I need to drill out a 10mm diameter hole to a depth of 3mm in a piece of brass. I want a `flat` hole not conical as a normal drill bit would give me . I am looking for something like the fostner drill bits but something that would drill brass. Not sure if it is possible, any suggestions.
A 10mm Forstner?
Would that drill brass? as most are advertised for wood.
Isn't that just a centre cutting 'end mill' (or pre drill then finish with a non centre cutting end mill)?
Cheers, T i m
That would be a slot drill.
You can possibly do it with a 10mm slot drill milling cutter mounted in a pillar drill with the piece being cut secured well. Anything deeper or bigger in diam. and I think you will struggle.
Richard
If you decide to try a slot drill in a regular chuck then make sure it's very tight in the chuck to reduce the risk of it pulling out. I suggest it would be far better (and cheaper) to make yourself a simple D-bit ... Google is your friend.
So could I use a slot drill in an electric drill. I dont have a pillar drill.
+1 ;-(
Cheers, T i m
OK, points taken, are there any other options as a one off job to get a
3mm deep hole drilled in a piece of brass?
Brass is supposedly one of the more easily machined metals BUT there are a lot of posts etc about modifying drills to do it (zero rake angle etc) .
Maybe try one of the model engineer/model machinist type forums they are bound to know,as making a stopped hole in brass should be bread and butter to them
Tool steel is way harder than brass. The cutting geometry won't be designed for it, so need to take it very easy in the drill press.
NT
One possibility is to layer the brass. Use two pieces, one 3mm thick which you drill through 10mm diam. and the other whatever makes up the total thic kness. The two pieces then need securing together probably soft soldering i t all depends on the overall size of the finished component.
Richard
If you drill with a normal drill first part way,you could probably finish with a slot drill if extreme depth accuracy were not a problem but even that could be achieved if you made a depth stop ferule.
... No. If you haven't got a pillar drill, drill stand or (at a push) variable speed router then get someone else to do the job.
Not knowing what the actual project is, would it be possible to fit a
3mm thick x 10mm ID 'washer' to the surface of the brass, if it was just to carry a shaft or somesuch?Cheers, T i m
The item in question is a piston for a small steam model. There is the piston rod that goes through the centre of the `brass` piston and is attached by a small nut on the underside of the piston. We are talking approx a 2 inch stroke and 1 inch dia piston. The piston stroke is fractionally too long so the piston hits the bottom of the cylinder so I need to sink the nut in to the brass by 3 mm.
When you say though, is the piston very thin or did you mean into rather than through?
When you say 'attached' do you mean locked or does the rod go right though the piston ... or is the piston rod threaded into the bottom of the piston (blind hole) and the nut just locking the two together?
Ok.
Hmm, I think a 'picture might speak 1000 words' here but is it the piston or nut that is hitting? If you sink the nut into the underside of the piston, will you still be able to do it up (is the 10mm OD hole you mentioned allowing access for a box driver etc) or if the nut was say 6mm thick could you use a thinner (half) nut?
Sounds interesting though. ;-)
Cheers, T i m
It is the nut that is hitting.
Image: [IMG]
Ahh! It's a lathe you need to produce a counter bore in the piston. If ther e is enough thread on the piston shaft that will allow the nut to screw dow n further but looking at the photo the shaft is level with the top of the n ut so that will start to hit the top of the cylinder so it will need shorte ning. Alternatively if the other end of the shaft length protruding out of the cylinder is not critical than a few washers on the underside of the pis ton will pull the shaft down enough on the piston to avoid shortening and a s Tim suggested a locknut which is about half the height of a standard nut might avoid the need to counter bore.
Richard
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