Getting those toolmaker quality chamfers on parts......how?

[J Tiers]

The Dremel chamfer tool reminded me of a question:

How to put those perfect chamfers on parts as seen on many tools? Obviously not with a chamfering tool like the Dremel tool, since they often got down into inside corners, etc, places where even a 45 degree endmill won't do it.

I'm talking about the perfect, even, chamfers on all edges of some tools, despite odd angles. Chamfers with perfect meeting lines, on both inside and outside corners/edges. They look like a nightmare to get done to the perfection seen when turning dials, but in many cases are on parts predating common CNC use.

At what stage are they put on? As the part is made. or afterward? Seems as if it has to me as it is being made,since setup would be a killer otherwise.

What tool is used? 45 degree end mills, I think, which I have none of at the moment, but some locations obviously cannot use those, and seemingly must be done with regular endmills at an angle.

Any tips on getting the widths as perfect as they generally are?

[Doozer]

....What tool is used? 45 degree end mills, I think, which I have none of at the moment, but some locations obviously cannot use those, and seemingly must be done with regular endmills at an angle.

I use a 90° countersink.
Use it like an end mill.

-D

[JoeLee]

The Dremel chamfer tool reminded me of a question:

How to put those perfect chamfers on parts as seen on many tools? Obviously not with a chamfering tool like the Dremel tool, since they often got down into inside corners, etc, places where even a 45 degree endmill won't do it.

I'm talking about the perfect, even, chamfers on all edges of some tools, despite odd angles. Chamfers with perfect meeting lines, on both inside and outside corners/edges. They look like a nightmare to get done to the perfection seen when turning dials, but in many cases are on parts predating common CNC use.

At what stage are they put on? As the part is made. or afterward? Seems as if it has to me as it is being made,since setup would be a killer otherwise.

What tool is used? 45 degree end mills, I think, which I have none of at the moment, but some locations obviously cannot use those, and seemingly must be done with regular endmills at an angle.

Any tips on getting the widths as perfect as they generally are?

Can you post some pics of examples ? That may help determine the method.

JL.......

[JRouche]

Any tips on getting the widths as perfect as they generally are?

If it is more than 5 parts I will write a program. Other than that is free style..

You> "I'm talking about the perfect, even, chamfers on all edges of some tools,"

From what I have seen its some really old dude, machinist for life deburring blocks. And he always left a very clear 45 on there. Yeah, I miss him too.JR

[loose nut]

File!

[BCRider]

File!

Me too. For non CNC home shop stuff my go to tool is a file... and the higher power reading glasses to ensure optically good quality...

On manual mills where the work is moved around a lot it would be tough. Perhaps if we could hold a part so much of the milling were done in one work hold and then the DRO or dial readings for all the final passes were recorded then a chamfer cutter of whatever sort could be used at a set depth and replicate all those recorded final passes. But that would only do the edges on one plane. It would still be iffy to do all the verticals from those initial cuts.

And it makes my brain hurt to just think about all that stuff. A lot easier to do it with a file in the vise. But to be fair it would require a lot more care to achieve nice even widths. And that's where the Dremel or something similar would certainly shine.

[old mart]

I have done some using countersinking tools and an adjustable angle milling cutter with one carbide insert. I was more interested in removing sharp edges than cosmetic perfection, so my chamfers vary in width.

[Dan Dubeau]

For aluminum at work I use a bearing pilot chamfer bit in a handheld trim router. Works perfect. I also deburr/chamfer with a 90* chamfer tool in the CNCs as much as I can.

For steel or other oddball stuff it's by hand with files, or a 90* air grinder with a roloc disc, 1/2 belt sander, or 4.5" angle grinder. You can do really nice work with a steady hand and some files. Just takes practice. A deburring scotch bright type wheel on a grinder hides a lot of sins too.....

[J Tiers]

I normally go over to the belt sander.

I'm looking for the best way to put perfect straight 45 deg chamfers on edges, in places where that guide thing won't fit.

[The Metal Butcher]

Chamfers are very hard as even a 1 thou deviation is obvious to the naked eye. I struggle on worn machines. Robin Renzetti and Ox tools both have "Chamfer-miesters" which take the challenge out of it for general OD chamfering, but they are no trivial to build.

[J Tiers]

So that "chamfer meister" is just about exactly what was described in the post by wbc..... https://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/fo...el#post1980777

Only difference is that the one shown by "YMR" looks larger and much less handy than the one wbc showed, which looks much smaller and nicer..

People have been doing this longer than that so-called "Dotco Chamfermeister" device has been around (it is unfindable now, if it ever even was a commercial product, which I doubt). Either the answer is to do it "very carefully", or there is a trick to it that I have not seen (very possible).

Filing? hahahahahahahahahaha!

[Rich Carlstedt]

I don't know about other die shops, but ours had a 12 inch disc sander with the table set at 45 degrees ( Downward )
and a 1/2 drill rod horizontal about 3/4" above the table , so when you lay a block on the table, you get a perfect 45 degree chamfer at about .060"
You can get the corners too
Rich

[Dan Dubeau]

There are also these things out now. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...8031c5385e42ac

There has probably been a tool like this out for years, but they finally decided to copy them for some reason, as I've been seeing them every where for the past year or so. Might pick one up to try, but generally hate whiny cheap air tools. Cheap enough to take a shot at though.

[BCRider]

I don't know about other die shops, but ours had a 12 inch disc sander with the table set at 45 degrees ( Downward )
and a 1/2 drill rod horizontal about 3/4" above the table , so when you lay a block on the table, you get a perfect 45 degree chamfer at about .060"
You can get the corners too
Rich

Now that's a slick idea!

I don't know if it fits in with the home shop setting where one needs to dedicate a sander to only chamfering. But it's a slick idea anyway.

The air tool would have the usual issue with inside corners due to the diameters of the pilot bearing and conical cut But if it's set right it could look fairly good... or be finish dressed with a file.....

[J Tiers]

I don't know about other die shops, but ours had a 12 inch disc sander with the table set at 45 degrees ( Downward )
and a 1/2 drill rod horizontal about 3/4" above the table , so when you lay a block on the table, you get a perfect 45 degree chamfer at about .060"
You can get the corners too
Rich

Nice. I like that, but have one sander. Since I rarely use the disk, I could set that up. Inside corners could be an issue, though.