fixture for truing the bore of a hyd cylinder rod eye

[Frank S]

Agreed, getting jobs out is what keeps shops afloat.
But The key is in planning how best to accomplish the task with equipment on hand causes issues. Too much reliance for 'we always did it this way'. A commercial entity should look for improvements, even being incremental, to have some kind of competitive edge. Old ways don't offer pay increases to employees, causing turnover and delivery interruptions. It restricts daily output regardless. Worst is probably when rush jobs come in; vice ability completing them in regular hours yet charge the OT premium for rapid service.

Need proof?
Right here in HMT.net. I'm positive the majority aren't operated for profit, yet look to improve on how they do work.

Must be one of the reasons why I am constantly on the prowl for equipment.

[stillldoinit]

Nice job Frank, better watch it or word will get around.

[Crusty]

I'm surprised that you didn't make a D reamer to quickly size that bore. Seems to me like reaming it to size would have worked without all the setup.

[Frank S]

I'm surprised that you didn't make a D reamer to quickly size that bore. Seems to me like reaming it to size would have worked without all the setup.

Here is the thing Crusty even to use a reamer I would have needed to be able to index perfectly perpendicular tot the cylinder rod and needed a way to power the reamer I'm not about to try and ream out 0.150" from a 3" diameter bore 1.5" thick by hand so I would have had to use my lathe or my mill as a power source to turn a reamer still requiring a set up plus having to make a reamer that I would probably never in a million years use again.
It would have taken longer to make the reamer than the whole job took even making the set up to hold the cylinder boring it to over size making a bushing welding it in and making a sleeve bearing hardening it and pressing it in.
Fluted or single D bit reamers are great for removing 0.0005" at a time in smaller bores.
The primary reason I didn't try to set up and bore it on my mill is my homemade boring head is not as stable as I would like for it to be on bores larger than say 2" and even though my mill is 3 hp I could not remove as much material per cycle with a mill as I can with a lathe. and my jib crane might not reach the mill to support the cylinder.

[Crusty]

Didn't think about powering such a large reamer - we all have to live within the limits of the equipment available so that's a no go approach.

It doesn't take me long to grind a custom D reamer and I get some nice fits if I don't grind the reamer shelf past half diameter. Know what you mean about the boring head - a modified Sherline is the only thing that will fit in my mill's limited work area and it's just barely adequate.

[Toolmaker51]

Must be one of the reasons why I am constantly on the prowl for equipment.

Also convenient we have different connections, and hopeful end results. Staying within boundaries of my property lines is an exasperation too; hindrance of calculable restrictions. Very careful delegating floor space. What's there, is well proportioned to each other, based on workspaces I've been in over the years.

Speaking of which, are any members within 3-400 miles of Kansas City; equipped minimally with a
Bridgeport sized CNC, 2 or 3 axis. I have vise fixtures built for this job, suitable for Kurt style jaws.
or
40 ton + ironworker with a 20" fixturing table or Strippet/ Roper-Whitney single end fabricator
or
a clean running CNC laser burn table

I need 660+ obround slots for 1/4" or 5/16" 2 or 3 inches long CTC, for carriage bolt heads in 220 parts; clean 10 gauge HRPO 2.5" X 14.5". There will be corresponding bolt holes in 220 matching parts. These are brackets to suspend electrical wireway from the over head so I can begin wiring the building. I expect to compensate for using or aiding the job in your shop. They are packed, ready for me to load and transport.

[Frank S]

This was one of the first jobs I had done for the construction company the machine belongs to. over the years since, they have brought me numerous things to make and or repair, usually 1 or 2 small jobs per month. Coincidentally while I was just now reading through the latest several thanks for this older thread the construction manager called me to let me know he had a couple things to drop off next week, while I had him on the phone I asked him about the cylinder I had repaired in 2019 He said they still were using it with the same sleeve bearing I had made and installed. He said before I had done the repair they were replacing at least 1 of the spherical bearings in 1 of the 2 cylinders on the machine every couple of months. but in all this time they have not even had to replace the bearing in the opposite cylinder.
It just goes to show even though a design on paper looks like there should be a certain amount of movement to allow for miss alignment on some things, sometimes it is better to have at least 1 of a 2 part system to be stabilized. I was amazed to hear they haven't even changed the homemade sleeve bearing though, sometimes you get lucky with mystery metal is all I can say to that.