I need to make some small shafts (7/16") for the quick change gear box on my 10x36 lathe.
My first thought was to use some jobbers length HSS drill blanks, but I'm concerned that their hardness may make it impossible or at least very difficult to drill the oil holes they need.
Has anyone had any experence machining this stuff?
Or can they be annealed somewhat in the wife's oven to make them more easily machined but still retain some of their hardness and diminsional trueness?
I had planned on using Cobalt drills, but I'm not sure that they're up to the task.
I have no real means of even flame hardening hardenening a stock like W-1 or A-1, or finish grinding them afterwards, and I'm leary about a getting a piece that's the proper size only to find that the surface is full of nicks and scratches from setting on shelf with a thousand other pieces. I suppose I could machine the pieces to diminsion without the gearbox or power feed, but using the drill blanks seemed like a better alternative at first glance, if I can get the oil holes drilled.
My first thought was to use some jobbers length HSS drill blanks, but I'm concerned that their hardness may make it impossible or at least very difficult to drill the oil holes they need.
Has anyone had any experence machining this stuff?
Or can they be annealed somewhat in the wife's oven to make them more easily machined but still retain some of their hardness and diminsional trueness?
I had planned on using Cobalt drills, but I'm not sure that they're up to the task.
I have no real means of even flame hardening hardenening a stock like W-1 or A-1, or finish grinding them afterwards, and I'm leary about a getting a piece that's the proper size only to find that the surface is full of nicks and scratches from setting on shelf with a thousand other pieces. I suppose I could machine the pieces to diminsion without the gearbox or power feed, but using the drill blanks seemed like a better alternative at first glance, if I can get the oil holes drilled.
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