbide insert with a 15° relief angle. This bit will hog out curls 1/8" thick if you want it to, and still leave a wall smooth as silk.

You can view this drawing as is, in pdf format and download it. But please do not print, sell the pdf or print, or manufacture this boring tool without permission from me. This is a copyrighted work, and a fee must be paid for these privaleges. Dont worry its very modest.

Fabricating this tool requires a metal working lathe, and sheet metal tool work. If you cannot obtain these services or have use of this type machinery please dont request to pay the end user fee, it will be a waste of your money.

cad

 

[DaveO]

Wow Cad, another fine download from you. Thanks, that is very well laid out. I expected it to be boring but it was actually very interesting LOL:lol: :lol: :lol: Do you use a set up like that for your hollow forms, or is it for more heavy duty use?

Dave

 

[Monty]

Wow - again, very nicely done! I'd love to see that thing in action! Thanks again for your contributions.

 

[cskipper]

Now that's impressive. How big/small of a vessel would you be making before you would decide to use this? e.g. pencil cup (yeah I know, not exactly a vessel) or a tall vase? Thanks again for sharing with us. Curiosity, pay the end user fee to ? is the end user, for example me, or the person who makes the tool? (it's been a long day). Anyway, thank you as always for sharing.

 

[D L Ames]

That is one cool tool Cad, and your CAD design work looks great.:icon_thum Besides the questions Cathy asked. Can you use this to hollow out a vessel with a narrow opening at the neck that widens toward the base? If so, what sort of difference in the dimension between the narrowest and widest cuts?

D L

 

[Handturnedbowls]

Wow Cad, another fine download from you. Thanks, that is very well laid out. I expected it to be boring but it was actually very interesting LOL:lol: :lol: :lol: Do you use a set up like that for your hollow forms, or is it for more heavy duty use?

Dave

Hey Dave,
Anything that has a opening that is narrower (is that a word?) than the inside walls and is deeper than 4" I use this. Its design is nearly chatter proof, and leaves a perfectly smooth wall behind. It took me 3 months to develop this tool, but it was worth every bit of the aggravation it took to make it.

Thanks for the compliments.

cad

 

[Handturnedbowls]

Wow - again, very nicely done! I'd love to see that thing in action! Thanks again for your contributions.

I'll try and take a few digi pics the next time I turn an urn, plannin on roughing out one tomorrow.

cad

 

[Handturnedbowls]

Now that's impressive. How big/small of a vessel would you be making before you would decide to use this? e.g. pencil cup (yeah I know, not exactly a vessel) or a tall vase? Thanks again for sharing with us. Curiosity, pay the end user fee to ? is the end user, for example me, or the person who makes the tool? (it's been a long day). Anyway, thank you as always for sharing.

How big/small of a vessel - See my reply to Dave

End user fee, yes, I charge a fee for anyone wanting to use my design to make one, or print out my drawings for use or sale. The simple fact is there is about 26 yrs experience, many, many hours of trial and error development, hours of research, and fab costs and material costs all behind it. A fool would give it away, I'm only asking $10 for the end user rights, much cheaper than comparable drawings I have seen for sale at other sites.

This tool is tested and proven, and it resolves many of the problems I have seen with other tools costing as much as $600. Someone can make their own using this info for about $60 fabbing it theirself. If they pay for the machining work, it would run about $150. Most of the other tools you have to make tiny swipes. With this one, you can hog out as much as your chuck and lathe with allow.

For small vessels, I made a smaller hand held boring tool with a goose neck that holds a carbide bit.

cad

 

[cskipper]

I think that is certainly understandable and fair. I just wasn't sure what you meant. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Handturnedbowls]

That is one cool tool Cad, and your CAD design work looks great.:icon_thum Besides the questions Cathy asked. Can you use this to hollow out a vessel with a narrow opening at the neck that widens toward the base? If so, what sort of difference in the dimension between the narrowest and widest cuts?

D L

Hi D L,
The boring rod is made to hold a 1/2" sq tool, or tool holder. You are limited to the size of the opening of your vesel in regards to the length of that tool. I choose one that is slightly less than my opening and make passes until the boring rod wont allow cutting. Then loosen the set screws and slide the tool bit out a half inch or so and resume passes.

The support system is designed so that it fits in a standard 1" tool rest holder. You have infinite adjustment of the support to modify the angle of approach and reach up to extreme top shoulders, as in a "cloisonne" urn would have.

Using a tool bit that uses a round insert, you get a little more reach, back up under the rim of the vessel. For very wide vessels, which I am not that fond of, you would continue to adjust your support towards the farside of your lathe bed and increment the angle of approach in conjunction with the appropriate tool bit length, to scallop out vessels this large in diameter.

The vessels so prevalent, with tiny openings and wide diameters, have never been aesthetically pleasing to me, and I dont have any plans on making one. I simply make what pleases my eye. That may be my loss, but its what makes me happy.

Keep in mind with this tool, you will need an extra tool rest holder. One that will allow the support to drop low enough towards the lathe bed so that you tool is level or close to it.

cad

 

[Handturnedbowls]

I don't understand, what keeps it parallel to the lathe bed?

Or, is that necessary? Seems like it would be? Do you just hold it to the correct height by hand? Seems to me that if there were two of the cross pieces you would get greater stability and still have great freedom of lateral movement?

Not criticizing, just trying to understand.

Definitely the greatest boring attachment for a wood lathe I have ever seen.

My drawings dont show the other tool rest the boring rod rests on.

You need 2 tool rest holders. One holds the tool support. The other holds your normal tool rest.

I do recommend, you make a tool rest just for this tool for the boring rod to lie on made of simply the 1" rod that fits in the tool rest holder, and a 3/4" steel rod at least 10" long welded perpendicular to it. Place the foremost tool rest about an inch or more, in front of the opening of your vessel. To make it better, use A2 3/4" tool steel and temper the welded tool rest. The boring rod will glide over it much easier than common cold roll.

I will make some digital pics of me boring out an urn with it and post them so you can see it in action.

When you have everything right, all you hear is your lathe motor running and a "hissing" sound as the tool smoothly cuts the wall. Its cool to see it fill up with curls with just one pass.

cad

 

[cskipper]

I too would love one to have one when I get a grown up lathe and learn what I'm doing (not necessarily in that order).

 

[Handturnedbowls]

One thing I missed - cad

I better clarify a couple of items that arent clear.

The "weed eater string" which is used to show how close you are to your wall thickness limits, does present a problem. That of being curly straight from the roll.

This is easily resolved.

Cut the length of string you need. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees. Clamp vise grip pliers on both ends of the string, the lay the clamped string in your oven on the rack. Extend the pliers from each other so that the string is nice and straight. Let it stay in the oven for at least 30 minutes. Remove the assembly from the oven, and lay it on something the hot pliers wont damage and make sure you pull the piers apart to straighten the string, it will cool rapidly.

It only takes a minute of cooling to set the string in this new form, straight as an arrow. Once its cooled, take your pliers off, cut the mashed ends off, and you have your weedeater string rod.

This material is flexible enough to ride over your vessel surface without scarring it. Set the length on it so the tip just barely grazes the outside wall when you are at the point you want to stop boring the wall.

The other thing. I have to place a end user fee and copyright on my work because there are several high dollar companies that make and sell their own versions of a boring tool. If I dont have the proper protection on my work, they can copy my design and market it themselves, quite effectively, and make thousands of dollars and I wont get a penny of it.

If any become interested in my design enough to manufacture it, they will have to gain manufacturing rights from me as I have my drawings copyrighted now. So in case anyone was offended or put off by my comments about the end user fee, this is why I have to do it.

It would be a great stroke of luck if one of them wanted to do this, but I am not holding my breath. But I am prepared.

I hope to have some pictures for you all of the tool, and the use of it soon.

I am taking a lunch break right now, and thought I would say this.

cad

 

[DaveO]

Re: One thing I missed - cad

If any become interested in my design enough to manufacture it, they will have to gain manufacturing rights from me as I have my drawings copyrighted now. So in case anyone was offended or put off by my comments about the end user fee, this is why I have to do it.
cad

I for one am not offended at all. In fact I feel honored that you respect and trust the members of this site enough to allow the viewing of something that you have put so much effort into creating. I sure hope that the tool manufacturers will pick up on your great invention and make you a millionaire.

Dave

 

[cskipper]

I certainly was not offended. Protecting your work makes perfect sense to me. I second DaveO's appreciation of you sharing it with us. Your input has helped me learn a lot, things I never would have thought about. Thanks again.

 

[Handturnedbowls]

As promised, I took photos of my boring tool in action. Instead of spending all afternoon uploading individual pics in a gallery, I assembled the photos in a pdf document with captions.

Its in the download section, under shop fixtures and jigs.

cad

 

[D L Ames]

Wow Cad, excellent photos and step by step explanation of how your tool works.:icon_thum Thanks for putting that together for us. How long will you have to let the vessel dry before you will be able to finish it? Also, about how long did it take you to turn it from the rough blank to the point you have it now?

D L