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Free time=new boring machine

Started by Macgyver, February 09, 2012, 02:38:54 PM

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Macgyver

I bought a "new-to-me" boring machine that wasn't in functional shape a few months ago, and the original plan was to fix it up, restore it and use it.  I drew up almost the whole thing in CAD with a few modifications, and that's the rendering here:



Well I got into a small TF project before it was finished, so I just fixed what I had to on it to make it work and was able to use it.  I still plan on restoring it, but a few weeks ago at work I started looking around at all the spare things I had laying around, and figured I could just about build a brand new "modern" version of it with my junk pile.  So I started modeling it together in a CAD program and came up with the rendering you can see here:



After a few weeks of an hour of work on it here and there, it's just about finished.  I've got a few more pictures in my album, but here's the almost-finished product:









I still need to add some wood to it for the seat, and cap the top so it doesn't look quite so metallic, but I like how it's coming out.  I think I'll get it anodized and make it look a bit more professional, and I've got a new keyless chuck that I'll thread in there once I make the right size threaded adapter.  It's mostly aluminum (maybe weights 15 lbs), with linear guides for the vertical motion, and oil impregnated bronze bushings on all the rotating components.  The whole thing can almost be disassembled with 2 allen wrenches, and my favorite part is that it's silent.  Not a sound coming from those new gears.   I still have a healthy respect for the antique machines though.  I haven't tested it out yet, but I got some new bits from Jim and his partner Tom (great guys to deal with!).  Just thought I'd share...Hope all is well everyone.



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clif

Wow! That is impressive, great job.  Are all those parts available commercially? 
Mighty Myte Mark IV Band Saw Mill .  " Don't let the past hold you back"

Macgyver

A lot of them are, yes.  Bushings, gears, drive shafts, linear glides (can't see them) gear rack were mostly from McMaster or ebay.  I wrote a program for a CNC mill for the crank arms, but the aluminum extrusions were just cut to the right length, squared, and drilled.
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jamesamd

That gusset for angle work,is'nt going to work.
Sorry Mac,It also limits angle drilling to the fat side of a beam.

Sure looks pretty,though.
Jim
All that is gold does not glitter,not all those that wander are lost.....

ajkoontz

That is really impressive. Do you have any idea how much you have into it?

dukndog

Looks great!!! Once you test it out, I'm sure you will make a few tweaks on it. Once finished, then it will be one great tool!!!

DnD
WM LT-15G25 w/PwrFeed, Mahindra 3510, Husky 385xp, Stihl MS261 and a wife who supports my hobby!!

Macgyver

I already found one issue with the black knobs that allow me to collapse the whole thing.  They stick out a little too far and keep the crank arms from rotating when they get down far enough.  Easy and cheap enough fix, but I'm well aware that there will be other issues. Dukndog, any specifics you think I should keep an eye out for?  I'm a little worried about how stiff the vertical posts will be, but it's all modular, so a quick swap to the next size up, or addition of gussets at the top is no big deal.  Hoping to test it out this weekend, but I need to straighten some bits for it first.  The chuck holds them perfectly concentric and any curve to the bit will make it walk all over the place and never bite (vs the antiques that let them wobble a bit to compensate for a little bend). 

I probably have close to $200 in to it, but if I had to do it again, I could probably get that down to around $150. If someone was really handy and and patient you could make it for around 50 (with access to a milling machine, or at least a decent drill press and access to a chop saw).  The gears were the most expensive at around $20 each, but like I mentioned, almost everything was leftovers from other projects laying around the scrap bin. 
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dukndog

Just mainly, how much twist if you are augering hard woods, i.e., oak, will be put on the vertical riser arms. I know on some of my older ones there's alot of "twist" when you're deeper in the hole. Sharp bits help but there's still that hidden knot or tough spot in the wood that causes it to bind up.
In picture 2, at the bottom rear, behind your black angle lock handles, maybe a brace from leg to leg. It would probably need to be angled or curved to clear the bit. This should help in the twisting from the head and riser arms. If you notice on older beam drills, they are braced either with a wide block of wood at the bottom of each arm (Ajax, Snell, etc.) or have two legs per side for extra stability (Millers Falls). Ones with the adjustable angle ( like in picture 1) have that piece of metal on each side to help brace them.

Hope this helps and it still looks great !! I wish my abilities were better to do something like this!!

DnD
WM LT-15G25 w/PwrFeed, Mahindra 3510, Husky 385xp, Stihl MS261 and a wife who supports my hobby!!

Macgyver

Thanks DnD!  I'm sure that'll show up quick if it's a problem, I suspected almost the same thing.  My older mill doesn't have a cross piece at the bit end (vs the seat end), and I've always wondered why not.  Seems like a quick cheap addition, and it would really help beef it up. 
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Rooster

Macgyver,

I have a number of antique boring machines which most of them are in some stage of repair or restoration.  I have one working Millers Falls that I use for work.

As I layout for my mortises, I use an awl and start a hole for the screw feed drill bits at the center of all the holes that will be the start of the mortise.  So, as I am sitting on the boring machine seat, straddling the beam, I usually start at the far end of the mortise layout and drill the holes working my way backwards.  This allows me to slide the boring machine deck along the section of beam that does not have any "chips" or dust.  The throat of the deck doesn't have a cross piece so that the chips can be removed by sweeping them away, and so that the machine can be repositioned for the next hole without dragging the chips from the previous bored hole or having to pick up the machine.

I hope your machine works for you!!

Good Luck,

Rooster
"We talk about creating millions of "shovel ready" jobs, for a society that doesn't really encourage anybody to pick up a shovel." 
Mike Rowe

"Old barns are a reminder of when I was young,
       and new barns are a reminder that I am not so young."
                          Rooster

Macgyver

Gotcha Rooster, thanks for the explanation, makes a lot of sense now.  I'm by no means a professional timberframer, and not even all that experienced, but I know the exact strategy you're talking about.  I used my old machine for a few hours, and at the time I didn't think it would be much more involved if there was an added cross brace at the bit end of the base, but I guess thinking about it, if I had to lift the whole machine to clear chips after every hole instead of just sliding it back, I'd get sick of that pretty quick. 

Hopefully I'll get a chance to find out tomorrow...
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frwinks

awesome job Macgyver...wouldn't happen to have the part numbers for the gears handy would ya? ;D  Some have used car/truck pinion gears in the past, but your set up looks just way to slick smiley_clapping

Macgyver

Thanks frwinks, The bevel gears are McMaster part number 6529K18, 12 pitch, 18 teeth, 5/8 bore (you might have to run a reamer through them, or pay extra for a "finished bore" part#6843K14).  Most of the materials are McMaster, I especially like the bronze bushings, mostly because they're about $1/pc.  Beat's the heck outta ball or needle bearings.  I used 80/20 aluminum extrusions for a lot of the components.  They have an ebay store that's got some pretty good discounts. 

If you've got any other questions about parts or dimensions, let me know, I'll get back to ya as quick as I can.

Got a chance to test it out this past weekend, and overall, I'd give it a B for performance.  It seemed to require a lot less effort than my old one, but I think the arms are a little longer.  I'm sure the lack of work lost to friction has a bit do do with it too.  All the joints that are under significant stress moved just a hair under operation.  Not enough to loosen anything up, but any motion with a lot of repetition will cause the joint to fail.  Luckily all the joints can be locked up with small L brackets and some loctite.  I need to add depth stops to each side, and I'm still missing the wood for the seat, so I can't say it was the most comfortable contraption to sit on.  I don't do much angle work at all, but jamesamd said it wouldn't work for it.  I didn't have any trouble, or even signs that I would in the future (aside from the previously mentioned symptoms), so I'm now wondering where the flaw is.  There's a few random pictures shown below. 









Thanks everyone for all the comments and compliments
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ChrisGermany

Fantastic job, man! I wish I was a mechanically-minded guy sometimes.

Old machines are fascinating.
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." -- Matthew 6:34

K Balfour

Macgyver
Looking at your CAD drawing of the original boring machine I think you have a Miles Sweet wood boring machine.   It was Patented April 13th 1869 Patent # 88821.  Originally built in Troy New York.  If you go to the US patent office site USPTO.gov and input the patent # there is a great drawing of the original machine.   I've got over 50 boring machine patents from as early as 1843 Patent #2948.  Also don't tell my wife but I have 15 different Boring machines.  Including the Zacariah Phillips from 1872 which actually returns with a mechanical relay no levers or racks.  Good luck

Fred Bryant

Maybe it is the picture angle, but it does not look like the rack is engaged? Is it somehow selectable engagement?

Cool piece of work.

Thx's, Fred.

Jim_Rogers

Welcome, Kim......

Nice to see you here....

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Macgyver

I'm not sure what the original machine is, there's no marking on it.  I originally thought it was a Snell, and I think Jim said it looked like a Swan.  I should upload a picture of how it looks not (the old one).  It's certainly no thing of beauty, but it works.  I'd be interested in seeing some pictures of those machines, especially that Zacariah Phillips.  It's amazing how many mechanical methods there are for accomplishing a relatively simple task.

The climbing gear is selectable engagement.  I put a pin through the gear, and the shaft has a slot machined through it.  When I get to the bottom of a cut, the gear slides over to engage the rack, and climbs on up.  I have most of the parts to make it spring loaded so that when I get to the bottom of a cut, I could just pull a release pin and the spring would put pressure on the inside face of the pinion gear.  This would allow me to not have to align the gear rack teeth and pinion gear teeth before sliding, I'd be able to just pull the pin and start cranking.  But I guess that's a modification for another day....been a little busier than normal at work. 
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K Balfour

I've attached a couple of files one is the Z-Phillips boring machine (1875) and the other I believe is the patent for Macgyver's old boring machine. 
In the pictures for the Z-Phillips machine you see a collar with a wing nut.  This collar is the depth gauge.  It rotates up and down along the helical grove in the central shaft to set the depth. What is not shown is a small nub on the horizontal cast iron bracket that is elevated when you're drilling.  When the collar reaches this nub a pin is driven into the central helix (a mechanical relay).  As you continue turning the handles the bit is pulled from the hole. 

Macgyver

K Balfour, thanks for those attachments!  That Z-phillips is one neat machine.  I really like the teeth that mesh (I'm assuming) for the angle adjustment.  Seems like it would lock it in pretty solid. 

That Sweet machine is definitely the one I've got, I've been looking all around for pictures to see what kind it is, and none of the other ones I've looked ad were quite right.  I'm missing the "parking" latch for the top of it, maybe I'll be able to find a replacement for it now. 

Thanks again!
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addicted

how bout a video of the new machine in action?
Rusty

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