Seeing the current thread about snap ring ( circlip in UK) grooves
reminded me of last winter & a job I did:-

I had to bore out an iron casting (Input shaft housing to a Wheel Horse
ride-on mower deck) from each side to fit an oversize bearing each end.
Had to use the mill 'cos the casting is too long to swing in my lathe
(Kerry 11). Also had to make a shouldered shaft with woodruff key housings
for the pulleys each end & modify some existing pulleys to fit Did the
casting, both housings fitted the bearings beautifully.

Now I needed a circlip groove at each end to retain each bearing, so I
ground up a bit of a broken centre drill to the right width, & fitted that
at 90deg in a boring bar for the cutter. Problem - how to make the groove.
My boring head is a simple one - no auto feed, so how could I feed the
cutter out to make the groove?

After much thought this is what I did:

I have recently converted my mill with a single to three phase inverter
to replace the previous capacitor & idler motor (- thoroughly recommended
by the way, it runs like a sewing machine now, everyone should get one -
listen to John Stevenson). I lowered the speed to 10Hz & stuck an allen
key into the feed screw on the boring head. Started the mill in back gear
on lowest belt speed & every time the key came around, I gave the allen
key a twist anti clockwise to set a cut. I kept looking over my shoulder
to see if any real engineers were watching, but the result was a perfect
circlip groove & was I chuffed?

But - what was the proper way to do this?.

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John Lloyd - Cymru/Wales

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