Wish I had another inch or so ;)

[Runs With Scissors]

So there I am plowing out the kids, and I have to remove the “gravel shoes” for the plow….

Its set up like this…..

Well for the 323,597th time the M_^%%%#$#@g stack of washers they gave me as “spacers” winds up like so…..

It’s 300 degrees below zero, I cant find my gloves so my fingers feel like frozen fish sticks……. so like Popeye says….."I’ve had all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!!!!!"

I’m making “custom spacers” damn it.

So it’s off to the scrap pile to rummage around.




I find these 2 candidates, and decide to use the steel one.

As you can see, I could get 2 out of this blank and be “pretty close” to perfect.

The one end is “jacked up” a little, but I figure it should clean up “good nuff”.

Back story: I was waiting for my coveffee to "kick in” one morning while watch a Joe Pie video on how to drill deep holes. He went through the whole theory on contact points and drill bending problems and such.

I have experienced all the problems he described and want to try out his technique…..

So I see this as an opportunity to try and drill a 5 inch deep hole and have it come out the other side “nearly perfectly on center”…….

I decide to give it a go…………And yes I am 1,000% aware that I could have hit home depot, grabbed a piece of black pipe, and been done with these “spacers” before 0800…….But wheres the “fun” in that


I sure wish this bar was a little longer, but sometimes you gotta do, what you gotta do…...

Off to the lathe Gentelmen!!!!!!!!!

This must have been “chopped off” with some sort of bigass machine, so I will clean it up (mostly)

I was originally going to try and drill 2.5 inchs. then flip it and do another 2.5 incher……But then I figure if I was going to F this thing up, I may as well “Go big, or stay home”…….I gonna try to drill the entire 5 inch length.

So according to Mr. Pie, the secret is to drill a small’ish hole, then bore it straight THEN ream it, then start stepping up in drill sizes to the finished diameter.

Well………... thats what I remember anywho , so lets try it.

I face it off, then spot drill it...

Now I drill it with a regular drill bit, then I go up a few sizes until I can get a boring bar in there.

Sometime during this process I recall that I have some reamers that I bought probably about 15 or 20 years ago….Hmmm??????


FOUND ‘EM!!!!!!

one is .624 the other is .625…….I have no idea why I have these, but I do.

It takes me while because boring things has, for whatever reason, not been my ’strong suit”.

I take my time, take light cuts, and make multiple “spring back passes"

It looks like its going pretty good so after I get it to about .615’ish, I chuck up the reamer, and give it a go.

I am “cautiously optimistic” at this point…..I have a good feeling and things seem to be going well…..BUT, I have been there before with disastrous results….soooo…….

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Now to start stepping up the bit sizes.

It’s a bit of a long process, and it takes lots of cutting fluid…...

I go all the way up to 1 inch.

I got that bad boy “F’ING BURIED” in this hole.

I have never drilled such a big hole so deep before.

I can’t see though the hole, and it does not “feel" like I am all the way through…….

The anticipation is KILLING ME……I know I should not pull it out and check it, but damn the rules……….I GOTTA SEE!!!!!!!!!!

I yank it out and BAM!!!!!!!

I F’ing nailed it……………..That bump, is the tip of the drill, just about poking through….

It didn’t go all the way through, but it is definitely “centered”…...

I chuck it up backwards, and begin opening it up.

And here is the 1 incher……….it’s probably not “absolutely perfect”, but I’m pretty happy with it...

Next I rig up my “Biggest boring bar” ………….It’s pretty long, so I make lots of passes and bore it out another .058 inchs.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

It appears to be pretty good.

I go ahead and finish boring it to the final dimension.

It’s not “hydraulic cylinder” smooth, but it is the best I have ever done………(and besides…it’s a “plows gravel foot spacer” so it’s not exactly “critical" )


Now I am “proud as punch”, so I decide to “spiff it up”…..for absolutly NO GOOD REASON AT ALL"

I ended up turning the OD and ‘went stupid” with the emery cloth and polish.

I’m pretty happy with them,

so it’s off to the “black oxide” bath…..LOL

They are drying as of this posting……..

The End……………….

 

[Henro]

I probably would have just ran a quick bead of weld down the washer stack (after adding additional washers if needed) and went and grabbed another beer...wait, I quit alcohol last July...another sparkling water...LOL

edit: Forgot to add, I admire the enthusiasm you youngsters have...

 

[hedgerow]

Scissors no one will ever call you lazy. Back in the day when I plowed snow with a old 50's Willy's pickup with a custom aluminum flat bed. with a 327 Chev engine and a Meyer plow I just used sch 80 pipe cut to size for spacers. I pushed on cement and then on gravel a lot so many spacer changes went on. Some days I miss that old Willy's.

 

[OntheRidge]

I probably would have just ran a quick bead of weld down the washer stack (after adding additional washers if needed) and went and grabbed another beer...wait, I quit alcohol last July...another sparkling water...LOL

edit: Forgot to add, I admire the enthusiasm you youngsters have...

That was my exact thought when I started reading this!

 

[JohnDB]

That was my exact thought when I started reading this!

I didn't think of it... which is why I love reading the follow-ups on this forum.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I probably would have just ran a quick bead of weld down the washer stack (after adding additional washers if needed) and went and grabbed another beer...wait, I quit alcohol last July...another sparkling water...LOL

edit: Forgot to add, I admire the enthusiasm you youngsters have...

Oh yea……NOW you tell me…….hahahahhah

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Scissors no one will ever call you lazy. Back in the day when I plowed snow with a old 50's Willy's pickup with a custom aluminum flat bed. with a 327 Chev engine and a Meyer plow I just used sch 80 pipe cut to size for spacers. I pushed on cement and then on gravel a lot so many spacer changes went on. Some days I miss that old Willy's.

Lucky you man………I wish I had a Willys……….

 

[ken erickson]

I probably would have just ran a quick bead of weld down the washer stack (after adding additional washers if needed) and went and grabbed another beer...wait, I quit alcohol last July...another sparkling water...LOL

edit: Forgot to add, I admire the enthusiasm you youngsters have...

My first thought also, but every time you can fire up a machine tool and make chips you are learning , which is always a good thing! Plus a over built , over finished item that was conceived and carried out by the builder is , as they say, priceless.

 

[Yooper]

The reason they call it boring is because it is just that. Boring! It’s my least favorite thing to do on a lathe. Good job buddy!

 

[Dustball]

I probably would have just ran a quick bead of weld down the washer stack (after adding additional washers if needed) and went and grabbed another beer...wait, I quit alcohol last July...another sparkling water...LOL

edit: Forgot to add, I admire the enthusiasm you youngsters have...

I'll do you one better- I would have wrapped the stack in duct tape.

 

[jaxs]

I didn't think of it... which is why I love reading the follow-ups on this forum.

When I read the title my thoughts were "yea buddy,I've often wished the same thing". I could find a better use for it than plowing snow.

 

[TheOldHokie]

It appears to be pretty good.


View attachment 168752

I go ahead and finish boring it to the final dimension.

View attachment 168753

It’s not “hydraulic cylinder” smooth, but it is the best I have ever done………(and besides…it’s a “plows gravel foot spacer” so it’s not exactly “critical" )


Now I am “proud as punch”, so I decide to “spiff it up”…..for absolutly NO GOOD REASON AT ALL"

I ended up turning the OD and ‘went stupid” with the emery cloth and polish.

View attachment 168754


View attachment 168755


View attachment 168756

View attachment 168757


I’m pretty happy with them,

View attachment 168758


so it’s off to the “black oxide” bath…..LOL

View attachment 168759


They are drying as of this posting……..

The End……………….

For future projects it might be time to invest in a small supply of DOM tube in assorted sizes and wall thickness

Dan

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I'll do you one better- I would have wrapped the stack in duct tape.

I'd have put my spare gloves on.

One set of gloves will invariably get wet/ripped/misplaced, carry a backup set in the snow removal bin along with a sharp knife, shear pins, the correct size wrenches, and a spare pair of both clear and sun glasses. (plus a $20 for gas, never hurts)

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Scissors no one will ever call you lazy. Back in the day when I plowed snow with a old 50's Willy's pickup with a custom aluminum flat bed. with a 327 Chev engine and a Meyer plow I just used sch 80 pipe cut to size for spacers. I pushed on cement and then on gravel a lot so many spacer changes went on. Some days I miss that old Willy's.

Had a '57 Willys pickup, great truck, 12 speed, dual PTO. Would love to get an FC-150 for plowing though..it'd be a FUN way to get rid of white !

 

[hedgerow]

Had a '57 Willys pickup, great truck, 12 speed, dual PTO. Would love to get an FC-150 for plowing though..it'd be a FUN way to get rid of white !

Mine was a 52. I had put a little later T90 trans and transfer case with a Warn Overdive on it out of a 60"s IH Scout. No many FC's in my area and the few that were completely rusted out. Driving cabover semi's for years I always wanted a FC. Shouldn't sold the Willy's but someone had more money than sense.