Reamers don't like carbide!

[CCWKen]

Well, I thought I could just whip out a special face cutter instead of ordering one for $68 and waiting a week or two. Took a piece of 1" W-1 and milled two crossing slots on the face. Drilled and reamed for a 1/2" arbor then cross drilled/tapped for a set screw. I then robbed four C-6 carbide pieces from some bits and brazed them to my cutter. Face ground the carbide to get them level and perpendicular to the arbor bore. I was about to grind the cutting angles and decided I better clean the spurious brazing out of the bore. Mounted up the piece and proceeded ream from the back side toward the brass. All was going good until the reamer hit some of the carbide that unintentionally hung over too far into the arbor bore. :eek:

All I heard was "pink, pink, pink" as the carbide bits were chipping and the reamer was being refaced. :( Dang, I hate when that happens! So now I have to either re-braze the bits or find a diamond bit small enough to ID grind the carbide out of the bore. This 20-minute job is taking WAY too long and costing way too much!

But hey, I'm saving sixty eight bucks. Right? :rolleyes:

[Carld]

Yep, carbide loves to destroy HSS tools. A die grinder with a diamond bit should work. MSC or ENCO has them. Handy little buggers to have around.

[macona]

You can alwayts use a dremel and a green stone. They sell little one for etching glass and the like. They are silicon carbide just like any other stone you use for carbide.