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  • vazbmw

    Aug. 18, 2009 10:21 p.m. vazbmw Reader

    I have to englarge a hole in s sprocket to fit a hub. The size of the hub is 14.5 mm. The hole in the sproket is 14.1 mm. The plate is about 3-4 mm thick ( I am just eyeballing the thickness since I didn't measure it).

    What ideas do you folks have for enlarging this? It has to be centered and I don't have a lathe, which would make this a no-brainer

    Ideas appreciated?

  • alex

    Aug. 18, 2009 10:43 p.m. alex HalfDork

    Shotgun.

  • 2002maniac

    Aug. 18, 2009 10:59 p.m. 2002maniac Reader

    lathe is the right answer, but if you have a steady hand a die grinder might do the trick.

  • Duke

    Aug. 18, 2009 11:03 p.m. Duke SuperDork

    Well, my father would have used something called a "tapered reamer" and from the verb part of the name, that thing would give you nightmares. It looked like a big sidemill tool head except it, well, tapered from maybe 20mm down to almost zero, and it had a T-handle on the big end. The sidemill edges were sharp.

    Unfortunately it disappeared when he died and we closed his shop, but something like that may still be available.

  • aircooled

    Aug. 18, 2009 11:21 p.m. aircooled SuperDork

    Maybe some sort of tapered grinding head mounted in a drill press? Since it is so thin if you can get it close while keeping it centered you can square out he taper pretty easy.

  • vazbmw

    Aug. 18, 2009 11:35 p.m. vazbmw Reader

    Good ideas Shotgun... not too precise

    Some form of tapered thing in the drill press would be the ticket

  • mrhappy

    Aug. 18, 2009 11:43 p.m. mrhappy New Reader

    A cylinder hone might work.

  • bludroptop

    Aug. 19, 2009 4:59 a.m. bludroptop Dork

    Duke wrote:

    Well, my father would have used something called a "tapered reamer"

    Quite possibly one of the most useful tools I own.

  • 914Driver

    Aug. 19, 2009 6:26 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

    Do you have a drill press?

    14.5 - 14.1 = 0.4mm or .0157 inches. You're only removing sixteen thousanths of an inch. With the plate bolted down to a dril press table and the chuck centered over the hole, you can easil sneak up on it with a series of drills.

    14.5mm divided by 25.4 = .5708 inches

    36/64 = .562 37/64 = .578

    Or....

    There's a head that can be put into a drill press that holds a lathe type cutting tool. Ease the tool out a few thousanths and bore down the hole. Ease it out a few more, take another pass. It's at .571 before you know it.

    Plan B:

    Rat tail file, it's only fifteen thousanths.

    Dan

  • 4cylndrfury

    Aug. 19, 2009 6:35 a.m. 4cylndrfury Dork

    big Unibit?

  • Ian F

    Aug. 19, 2009 9:03 a.m. Ian F HalfDork

    4cylndrfury wrote:

    big Unibit?

    That's what I was thinking... they work incredibly well at making a hole slightly larger... they only issue is how close to 14.5mm it has to be.

    If the accuracy of the hole (center and diameter) is critical, then I would probably just take it to a machine shop. Doubt they would charge you much since I can't imagine it taking more than an hour with the proper tools.

  • John Brown

    Aug. 19, 2009 9:26 a.m. John Brown MegaDork

    Grind hub ;)

  • erohslc

    Aug. 19, 2009 9:43 a.m. erohslc Reader

    What speed does the sprocket run?
    How is the sprocket attached to the shaft, by a nut'n'washer? Does it have a keyway? You said sprocket, so I assume a chain. Does it transmit power, or is it a tension/idler? What material?

    Either a 14.5 mm reamer or tapered reamer would do the trick. Hand held may get the holesize right, but getting it true (so that the sprocket does not wobble) is hard. A drill press will should yield a hole that's fairly true, but a lathe is best.

    But a reamer will cost some bux (check McMast-Carr) , cheaper to just pay a machine shop.

    As 914Driver suggested, if precision fit is not required, a rat-tail or small half round file. But if it's soft material, carefully carve it with a sharp tool (like deburring the edge, but on the inside surface).

    Carter

  • erohslc

    Aug. 19, 2009 10:46 a.m. erohslc Reader

    Looks like this would do the trick, except it's too small. Maybe they make a bigger one?

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Taper-Reamer-1-8-to-1-2-Diameter-KD-2043_W0QQcmdZVi...

    Carter

  • 44Dwarf

    Aug. 19, 2009 10:54 a.m. 44Dwarf Reader

    milling machine and a rotory table.

    44

  • motomoron

    Aug. 19, 2009 11:22 a.m. motomoron Reader

    You're only taking off .016".

    Put a 1/2" diameter sanding drum w/ an 80 grit band in your Dremel and keep it moving with light pressure. I recommend advancing it so it's cutting downhill, ie. same direction as rotation.

    Take off a little material, say 10 seconds, try for fit.

    Repeat.

    A 1/2 round file and vise will work fine too.

    Or-

    Spin hub, apply flat file to shoulder that sprocket seats on. Should take no more than a minute.

  • andrave

    Aug. 19, 2009 11:33 a.m. andrave Reader

    how big is 14.5? what about just using a stepped drill bit in a drill press? you can get them pretty big.

  • Keith

    Aug. 19, 2009 12:14 p.m. Keith UberDork

    As mentioned earlier, a T-reamer is designed for this job. Readily available, I think mine came from Home Despot.

  • DILYSI Dave

    Aug. 19, 2009 12:17 p.m. DILYSI Dave UltimaDork

    But a tapered reamer gives a tapered hole. He needs a straight hole.

  • alex

    Aug. 19, 2009 12:54 p.m. alex HalfDork

    Then take the reamer in from both sides (hee hee). With 0.016" removed, that minuscule taper shouldn't matter.

  • 4cylndrfury

    Aug. 19, 2009 1:03 p.m. 4cylndrfury Dork

    alex wrote:

    Then take the reamer in from both sides (hee hee).

    PIITB??OUCHEEEEEEE

  • Keith

    Aug. 19, 2009 1:04 p.m. Keith UberDork

    Especially if the plate is only 3-4mm thick.

    Depending on the material, a hone (the sort you'd use on a master cylinder) may do the job as well.

  • andrave

    Aug. 19, 2009 1:18 p.m. andrave Reader

    if its only sixteen thousands of an inch, have you considered freezing the center section and heating up the sprocket and tapping it on?

  • pinchvalve

    Aug. 19, 2009 1:22 p.m. pinchvalve UltraDork

    Spin hub. Apply wet sandpaper. Test fit. Repeat.

  • 914Driver

    Aug. 19, 2009 1:47 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork

    andrave wrote:

    if its only sixteen thousands of an inch, have you considered freezing the center section and heating up the sprocket and tapping it on?

    Not .016". A few tenths up to.0008 maybe; possibly .0012 if it had the expansion coeffecient of aluminum. Something would crack upon warm up then he's be back with harder questions.

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