If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.

On Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:09:13 -0700, Bob La Londe wrote:

If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.

How exact?

If it didn't have to be too terribly precise, I'd figure out how to make
an end mill with a hemispherical "innie", 1/4" in diameter. Then I'd
push those dowels into it.

If that wouldn't cut it for fit or finish, I'd make a cutter with a
circular 1/4 turn, 1/4" diameter cutout, and individually turn each dowel.

Or, I'd make or obtain a spherical turning tool, and use that.

Or, I'd make a drawing, and give it to a company that has an NC lathe...

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:43:42 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:09:13 -0700, Bob La Londe wrote:

If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.

How exact?

If it didn't have to be too terribly precise, I'd figure out how to make
an end mill with a hemispherical "innie", 1/4" in diameter. Then I'd
push those dowels into it.

If that wouldn't cut it for fit or finish, I'd make a cutter with a
circular 1/4 turn, 1/4" diameter cutout, and individually turn each dowel.

Or, I'd make or obtain a spherical turning tool, and use that.

Or, I'd make a drawing, and give it to a company that has an NC lathe...

Back when people still knew how to use speed lathes with tool rests
(like the ones on woodworking lathes), freehand turning, there was a
common tool for that work.

It's a flat piece of HSS bar, maybe 1/8" or 3/16" thick, with a hole
drilled in one end, countersunk to leave a sharp, circular cutting
edge on the opposite side of the bar. The hole is somewhat smaller
than the diameter of the ball or hemisphere you're going to turn. I
don't know if there's a formula for the relative hole size. The
cutting edge just shaves a thin chip off of the ball as it develops.

If you want to test your skill, try it sometime. It's not for the
faint-hearted, and make sure your insurance is paid up. But it does
work once you get the hang of it. Make sure it has a long handle and
that the rest is set close to the work.

--
Ed Huntress

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.


My take....

Accuracy / finish?

Stick the dowels in a battery drill & do them on a linishing belt. If needed
make a jig / mechanism to assist in getting a nice hemispherical end on
them.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.

Probably I would just make them from scratch by running 12ft lenghts of bar
stock through a swiss machine.

Or, grind a form tool and mount on the lever cross slide of a 5c chucker.

Bob La Londe wrote in news:6ea1cfb9-1965-4cdf-
:

If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.

Take an appropiate radius corner rounding end mill, and use a collet tool
holder to hang onto it on the lathe. Rotate it and adjust the height so
you can use it as a form tool.

Doug White

On Wed, 4 Apr 2012 22:09:13 -0700 (PDT), Bob La Londe
wrote:

If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.

With what I have available for machines, and assuming the finish and
accuracy of the sphere is not very fussy: a combined form/cutoff tool
in a lathe with a lever collet closer. Angle the cutoff edge to leave
a tit on the square end of the pin if you need to minimize the tit on
the spherical end.

Set a stop for length, pull the stock to the stop (no need to stop the
spindle), cross feed to cut, repeat. Hopefully you can use 303 SS or
one of the free machining 400 series alloys.

--
Ned Simmons

On Wed, 4 Apr 2012 22:09:13 -0700 (PDT), Bob La Londe
wrote:

If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.
Assuming you have a lathe then you can buy a corner rounding endmill,
as others have suggested, or you can make a form tool out of HSS.
Making the form tool is pretty easy. Put Dykem or similar layout ink
on the tool and scribe the form. Rough out the form with a grinding
wheel and finish the form using a brass rod turned to the proper
diameter charged with lapping compound. I use diamond lapping
compounds but Clover compound works well too.
Eric

On Apr 4, 10:09*pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? *Say 400, give or take.

No. They don't need to be terribley accurate. This is just to make
the non press fit end of alignment pins a little faster to start.
They do need to be pretty and smooth though.

My thoughts were to make a lathe bit to round or cut and round out of
HSS. Past experience has shown I am not all that good at grinding
lathe bits, but I did say it doesn't have to be too terribley
accurate.

A CNC lathe would be the easy answer for starting with long stock.
Two problems. I have about 400 pins already, and that will last me a
while. I don't have a CNC lathe... or do I?

I thought about using a round over end mill. Either by chucking a
rotary tool up in my tool post. (A mount to do this is on my to do
list.), or by mounting the pin in a vise vertically and circling it
with the round over mill on one of the mini mills. I had not thought
about using it in a fixed configuration, but I can see how it would
work.

A ball turner was on my consideration list. I can make either a
stacked bearing type or a wishbone type. I think I have a tube of
cheap all stainless skate bearings a buddy of mine gave me around
somewhere I could use for the stacked bearing type, and I think I have
some bronze sleeves I could use for the pin bushings in the wishbone
type. My thought on that though are because of the lack of rigidty in
my lathes (the 8x18 is better) and the additional flex of the ball
turner itself those would require light cuts, which is both time
consuming and a bad idea on stainless.

I had not even considered using a concave hemispherical end mill.

I had not even thought of (or new about) the free hand method using a
drilled piece of HSS. While intellectually it intrigues me, on a
practical level it scare the crap out of me. Kinda like metal
spinning with a 4 or 5 foot long lever/shaping bar. LOL. Awesome to
watch somebody else do.

The battery drill method would make them roughly uniform, but I think
it would take a while. It would work. If I were making just one I
might do it that way. Inpsite of my poor skills at making lathe bits,
I am pretty decent at that type of "freehand" work.

Cutting them from bar stock makes perfect sense. 12' probably not so
much in my shop with the equipment I have and the way its layed out in
the shop, but cut down to 2-3' with a wood notch rest sitting on the
next bench over to prevent whipping of the free end would work. That
is probably what I will do in the future. I can also select free
maching alloys of stainless for it then. It would also allow me to
more easily customize my pins using some other ideas I have for making
them easier to seat and keep straight on the press fit end. Being
somewhat frugal (ok cheap) I'ld like to save the box of pins I already
have first.

Here are the solutions I am going to try in order:

1. Put the dowel in the spindle of one of the mini mills. Put a
small vise on the table. Clamp a lathe bit in the vise. Cut the end
of the dowel just like on a CNC lathe. For the precut pieces I have
this should be fine if the collets will hold them well enough and
leave out enough to cut. (I'll try it with the cabinet doors closed,
LOL) For using this method for longer stock I would need to put the
original spindle back on the Taig. (it is hollow and I can feed
stock through it).

2. If one doesn't work, I will already be setup for (2.) Use my mini
mill to cut a lathe bit to shape. Do them on the lathe.

Current headaches with both of the methods I plan to try first. My
spindles are really way to fast for this type of work. I do have a
PID speed controller sitting on the shelf for one of them that could
theoretically get me down to 5-6000 RPM (realistically more like 8000)
and still have good power since the PID will automatically compensate
for any drop in RPM. Still awfully fast, but I might be able to make
it work.

For the future... I am accumulating parts to do a CNC conversion on
the 8x18 anyway, which would be the best tool for the job of those I
have as far as just making the cuts at the right speed. The 7x14
would do it, but now that I have it "pretty good" I want to keep it
manual just for those occassional quick small pieces that are easier
and faster to do manually. Becasue it has a 4 jaw it will be the one
I use if I cut the dowels manually with a self cut lathe bit. I think
it will hold the piece better.



2. Use a

Bob La Londe fired this volley in news:8919567c-
:

A CNC lathe would be the easy answer for starting with long stock.
Two problems. I have about 400 pins already, and that will last me a
while. I don't have a CNC lathe... or do I?


Bob, you have a CNC lathe. It came as part of your mill.

Chuck the work in the spindle. Mount a tool on the bed. Turn away!

LLoyd

On Apr 5, 8:40*am, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Bob La Londe fired this volley in news:8919567c-
:

A CNC lathe would be the easy answer for starting with long stock.
Two problems. *I have about 400 pins already, and that will last me a
while. *I don't have a CNC lathe... or do I?

Bob, you have a CNC lathe. *It came as part of your mill.

Chuck the work in the spindle. *Mount a tool on the bed. *Turn away!

LLoyd

Answer 1. Above. LOL. Thanks Lloyd.

On Apr 4, 11:09*pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? *Say 400, give or take.

Classic method(besides Ed's), is to use a collet with a stop in the
lathe and a pivoting tool rest. This last can be just a bar with a
pivot held by some means on the compound rest up to an elaborate gear
driven C-shaped holder in a half-gimble. Here's one sort:

http://www.littlemachineshop.com/pro...1970&category=

Most of the ones I've seen have the pivot point with a vertical axis,
you can offset your pivot from the workpiece's axis for different
shapes that way. Can go from a complete sphere to just a spherical
corner break.

Advantage of that method is no special tool grinding needed, just
stick in a HSS tool with a standard tip for the material and have at
it.

Ball-turning attachments are perennial articles in the home shop
magazines.

If you're really going to go into production, use the form tool/
milling cutter ideas.

Stan

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
On Apr 4, 10:09 pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.

No. They don't need to be terribley accurate. This is just to make
the non press fit end of alignment pins a little faster to start.
They do need to be pretty and smooth though.

My thoughts were to make a lathe bit to round or cut and round out of
HSS. Past experience has shown I am not all that good at grinding
lathe bits, but I did say it doesn't have to be too terribley
accurate.

I ground concave quarter round lathe bits with a tapered cone wheel in
a die grinder. It automatically gives a relief under the edge.

jsw

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:25:49 -0700, Bob La Londe wrote:
On Apr 4, 10:09Â*pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemispherical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Â*Say 400, give or take.

No. They don't need to be terribly accurate. This is just to make the
non press fit end of alignment pins a little faster to start. They do
need to be pretty and smooth though.
[Snip list of rounding methods]

I don't see a good reason to round the ends for that purpose. A
chamfered or conical end would be easier to cut with good finish
than a hemisphere, and probably better as an insertion aid.

--
jiw

"Stanley Schaefer" wrote
Classic method(besides Ed's), is to use a collet with a stop in the
lathe and a pivoting tool rest. This last can be just a bar with a
pivot held by some means on the compound rest up to an elaborate gear
driven C-shaped holder in a half-gimble.
Stan

I chucked the top half of the compound in the 3-jaw and marked the
center of rotation, which for my lathe is on the top slide close to
the tee slot with the compound fully back. I can turn a small convex
radius by swiveling the compound, with a bit in a lantern holder.

jsw

On Thu, 5 Apr 2012 08:25:49 -0700 (PDT), Bob La Londe
wrote:

If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? =A0Say 400, give or take.

No. They don't need to be terribley accurate. This is just to make
the non press fit end of alignment pins a little faster to start.
They do need to be pretty and smooth though.
=================

Why not just cut a heavy chamfer? Curves are always
difficult to machine in a manual machine. A straight
chamfer can be cut many ways and should be cheaper/quicker
than a radius.

One thought is an adaptation of a screw machine or turret
lathe tool that did this operation, called a box tool.







--
Unka' George

"Gold is the money of kings,
silver is the money of gentlemen,
barter is the money of peasants,
but debt is the money of slaves"

-Norm Franz, "Money and Wealth in the New Millenium"

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:03:46 -0400, Ed Huntress
wrote:
snip
If you want to test your skill, try it sometime. It's not for the
faint-hearted, and make sure your insurance is paid up. But it does
work once you get the hang of it.
snip

==============

Store bought solution or roll your own based on the picture.
Used regular straight ground lathe tools.

http://littlemachineshop.com/product...1970&category=


--
Unka' George

"Gold is the money of kings,
silver is the money of gentlemen,
barter is the money of peasants,
but debt is the money of slaves"

-Norm Franz, "Money and Wealth in the New Millenium"

On Thu, 5 Apr 2012 12:52:28 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:


"Stanley Schaefer" wrote
Classic method(besides Ed's), is to use a collet with a stop in the
lathe and a pivoting tool rest. This last can be just a bar with a
pivot held by some means on the compound rest up to an elaborate gear
driven C-shaped holder in a half-gimble.
Stan

I chucked the top half of the compound in the 3-jaw and marked the
center of rotation, which for my lathe is on the top slide close to
the tee slot with the compound fully back. I can turn a small convex
radius by swiveling the compound, with a bit in a lantern holder.

jsw

Why not just rotate the non locked compound as your ball turning
apparatus? Use a collet in the spidle, use the tool mounted to the
compond to stop the rod, clamp the collet and rotate the compound rest
90 degrees clockwise to generate the hemispherical surface (you need
to set the tool bit back of the center of rotation of the compound by
the rdius of the rod and exactly on center height).Clear as mud?

On Thu, 5 Apr 2012 08:25:49 -0700 (PDT), Bob La Londe
wrote:

On Apr 4, 10:09*pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? *Say 400, give or take.

No. They don't need to be terribley accurate. This is just to make
the non press fit end of alignment pins a little faster to start.
They do need to be pretty and smooth though.

My thoughts were to make a lathe bit to round or cut and round out of
HSS. Past experience has shown I am not all that good at grinding
lathe bits, but I did say it doesn't have to be too terribley
accurate.

A CNC lathe would be the easy answer for starting with long stock.
Two problems. I have about 400 pins already, and that will last me a
while. I don't have a CNC lathe... or do I?

I thought about using a round over end mill. Either by chucking a
rotary tool up in my tool post. (A mount to do this is on my to do
list.), or by mounting the pin in a vise vertically and circling it
with the round over mill on one of the mini mills. I had not thought
about using it in a fixed configuration, but I can see how it would
work.

A ball turner was on my consideration list. I can make either a
stacked bearing type or a wishbone type. I think I have a tube of
cheap all stainless skate bearings a buddy of mine gave me around
somewhere I could use for the stacked bearing type, and I think I have
some bronze sleeves I could use for the pin bushings in the wishbone
type. My thought on that though are because of the lack of rigidty in
my lathes (the 8x18 is better) and the additional flex of the ball
turner itself those would require light cuts, which is both time
consuming and a bad idea on stainless.

I had not even considered using a concave hemispherical end mill.

I had not even thought of (or new about) the free hand method using a
drilled piece of HSS. While intellectually it intrigues me, on a
practical level it scare the crap out of me. Kinda like metal
spinning with a 4 or 5 foot long lever/shaping bar. LOL. Awesome to
watch somebody else do.


Back in the day it was quite common to see a "turning tool" in a
machinist's tool box. Usually used to make ball ends for vice handles
and such non-precision things you just put the tool holder in
backwards for a tool rest and went at it - about like turning maple on
a wood lathe.

Mine was about 12 inches overall made from a length of 3/8th drill rod
with a spiffy aluminum handle I turned up one lunch hour and shrunk
on. But really just a steel rod with the end ground flat with a bit of
an angle for clearance, and hardened.

The battery drill method would make them roughly uniform, but I think
it would take a while. It would work. If I were making just one I
might do it that way. Inpsite of my poor skills at making lathe bits,
I am pretty decent at that type of "freehand" work.

Cutting them from bar stock makes perfect sense. 12' probably not so
much in my shop with the equipment I have and the way its layed out in
the shop, but cut down to 2-3' with a wood notch rest sitting on the
next bench over to prevent whipping of the free end would work. That
is probably what I will do in the future. I can also select free
maching alloys of stainless for it then. It would also allow me to
more easily customize my pins using some other ideas I have for making
them easier to seat and keep straight on the press fit end. Being
somewhat frugal (ok cheap) I'ld like to save the box of pins I already
have first.

Here are the solutions I am going to try in order:

1. Put the dowel in the spindle of one of the mini mills. Put a
small vise on the table. Clamp a lathe bit in the vise. Cut the end
of the dowel just like on a CNC lathe. For the precut pieces I have
this should be fine if the collets will hold them well enough and
leave out enough to cut. (I'll try it with the cabinet doors closed,
LOL) For using this method for longer stock I would need to put the
original spindle back on the Taig. (it is hollow and I can feed
stock through it).

2. If one doesn't work, I will already be setup for (2.) Use my mini
mill to cut a lathe bit to shape. Do them on the lathe.

Current headaches with both of the methods I plan to try first. My
spindles are really way to fast for this type of work. I do have a
PID speed controller sitting on the shelf for one of them that could
theoretically get me down to 5-6000 RPM (realistically more like 8000)
and still have good power since the PID will automatically compensate
for any drop in RPM. Still awfully fast, but I might be able to make
it work.

For the future... I am accumulating parts to do a CNC conversion on
the 8x18 anyway, which would be the best tool for the job of those I
have as far as just making the cuts at the right speed. The 7x14
would do it, but now that I have it "pretty good" I want to keep it
manual just for those occassional quick small pieces that are easier
and faster to do manually. Becasue it has a 4 jaw it will be the one
I use if I cut the dowels manually with a self cut lathe bit. I think
it will hold the piece better.



2. Use a

Or use a form tool with an extended lip used as a cutoff tool.
Probably grind one up out of HSS in 20 minutes.

--
Cheers,

John B.

Bob La Londe wrote:



1. Put the dowel in the spindle of one of the mini mills. Put a
small vise on the table. Clamp a lathe bit in the vise. Cut the end
of the dowel just like on a CNC lathe. For the precut pieces I have
this should be fine if the collets will hold them well enough and
leave out enough to cut. (I'll try it with the cabinet doors closed,
LOL) For using this method for longer stock I would need to put the
original spindle back on the Taig. (it is hollow and I can feed
stock through it).

Yes, this works fine. It might be just a little slower than
a CNC lathe, but will work fine.


Current headaches with both of the methods I plan to try first. My
spindles are really way to fast for this type of work. I do have a
PID speed controller sitting on the shelf for one of them that could
theoretically get me down to 5-6000 RPM (realistically more like 8000)
and still have good power since the PID will automatically compensate
for any drop in RPM. Still awfully fast, but I might be able to make
it work.

Oh, well, that's going to be a problem with SS workpieces.

Jon

On Apr 5, 9:44*pm, Jon Elson wrote:
Bob La Londe wrote:

1. *Put the dowel in the spindle of one of the mini mills. *Put a
small vise on the table. *Clamp a lathe bit in the vise. *Cut the end
of the dowel just like on a CNC lathe. *For the precut pieces I have
this should be fine if the collets will hold them well enough and
leave out enough to cut. *(I'll try it with the cabinet doors closed,
LOL) *For using this method for longer stock I would need to put the
original spindle back on the Taig. * (it is hollow and I can feed
stock through it).

Yes, this works fine. *It might be just a little slower than
a CNC lathe, but will work fine.

Current headaches with both of the methods I plan to try first. *My
spindles are really way to fast for this type of work. *I do have a
PID speed controller sitting on the shelf for one of them that could
theoretically get me down to 5-6000 RPM (realistically more like 8000)
and still have good power since the PID will automatically compensate
for any drop in RPM. *Still awfully fast, but I might be able to make
it work.

Oh, well, that's going to be a problem with SS workpieces.

Jon

Yeah. Makes me regret pulling the stock spindle on the Taig
sometimes. Still it was only 1/4 HP so it might not have been much
better.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
If you needed to put a hemisperical end on a bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give or take.


I tried the round cut lathe bit first. Cutting the bit was a challenge, but
I eventually got one sorta-kinda radius shaped. A drop of Tap Magic on the
cuter about every third pin and they cut fast. Took longer to swap pins in
the chuck than to cut the radius.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...

I tried the round cut lathe bit first. Cutting the bit was a
challenge, but I eventually got one sorta-kinda radius shaped.

The conical grinding point I mentioned earlier can take it from
kinda-sorta to very smooth, round and Sharp when the exact radius
doesn't matter. If the tool is in the post ready to round the end, the
die grinder holding the stone would be between the ways, pointing
straight up. Keep the stone moving so the cutting edge doesn't wear a
step in it.

You could mark where the cone is 1/2" in diameter and try to make the
cone fit all along the cutting edge at the mark.

jsw

"James Waldby" wrote in
message ...
On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:25:49 -0700, Bob La Londe
wrote:
On Apr 4, 10:09 pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemispherical end on a
bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give
or take.

No. They don't need to be terribly accurate.
This is just to make the
non press fit end of alignment pins a little
faster to start. They do
need to be pretty and smooth though.
[Snip list of rounding methods]

I don't see a good reason to round the ends for
that purpose. A
chamfered or conical end would be easier to cut
with good finish
than a hemisphere, and probably better as an
insertion aid.

--
jiw

The tangent point of the hemisphere won't dig in.
That's the point of interest. pdk

"Gunner Asch" wrote in
message
...
On Thu, 5 Apr 2012 16:42:55 +0000 (UTC), James
Waldby
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:25:49 -0700, Bob La Londe
wrote:
On Apr 4, 10:09 pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemispherical end on a
bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give
or take.

No. They don't need to be terribly accurate.
This is just to make the
non press fit end of alignment pins a little
faster to start. They do
need to be pretty and smooth though.
[Snip list of rounding methods]

I don't see a good reason to round the ends for
that purpose. A
chamfered or conical end would be easier to cut
with good finish
than a hemisphere, and probably better as an
insertion aid.

Indeed. Most of the guys sticking in dowel pins
or cleaning up the ends
on 12' bar stock simply make em pointed to some
degree or another

Gunner

Chamfered or conical is _not_ smooth! pdk

"Gunner Asch" wrote in
message
...
On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 10:54:16 -0400, "Phil Kangas"
wrote:


"Gunner Asch" wrote in
message
. ..
On Thu, 5 Apr 2012 16:42:55 +0000 (UTC), James
Waldby
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:25:49 -0700, Bob La
Londe
wrote:
On Apr 4, 10:09 pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemispherical end on
a
bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400,
give
or take.

No. They don't need to be terribly
accurate.
This is just to make the
non press fit end of alignment pins a little
faster to start. They do
need to be pretty and smooth though.
[Snip list of rounding methods]

I don't see a good reason to round the ends
for
that purpose. A
chamfered or conical end would be easier to
cut
with good finish
than a hemisphere, and probably better as an
insertion aid.

Indeed. Most of the guys sticking in dowel
pins
or cleaning up the ends
on 12' bar stock simply make em pointed to
some
degree or another

Gunner

Chamfered or conical is _not_ smooth! pdk


Correct. And if its simply to aid in getting the
dowel pin started..who
cares if its "smooth"?

Gunner

Bob LaLonde, the OP, that's who !!!!

"Phil Kangas" wrote in message
...

"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 10:54:16 -0400, "Phil Kangas"
wrote:


"Gunner Asch" wrote in
message
...
On Thu, 5 Apr 2012 16:42:55 +0000 (UTC), James
Waldby
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:25:49 -0700, Bob La Londe
wrote:
On Apr 4, 10:09 pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemispherical end on a
bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400, give
or take.

No. They don't need to be terribly accurate.
This is just to make the
non press fit end of alignment pins a little
faster to start. They do
need to be pretty and smooth though.
[Snip list of rounding methods]

I don't see a good reason to round the ends for
that purpose. A
chamfered or conical end would be easier to cut
with good finish
than a hemisphere, and probably better as an
insertion aid.

Indeed. Most of the guys sticking in dowel pins
or cleaning up the ends
on 12' bar stock simply make em pointed to some
degree or another

Gunner

Chamfered or conical is _not_ smooth! pdk


Correct. And if its simply to aid in getting the dowel pin started..who
cares if its "smooth"?

Gunner

Bob LaLonde, the OP, that's who !!!!

In this case smooth...ish would be nice. It's a pin for something that is
assembled and disassembled perhaps dozens of times per hour during normal
use. Wear would be minimal, but cumulative. After much consideration I
decided a ground and polished lathe bit was the best option for what I want
to do. I tried it, and it actually works much faster than I thought it
would.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Phil Kangas" wrote in
message ...

"Gunner Asch" wrote in
message
...
On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 10:54:16 -0400, "Phil
Kangas"
wrote:


"Gunner Asch" wrote in
message
m...
On Thu, 5 Apr 2012 16:42:55 +0000 (UTC),
James
Waldby
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:25:49 -0700, Bob La
Londe
wrote:
On Apr 4, 10:09 pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
If you needed to put a hemispherical end
on a
bunch of 1/4" stainless
dowels how would you tackle it? Say 400,
give
or take.

No. They don't need to be terribly
accurate.
This is just to make the
non press fit end of alignment pins a
little
faster to start. They do
need to be pretty and smooth though.
[Snip list of rounding methods]

I don't see a good reason to round the ends
for
that purpose. A
chamfered or conical end would be easier to
cut
with good finish
than a hemisphere, and probably better as an
insertion aid.

Indeed. Most of the guys sticking in dowel
pins
or cleaning up the ends
on 12' bar stock simply make em pointed to
some
degree or another

Gunner

Chamfered or conical is _not_ smooth! pdk


Correct. And if its simply to aid in getting
the dowel pin started..who
cares if its "smooth"?

Gunner

Bob LaLonde, the OP, that's who !!!!

In this case smooth...ish would be nice. It's a
pin for something that is assembled and
disassembled perhaps dozens of times per hour
during normal use. Wear would be minimal, but
cumulative. After much consideration I decided
a ground and polished lathe bit was the best
option for what I want to do. I tried it, and
it actually works much faster than I thought it
would.
I'll bet there are a lot of guys out there nodding
in total agreement
with you! Way to go, Bob! ;)} phil k