Ran out to the shop, ground me up one, reamed a hole right on the money !!! good surface finish as well ! Thank you, my newest favorite trick !!! best regards, Steve
Guy Lautard (machinist bedside reader) says to make it 51% of the diameter, and it should only cut on the front. I've seen this in other instructions too. I have not had much success with them
Yea, if you go oversize, then you'll ream an undersize hole and your reamer will get stuck, or it'll just burnish it's way into the hole. If you go undersize, then it'll want to cut an oversize hole. If you go right in the middle, just use a bunch of oil with it and you wont have any trouble at all with it. I use them in softer materials like mild steel, aluminum, and brass/bronzes, and have really never had any problem with them as long as you have it right on center height. You also want to add a little relief below the cutting edge also, and it'll just glide right into the hole as it's reaming.
Yea, I use these all the time, and was just using one earlier that I made up, lol. You can actually shape the ends to do all kinds of profiles too like tapers or ball shapes, or even countersinks, just make sure you have the clearance on it so it can cut without rubbing is all. They're very handy for all kinds of projects in a machine shop tbh.
god damn dude that is some decent grinding skill. it's so amazing how enough skill with a grinder can kind of substitute for not having huge machinery.
lol, you really just have to eyeball half thickness, or go slightly over half thickness and use an oil stone to remove the material down to half of an inch.
@@bilbo_gamers6417 Instead of the parallel flat D bit that you see in this video, there is both a pyramid style bit, and clockmaker's reamer, which is just ground at an angle of maybe 20-30 degrees from one side of the round stock to the other. They're mainly used for reaming out really tiny holes like you would use in a clock pinion or really tiny clock parts. I believe clickspring has shown them a few times in his videos.
Foot breaker is one sweet chunk of ali. I'd say the press is a good place for it. I use a bunch of random pieces of thick steel on my presses. I've used D-bit drills and reamers over the years, great to have in the toolbox, plus you can make one at any time you need a different size. Thanks for showing everyone how to grind them!
yea, I probably will drill a 1" hole in the middle of foot breaker so it can have clearance for pressing shafts into stuff and for whatever job comes up. Thanks for watching.
Great info Chirpy. I have some smaller bits of shafting taken from inkjet printers. I don't know the hardness, but they are ground to very tight tolerances, and are very straight. Wouldn't surprise me if it's basically a drill-rod/silver-steel type material. Worth testing anyway. Similarly - D2 or O1 or whatever could be accurately turned to a finish diameter (if your lathe is tuned up and turning nice and parallel). Could finish off with a toolpost grinder or shear bit (and perhaps a follow rest), and perhaps heat treat, and make up a custom sized reamer. Interesting stuff. Reamers are one of a few areas in which I'm severely understocked, in my workshop.
Ive found that inkjet printer shafts are usually just chrome plated mild steel, but it is handy for other stuff. If you are just reaming in aluminum and softer materials, mild steel will work fine for a D bit reamer to do a few holes an an emergency. I have a few normal reamers, but usually end up resorting to D bit reamers since I can make them very quick and easily, and I usually make it out of the same shaft as Im trying to use, then I know it'll be the same size as I want in the end.
@@ChirpysTinkerings Could well be - that would explain the shiny finish. I know that at least some of them are stainless too. Still - it'll be fun figuring out if the shafting is hardenable or not. Cheers, Craig
You could always spark test the rods, that'll tell alot about the carbon content and if they're mild steel or stainless, alot more than the water hardening test.
Hello! In another video, I saw this D-bit being used to drill a very long hole, I believe it was 32" in a steel bar. but the geometry of the D-bit was a little different from yours, I believe the cutting edge was moved more towards the center of the bit, 1/4 or 1/3 I believe. I need to drill a long hole and it is very difficult to find geometries of this type of drill. Could you share any attachments of some geometry? thanks for the video!
hey, the drill bit that youre looking for isnt a D bit, but is called a gun drill. They do have similar shape, but different relief angles than a D bit reamer. These are more for reaming a hole to exact size, not really drilling a hole/ Usually gun drills have a hollow tube with the end on it, and has a hole running through the end of the cutting edge so it can be used with flood coolant to keep it cool and to help push the chips out the flute on it. Ive never actually used one, so I unfortunately cant help with the geometry and design of one, but there is plenty of videos and guides out there. I would just look up "gun drill" and that should point you in the right direction youre after. Edit: there is also another type of drill that looks similar to a D bit, which is called a straight flute drill or single flute drill, which is mainly just designed to cut brass and aluminum, no good for steel, cast iron, or harder bronzes.
@@ChirpysTinkerings I read somewhere that before the advent of gundrills, D bits drill was used for deep holes in musket barrels and that actually gundrill is an improvement of Dbit in cutting angles and the adoption of a channel for cooling. The video I saw, the drill was very similar to yours, it was a round bar, with the end ground in the middle and had no oil channel for cooling.
@@wesaderty oh, Im not sure about that, but I do believe that the one youre looking for is some sort of a gun drill. Ive never really heard of anyone drilling deep holes with a normal D bit, only using them to ream with unless the material was realy soft in the case of the single flute drills.
@@ChirpysTinkerings Could you possibly make a video showing the geometry of that straight-flute drill which you are referencing here? The current video here is so excellent; you show everything without a lot of filler. I am very grateful for the information.
@@channelview8854 They're just a long fluted D bit, but the end is ground in the same way as you would have a countersink. It is a cone shape on the end, your typical 118 degree cone you would have on a drill bit, but it starts at the cutting edge corner that you would use as a drill bit, and you roll the bit against the grinder to add a tiny bit of relief, but not too much or it throws the center point off. The best way to make them is with a T&C grinder, but it can be done freehand if youre careful. I would look up how to sharpen countersinks, and just imagine that on the end of a D bit tbh. Stefan Gottswinter has a bunch of videos on grinding D bits also and makes a few center drills the exact same way. I tried finding a picture or something of one of the single fluted drill bits for you, but I cant seem to find one right now for some reason. They're only good for really soft materials like aluminum or brass tho, but they do create a very accurate hole.
no problem, Im glad that the video was of some help, I hope your D-bit reamers turn out well. I tend to use them all the time when Im working on stuff to get an accurate sized hole.
yea, this was just showing how to grind them. They're pretty easy to use, just stick it in the drill press or lathe and use lots of oil on it, then run it down slowly. It'll give some drag to it, but it'll open it up to size and leave a glass smooth finish usually.
These are expensive when buy for clock re bussing, I see it is even easy to make, I have a lathe, but also the need to dial wheels to change with a zero setting, but maybe using digital is for me the best way because clock need precision.
there's horology style D bit reamers too, which instead of being ground in half, it's ground at a slight angle, which is a little harder to ream through the holes, but they work pretty well in smaller holes that you would find in clocks. Another option for the lathe is to set up a dial indicator on the cross slide and read direct readings off of that, that should give you the best precision tbh.
yea, I could, but me and reciprocating saws dont meet eye to eye alot of the time, lol. (carpeltunnel and hands go numb from the vibration, so I keep having to stop because of almost dropping it) I just use it as a door stop to hold the door open in the summer to let the breeze through the shop, and as a press platform, which Ill probably end up drilling a 1" hole through the middle of it for pressing shafts in and out of things.
Awesome video! Also, I understand why you call that hunk of AI a foot breaker, but if I had to lift that puppy a few times, I'd all it ball buster! Heh.
lol, it's not really that heavy, I can lift it with one hand, but it is just big and bulky. It probably weighs 10-15lbs. I had got that ages ago and I didnt know what to do with it, so when we were working on my shop, thats what was used to prop the door open, lol.
over on paul's garage's channel, he has a discord server. There is quite a few machinists, blacksmiths, and a ton of metal casters on there. Here's a link to the server. discord.gg/NHTJz45
lol, yea, they are pretty easy to make. There's a few different styles, but I find for anything over 1/8", the D bit style is the easiest to make and use.
ah, cool, I need to make me one of those for my mill, Im getting tired of fighting with finding the adjustable wrench to unscrew it and then the tapers stick, lol. Did you use a piece of brass on the end or pipe fitting and lead?
Yea, I use them on steel all the time, you just want the D bits to be harder than what youre reaming, so you'll want to use some drill rod, hss, or some hardenable steel to make it from if you're using it in steel. Other than that, they work fine and Ive used them in steel and many much harder materials tbh.
Mine has honestly been pretty good, but when you get it, it is pretty crappy because the gibs are really loose, and you'll lose accuracy from that. If you take a jeweler's flat tip screwdriver and tighten up the gip screws on the very top of it till you have just a small amount of drag, and work it back and forth till it works itself in, then it'll fix the inaccuracy issues, and make it a pretty decent pair of calipers, other than just feeling and being cheap, lol.
@@ChirpysTinkerings I completely understand what feeling cheap is, reason why I bought one of those. Mine just flat out quit reading, got stuck on all zero's. Had it for one week, barley even used it.
@@ChirpysTinkerings I've ordered a different one online, brand called Insize, nist certified, tested and calibrated. I caved in with the price, it wasn't cheap but then not real expensive either. I gotta have something I can rely on, redoing the engine in my truck.
@@garyr7027 ah, yea, I know what you mean, I have a pair of starrett in the house that I use for drafting/cad purposes, and a mititoyo at work, so I know what you mean by pricey, lol. I tend to have stuff falling over while pounding on stuff on the workbench, and I dont want to have an expensive pair in the shop where Im mainly just messing around at that can get broken/messed up, so I keep the cheap set out there, lol. I wish you best of luck with your engine, I have no idea about that stuff except what I can melt out of them, lol.
Quick and simple, you have demystified making D bit reamers in a couple of minutes, many thanks. Paul in NZ
no problem, and thanks for stopping in and watching.
Ran out to the shop, ground me up one, reamed a hole right on the money !!! good surface finish as well ! Thank you, my newest favorite trick !!!
best regards, Steve
lol, no problem, Im glad it could be of help.
Guy Lautard (machinist bedside reader) says to make it 51% of the diameter, and it should only cut on the front. I've seen this in other instructions too. I have not had much success with them
Yea, if you go oversize, then you'll ream an undersize hole and your reamer will get stuck, or it'll just burnish it's way into the hole. If you go undersize, then it'll want to cut an oversize hole. If you go right in the middle, just use a bunch of oil with it and you wont have any trouble at all with it. I use them in softer materials like mild steel, aluminum, and brass/bronzes, and have really never had any problem with them as long as you have it right on center height. You also want to add a little relief below the cutting edge also, and it'll just glide right into the hole as it's reaming.
No comments in awhile, this was very helpful. I've read about these from multiple forums but it was hard to picture fully in my head.
Yea, I use these all the time, and was just using one earlier that I made up, lol. You can actually shape the ends to do all kinds of profiles too like tapers or ball shapes, or even countersinks, just make sure you have the clearance on it so it can cut without rubbing is all. They're very handy for all kinds of projects in a machine shop tbh.
@@ChirpysTinkerings didn't know that, thanks a ton. It makes sense if you think about it, but I probably never would've in this case.
god damn dude that is some decent grinding skill. it's so amazing how enough skill with a grinder can kind of substitute for not having huge machinery.
lol, you really just have to eyeball half thickness, or go slightly over half thickness and use an oil stone to remove the material down to half of an inch.
I have made a few D-bits over the years. The smallest is 1/16"diam. I think I used the micrometer more than the file.
yea, for ones that small, I generally use a clockmaker's reamer style than the standard D bit reamer, but both work for what they're intended tho.
@@ChirpysTinkerings what is a clockmakers reamer?
@@bilbo_gamers6417 Instead of the parallel flat D bit that you see in this video, there is both a pyramid style bit, and clockmaker's reamer, which is just ground at an angle of maybe 20-30 degrees from one side of the round stock to the other. They're mainly used for reaming out really tiny holes like you would use in a clock pinion or really tiny clock parts. I believe clickspring has shown them a few times in his videos.
Foot breaker is one sweet chunk of ali. I'd say the press is a good place for it. I use a bunch of random pieces of thick steel on my presses. I've used D-bit drills and reamers over the years, great to have in the toolbox, plus you can make one at any time you need a different size. Thanks for showing everyone how to grind them!
yea, I probably will drill a 1" hole in the middle of foot breaker so it can have clearance for pressing shafts into stuff and for whatever job comes up. Thanks for watching.
This video is a real contribution to the web knowledge base. Thanks
thanks, I hope it helps you with your project.
Great info Chirpy. I have some smaller bits of shafting taken from inkjet printers. I don't know the hardness, but they are ground to very tight tolerances, and are very straight. Wouldn't surprise me if it's basically a drill-rod/silver-steel type material. Worth testing anyway.
Similarly - D2 or O1 or whatever could be accurately turned to a finish diameter (if your lathe is tuned up and turning nice and parallel). Could finish off with a toolpost grinder or shear bit (and perhaps a follow rest), and perhaps heat treat, and make up a custom sized reamer.
Interesting stuff. Reamers are one of a few areas in which I'm severely understocked, in my workshop.
Ive found that inkjet printer shafts are usually just chrome plated mild steel, but it is handy for other stuff. If you are just reaming in aluminum and softer materials, mild steel will work fine for a D bit reamer to do a few holes an an emergency.
I have a few normal reamers, but usually end up resorting to D bit reamers since I can make them very quick and easily, and I usually make it out of the same shaft as Im trying to use, then I know it'll be the same size as I want in the end.
@@ChirpysTinkerings Could well be - that would explain the shiny finish. I know that at least some of them are stainless too. Still - it'll be fun figuring out if the shafting is hardenable or not. Cheers, Craig
lol, just heat up the tip and dunk it in some water, that'll be a quick and easy way to tell what it is, lol.
@@ChirpysTinkerings Yep - that's the plan. Cheers!
You could always spark test the rods, that'll tell alot about the carbon content and if they're mild steel or stainless, alot more than the water hardening test.
Hello! In another video, I saw this D-bit being used to drill a very long hole, I believe it was 32" in a steel bar. but the geometry of the D-bit was a little different from yours, I believe the cutting edge was moved more towards the center of the bit, 1/4 or 1/3 I believe. I need to drill a long hole and it is very difficult to find geometries of this type of drill. Could you share any attachments of some geometry? thanks for the video!
hey, the drill bit that youre looking for isnt a D bit, but is called a gun drill. They do have similar shape, but different relief angles than a D bit reamer. These are more for reaming a hole to exact size, not really drilling a hole/ Usually gun drills have a hollow tube with the end on it, and has a hole running through the end of the cutting edge so it can be used with flood coolant to keep it cool and to help push the chips out the flute on it. Ive never actually used one, so I unfortunately cant help with the geometry and design of one, but there is plenty of videos and guides out there. I would just look up "gun drill" and that should point you in the right direction youre after.
Edit: there is also another type of drill that looks similar to a D bit, which is called a straight flute drill or single flute drill, which is mainly just designed to cut brass and aluminum, no good for steel, cast iron, or harder bronzes.
@@ChirpysTinkerings I read somewhere that before the advent of gundrills, D bits drill was used for deep holes in musket barrels and that actually gundrill is an improvement of Dbit in cutting angles and the adoption of a channel for cooling. The video I saw, the drill was very similar to yours, it was a round bar, with the end ground in the middle and had no oil channel for cooling.
@@wesaderty oh, Im not sure about that, but I do believe that the one youre looking for is some sort of a gun drill. Ive never really heard of anyone drilling deep holes with a normal D bit, only using them to ream with unless the material was realy soft in the case of the single flute drills.
@@ChirpysTinkerings Could you possibly make a video showing the geometry of that straight-flute drill which you are referencing here? The current video here is so excellent; you show everything without a lot of filler. I am very grateful for the information.
@@channelview8854 They're just a long fluted D bit, but the end is ground in the same way as you would have a countersink. It is a cone shape on the end, your typical 118 degree cone you would have on a drill bit, but it starts at the cutting edge corner that you would use as a drill bit, and you roll the bit against the grinder to add a tiny bit of relief, but not too much or it throws the center point off. The best way to make them is with a T&C grinder, but it can be done freehand if youre careful. I would look up how to sharpen countersinks, and just imagine that on the end of a D bit tbh. Stefan Gottswinter has a bunch of videos on grinding D bits also and makes a few center drills the exact same way. I tried finding a picture or something of one of the single fluted drill bits for you, but I cant seem to find one right now for some reason. They're only good for really soft materials like aluminum or brass tho, but they do create a very accurate hole.
This is awesome now I know how cave people made debit I can throw out my mill
lol?
Thank you. I've been trying to make a D-bit but with the info I have I couldn't understand how.
no problem, Im glad that the video was of some help, I hope your D-bit reamers turn out well. I tend to use them all the time when Im working on stuff to get an accurate sized hole.
Thank you for sharing the knowledge.
Cheers
np, thanks for stopping by.
You should have demonstrated at least 1 of the bits in action. Thanks for showing how to grind one.
yea, this was just showing how to grind them. They're pretty easy to use, just stick it in the drill press or lathe and use lots of oil on it, then run it down slowly. It'll give some drag to it, but it'll open it up to size and leave a glass smooth finish usually.
These are expensive when buy for clock re bussing, I see it is even easy to make, I have a lathe, but also the need to dial wheels to change with a zero setting, but maybe using digital is for me the best way because clock need precision.
there's horology style D bit reamers too, which instead of being ground in half, it's ground at a slight angle, which is a little harder to ream through the holes, but they work pretty well in smaller holes that you would find in clocks.
Another option for the lathe is to set up a dial indicator on the cross slide and read direct readings off of that, that should give you the best precision tbh.
nice vid thanks for sharing .you could go after foot breaker with a skill saw to get her to a workable lump.
yea, I could, but me and reciprocating saws dont meet eye to eye alot of the time, lol. (carpeltunnel and hands go numb from the vibration, so I keep having to stop because of almost dropping it) I just use it as a door stop to hold the door open in the summer to let the breeze through the shop, and as a press platform, which Ill probably end up drilling a 1" hole through the middle of it for pressing shafts in and out of things.
Nice tip, many thanks.
no problem and thanks for watching.
Awesome video! Also, I understand why you call that hunk of AI a foot breaker, but if I had to lift that puppy a few times, I'd all it ball buster! Heh.
lol, it's not really that heavy, I can lift it with one hand, but it is just big and bulky. It probably weighs 10-15lbs. I had got that ages ago and I didnt know what to do with it, so when we were working on my shop, thats what was used to prop the door open, lol.
You mentioned a discord server at the start of the video, what server? I'd be interested.
over on paul's garage's channel, he has a discord server. There is quite a few machinists, blacksmiths, and a ton of metal casters on there. Here's a link to the server.
discord.gg/NHTJz45
Thanks for posting thats a idea for me thanks for reminding me for that
no problem, and glad that it can help.
turns out its really easy once you know what the hell you're doing
lol, yea, they are pretty easy to make. There's a few different styles, but I find for anything over 1/8", the D bit style is the easiest to make and use.
@@ChirpysTinkerings they work great, even better when you have the spindle turning the right direction
lol, true, lol.
how's it going
give me about 8 more hours of sleep and Ill let you know, lol. Everything's going good, just came from the shop, what about you?
I am doing good just made a milling hammer last week
ah, cool, I need to make me one of those for my mill, Im getting tired of fighting with finding the adjustable wrench to unscrew it and then the tapers stick, lol. Did you use a piece of brass on the end or pipe fitting and lead?
1 inc handle steal and a brass head
ah, cool, Ill have to defenitely make one of those up sometime.
hi you can't use it on steel ? great video thanks !
Yea, I use them on steel all the time, you just want the D bits to be harder than what youre reaming, so you'll want to use some drill rod, hss, or some hardenable steel to make it from if you're using it in steel. Other than that, they work fine and Ive used them in steel and many much harder materials tbh.
Thanks for that very useful
np, thanks for watching.
I purchased one of those Pittsburgh calipers... total garbage. Not even worth the drive to return it.
Mine has honestly been pretty good, but when you get it, it is pretty crappy because the gibs are really loose, and you'll lose accuracy from that. If you take a jeweler's flat tip screwdriver and tighten up the gip screws on the very top of it till you have just a small amount of drag, and work it back and forth till it works itself in, then it'll fix the inaccuracy issues, and make it a pretty decent pair of calipers, other than just feeling and being cheap, lol.
@@ChirpysTinkerings I completely understand what feeling cheap is, reason why I bought one of those. Mine just flat out quit reading, got stuck on all zero's. Had it for one week, barley even used it.
@@garyr7027 oh, that is really odd. It's like the sensor got knocked loose or something in it. Ive never seen any do that before.
@@ChirpysTinkerings I've ordered a different one online, brand called Insize, nist certified, tested and calibrated. I caved in with the price, it wasn't cheap but then not real expensive either. I gotta have something I can rely on, redoing the engine in my truck.
@@garyr7027 ah, yea, I know what you mean, I have a pair of starrett in the house that I use for drafting/cad purposes, and a mititoyo at work, so I know what you mean by pricey, lol. I tend to have stuff falling over while pounding on stuff on the workbench, and I dont want to have an expensive pair in the shop where Im mainly just messing around at that can get broken/messed up, so I keep the cheap set out there, lol.
I wish you best of luck with your engine, I have no idea about that stuff except what I can melt out of them, lol.