New Tools

Basic needs related to restoring a 6er including
Electronics, Bodywork, Welding, Painting, Engine Swap, etc
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sansouci
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New Tools

Post by sansouci »

I got out my new Milwaukee 3/8" right angle ratchet driver to fasten lag screws to my new fence-SWEET. Worked like a charm.

I also bought a Drill Doctor 750X as I use drill bits larger than 1/2". This takes some time an patience to dial-in the right bit angle and relief angle. Also, the repeatability of the sharpening motion is not exact. So that will take some practice. Definitely not a bang-it-out type process. More of a subtle motion. I know some can do it better on a grinding wheel, but I need all the help I can get. So I cleaned up a number of dullards and with some I got nice spiral twists and others I got smaller debris. Same steel bars I was drilling. It also may be that I should opt for the split point finish. BTW, I center punched the hole and lubed the drill area with SAE30.

Last new tool was a 5 speed bench top drill press from HF. Not a precision instrument. Bearings seemed a bit rough and the small motor lacks horsepower. I didn't do a flatness or run-out test of the table with a dial indicator..I don't recall whether mild steel should be drilled at high or low speed. Got to go back to my 60 year old shop class notes.
If there is a precision benchtop drill press-let me know who makes it....
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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hornhospital
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Re: New Tools

Post by hornhospital »

Popular Mechanics reviewed several benchtop drill presses:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/to ... s/?slide=3

All of them are substantially more than the HF drill press (I have a HF one of them, too) but they are much sturdier and have a lot better torque and accuracy.

Get yourself some drilling and tapping fluid. Tap Magic is one. You can get it at W.W. Grainger:

https://www.grainger.com/product/TAP-MA ... -Oil-4F963

It'll work many times better than 30W.
Last edited by hornhospital on Wed Jul 27, 2016 2:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
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Da_Hose
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Re: New Tools

Post by Da_Hose »

Hey guys,

Note that the Central Machinery press is on their list of best buys. Central Machinery is the HF house brand.

Jose
1987 M6 - My dream car
Pod
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Re: New Tools

Post by Pod »

sansouci wrote:Last new tool was a 5 speed bench top drill press from HF. Not a precision instrument. Bearings seemed a bit rough and the small motor lacks horsepower. I didn't do a flatness or run-out test of the table with a dial indicator..I don't recall whether mild steel should be drilled at high or low speed. Got to go back to my 60 year old shop class notes.
From my engineering classes back in the '60s/70s I was taught that the larger the drill size, the slower you go. Also that you should not force the bit and work up by several sizes to reach the hole you need to make, rather than go from (say) a 1/8" pilot hole to a 1/2" in one go!

Cutting fluid helps as well - although I have often used light engine oil to achieve the additional lubrication and cooling.

Obvious, I know, but many people in the UK did not receive engineering shop training at school - I was lucky because I attended a "Technical High School" rather than an ordinary Grammar- or Secondary School.
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hornhospital
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Re: New Tools

Post by hornhospital »

hornhospital wrote:Popular Mechanics reviewed several benchtop drill presses:

"redacted"
I have no idea why this posted quoting myself!
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
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Re: New Tools

Post by bpoliakoff »

Da_Hose wrote:Hey guys,Note that the Central Machinery press is on their list of best buys. Central Machinery is the HF house brand.Jose
Bought my floor model press from them over 35 years ago. i haven’t even had to change a belt yet. It just runs and runs. I am more than happy with it and I am sure the bench top is of the same quality. Price was so low at that time, it was like a gift.
81 Euro 635 M90 with motronic. Currently under a complete nut and bolt restoration. Pictures at
flickr.com/photos/bertsphotos.
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Re: New Tools

Post by Da_Hose »

I have absolutely used the snot out of my bench top for various projects. I even grafted it to a tall post and spare steel wheel, so it is now a full size. I think I've had it for about 12 years now and my experience is the same as Bert. It just keeps on truckin'.

Jose
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Brucey
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Re: New Tools

Post by Brucey »

FWIW a lot of these small drill presses have a small, not exactly torque-infested, motor in them, about 300W or something. This has the (probably unintended) side effect that 'you can't go wrong' with the gearing.

It usually doesn't hurt that badly to run a small drill slower than optimum, and you can't run a large one fast, because the motor hasn't the balls for it.... :roll:

cheers
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hornhospital
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Re: New Tools

Post by hornhospital »

Ah, but there's the rub with my HF drill press. I can't get it slow enough to do the job properly. 28 years as a machinist, and I cringe every time I have to spin a drill faster than what it should to drill just about anything.

I can always use my ancient post drill! I'll get a picture of that monster and show it here.
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
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sansouci
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Re: New Tools

Post by sansouci »

Ken,
I used to use a silicon controller rectifier box that allowed me to reduce the voltage. Nowadays its a lot easier: You can take a 2-gang utility box and add either a standard 600 watt or a heavy duty rotary dimmer on one side, a receptacle on the other and a cord and you have an extension set.
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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hornhospital
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Re: New Tools

Post by hornhospital »

I've got one, but like Brucey said, the motor is on the weak side to begin with. Adding the speed controller not only drops the speed, but the available torque. It's a "rock and a hard place" situation. Slow it up enough to keep from work-hardening the material and burning up the drill bit and it stalls. Run at normal speed and said work-hardening sets in.
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
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sansouci
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Re: New Tools

Post by sansouci »

What's the old expression? When you want horsepower, nothing beats cubic inches...... Not sure what is the electrical equivalent? Need to update this expression for the Tesla era....
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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Brucey
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Re: New Tools

Post by Brucey »

in a mad moment, I always told myself that if I ran out of speed (in either direction) on a cheap drill press, I'd mount an intermediate shaft (with two different sizes of pulley on it) to one side on a hinged bracket and use that to provide an additional x3 or x 0.33 drive ratio, using two shorter belts.

Alas, I've not done it yet!

cheers
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