Subject: Re: drill blanks

From: [email-masked] (JWCERCIS)
Date: 12 Sep 1996 19:59:28 -0400

I have never figured out many good uses for drill blanks.  What am I
missing?

Mill

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From: [email-masked] (Bruce Holder)
Date: 16 Sep 1996 17:07:00 GMT

Reginald barron ([email-masked]) wrote:
: [email-masked] (JWCERCIS) wrote:
: >I have never figured out many good uses for drill blanks.  What am I
: >missing?
: >
: >Mill

: If you grind them long ways on the diagonal, they make good
: home made reamers.

: Reg Barron

  Low resolution but cheap gauging of small holes is the reason I most
often find myself wanting some. Actually I did think up a tool once
(I later found out it was very similar to a fixed size box turning tool)
that starting with a 7/16" drill blank would have saved some steps. It
probably would have cost some steps too, having to deal with the thing
already being hard. Also for use as parallels, but then I'd have to have
two sets.

Bruce

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From: [email-masked] (Lester Sanders)
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 00:29:23 GMT

Joseph Dyer <[email-masked]> wrote:

>I bought a set of drill blanks at a flea market recently.
>The price was right and had the sizes I use often for locating
>purposes.They are marked "Hutchinson".I was wondering if they were
>still in business,so I might order missing pieces.
>						
>						J.Dyer

Yes, they are still in business.  The company is William T. Hutchinson
Co., 453 Lehigh Avenue, Union NJ  07083.  They have an 800 number:
(800) 544-7934.

                                          Lester

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From: Reginald barron <[email-masked]>
Date: 14 Sep 1996 02:22:41 GMT

>I have never figured out many good uses for drill blanks.  What am I

If you grind them long ways on
the diagonal, they make good
home made reamers.

Reg Barron

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From: Steve Austin <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996 22:57:15 -0400

> I have never figured out many good uses for drill blanks.  What am I

Sometimes the fastest and easiest way to make a small hardened
part is to grind it up from hard stock.

Steve A.

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From: [email-masked] (Ron Ginger)
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 21:37:42 LOCAL

>> I have never figured out many good uses for drill blanks.  What am I

First, you need 2 sets of drill blanks. then you can use them as spacers of 
various dimesnions for setups.

also make great hole gauges, to test sizes.

good for alignment pins when holding pieces together for more work.

put them in holes, then measure the distance between them to measure hole 
centers.

I got a couple sets in a 'box lot' at an auction once. almost gave them away, 
but then started to find how valuable they are. now Ive got 2 sets each of 
fractional, number and letter.

Ron Ginger
my signature is http://www.ultranet.com/~ginger

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From: [email-masked] (Bart Smaalders)
Date: 19 Sep 1996 17:11:10 GMT

> I have never figured out many good uses for drill blanks.  What am I

You can make really quick D-bit reamers from drill blanks.  It's a lot
cheaper than a full set of proper reamers, and with Lock-tite you can
often avoid the need for "thou under" reamers.

It's up to you whether or not this constitutes a good use :-)

- Bart

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Bart Smaalders			Solaris Clustering	SunSoft
[email-masked]		(415) 786-5335		MS UMPK17-301
http://playground.sun.com/~barts			2550 Garcia Ave
							Mt View, CA 94043-1100

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From: "Fitch R. Williams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 20:43:42 -0700

> the diagonal, they make good

I have two .375" drill blanks that I use to measure "V" ways - I got 
started doing this while measuring the ways for the cross slide I 
machined for my South Bend 9" Lathe.  Their diameter seems to be very 
closely controlled, and the two I have are dead streight which has also 
been useful a time or two.  Other than that ... not many uses for them.  
But the reamer idea sounds good.

Fitch

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From: [email-masked] (Edk4)
Date: 19 Sep 1996 15:21:32 -0400

I've found drill blanks to be invaluable for locating a workpiece,
with a hole already drilled in it, in the drill press or milling machine,
that needs additional work performed on it, such as tapping, enlarging,
reaming, countersinking or counterboring. Using the appropriate 
drill doesn't always work, particularly if the hole is fairly shallow.

Drill blanks can also be ground to make great transfer punches
and 'D' drills. They can be used as pins, punches and drifts. I chuck
them up to use as alignment guides when positioning a workpiece 
in the drill press or milling machine chuck. (I 'sight' along the side)

I agree with Ron Ginger, that they're perfect hole guages. They're 
also useful as bars to tighten the 'odd' clamp. I wouldn't be without 
them and have to envy Ron for having two discreet sets, he's
one step ahead of me, as usual. (I'm beginning to hate that, Ron)

------------------
Ed Kingsley

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From: [email-masked] (John Ingham)
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 03:20:20 GMT

>I have never figured out many good uses for drill blanks.  What am I

I use drill blanks to align a bolt hole pattern to the slots in a mill
table....

1/4" tapped hole.... 13/64 dia blank approx.... thru hole... butt  to
slot for as close to perfect BHP alignment as they can ask for...

Clamp, dial, and you are there!

YT

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