More uses for a Spade Drill


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    Default More uses for a Spade Drill

    I know at times there is situations and out of the need we must use other tools for what they were intended for while yet keeping in mind their design and cutting properties.

    I have on several occasions setup a larger 2 to 2.5 dia spade drill and designed them as a from tool and cut on a Wire EDM to the profile I needed to produce.
    I used a 3 degree draft and depending on the complexity of the profile I would alternate sided of the cutter into the tight areas to provide clearance.

    After cutting the profile one would have to finish hand grind relief as you can imagine the amount of relief needed for something with that thickness.

    I would rough out the pocket or exterior and then interpolate the profile that was required.

    I found it did require additional time to indicate the spade drill to ensure it was sitting properly so both side of the spade drill form tool ended with the proper form.

    When I get a chance I will post an example of a design.

    Similar Threads:
    My Response to "It's Close Enough", "Is Your Tool Box and The Door Close Enough?"


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    I used one for a projectile in a cannon once..... OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    EXIT 85 Manufacturing "The best custom wheels, period" (www.exit85.com)
    Experts in low volume, highly complicated, one-off forged aluminum wheels


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    An open mind is a virtue...so long as all the common sense has not leaked out.


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    Geof that is a spade drill for wood, for clarification the spade drill I am talking about is for metal as see here in the pic.



    This pic has a short tool and the use described requires a longer and larger diameter in the application I used it for.

    I would never use a spade drill for wood in the setup you did in aluminum , it is too flimsy and dangerous.

    My Response to "It's Close Enough", "Is Your Tool Box and The Door Close Enough?"


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    Out of curiosity what is the longest shank you've used with those bits?? We drilled holes several feet long down in Tulsa with those and the shanks, shafts, whatever would get a spring action in them because of the incredible load they were under being such a large diameter bit and such an enormous length... Luckily we only had to do this for a clearance hole for oil to flow through, there were no real tolerances to hit and we'd drill from both ends and just keep our fingers crossed that they'd meet in the middle... At the time they didn't have access to a gun drill, I don't know if they do now or not...

    The place I worked for at the time averaged just over $850,000 a month gross on 6 cnc's and five manuals running two shifts, five days a week... (I used to go in the off limits planning room office and look at the cash flow charts with my 2nd shift supervisor when he'd get those bits you're showing to see if the boss could afford my overtime or not... He could!!) They had some proprietary deep hole well tips that they charged a butt load of money for... I know the drilling out the stock sounds slow but we didn't need to do that very often, just in a pinch every few weeks...

    EXIT 85 Manufacturing "The best custom wheels, period" (www.exit85.com)
    Experts in low volume, highly complicated, one-off forged aluminum wheels


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    I don't think Geof was suggesting duplicating his results in the post he linked too, I think it was an experiment to see if it was possible... Kind of like my cousins using their spotting press to crush a whirlpool clothes dryer in what they referred too as 'durability testing' in the pictures they emailed me...

    Have you ever tried something really stupid just to see if it would work??

    I once cut an entire parking space out of my semi clay embankment next to my house so I could back my truck up to it for ground level loading of my motorcycles... The catch?! I did the whole thing with a gasoline power washer!! Call it a poor man's waterjet!! The bobcat wasn't running, I forget if I'd broke the pins off in the bucket or if it had flat tires that day but either way I improvised instead~

    EXIT 85 Manufacturing "The best custom wheels, period" (www.exit85.com)
    Experts in low volume, highly complicated, one-off forged aluminum wheels


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    Length of the shanks were around 12 inches and shorter, the shorter the better for the application I am discussing this use for, man you guys just love going off topic lol.

    My Response to "It's Close Enough", "Is Your Tool Box and The Door Close Enough?"


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    Quote Originally Posted by dapoling View Post
    Length of the shanks were around 12 inches and shorter, the shorter the better for the application I am discussing this use for, man you guys just love going off topic lol.
    Yeah, we know... MXtras calls it the joys of conversation or something like that~

    I thought the whole point of this thread WAS to go off topic, lol, jk

    EXIT 85 Manufacturing "The best custom wheels, period" (www.exit85.com)
    Experts in low volume, highly complicated, one-off forged aluminum wheels


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    Quote Originally Posted by AMCjeepCJ View Post
    (I used to go in the off limits planning room office and look at the cash flow charts with my 2nd shift supervisor when he'd get those bits you're showing to see if the boss could afford my overtime or not... He could!!)
    Yikes, I ought to clarify that... Those charts were on a dry erase board mounted to the wall, I didn't do anything sneaky... It's just kind of hard not to read it when it's in red ink on a four foot tall board staring you in the face with all the months, money and projections right in front of you!!

    EXIT 85 Manufacturing "The best custom wheels, period" (www.exit85.com)
    Experts in low volume, highly complicated, one-off forged aluminum wheels


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    Quote Originally Posted by dapoling View Post
    Geof that is a spade drill for wood,.....I would never use a spade drill for wood in the setup you did in aluminum , it is too flimsy and dangerous.
    You do have penchant for making open ended statements and then tightening them up in a later post; as you did in a different thread. I didn't need the clarification.

    Regarding too flimsy and dangerous my thread was a deliberate attempt to show that in competent hands and with a bit of care it is possible to do something quite precise and creative with very simple equipment. The goal was to do a bearing bore for a hobby machine using only a drill press. I admit in the thread that I did use a lathe for the pilot bearing but point out it is possible to buy bronze bushings.

    And if you find my tone now a bit antagonistic you are correct: You obviously know what you are doing, I know what I am doing. In several threads we have been on the same side of the fence and your response to my definition of 'right tool' surprised me; it was not necessary in tone or content. Why don't you lay back a little; you do not know everything, I do not know everything, we can both learn from this site and possibly from each other.

    An open mind is a virtue...so long as all the common sense has not leaked out.


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    Quote Originally Posted by dapoling View Post
    ..... man you guys just love going off topic lol.
    You might find, as I have done, that it is when a thread goes off topic that interesting and useful information starts appearing. I have started threads that have been taken totally off topic and I am completely unrepentant about taking a thread off topic; although I try to restrain myself until the initial aim of the thread has been more or less fulfilled.

    An open mind is a virtue...so long as all the common sense has not leaked out.


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    Geof I would be very happy not to have to post against something but when I see something that is dangerous I will, as for "competent hands" in this case "competent hands" had nothing to do with it, it is just all around a bad idea and dangerous, you brought this to me I was not out looking for you.

    I see you enjoy taking things off topic, if you do not have nothing to add to the thread topic they why bother.

    Yes I do make opening and closing statements and support them with information, this is a good thing right?

    I will be the first admit I do not know everything and I pick up information almost daily that I can use, but when it comes to the things I do know, I will address them.

    My Response to "It's Close Enough", "Is Your Tool Box and The Door Close Enough?"


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    Quote Originally Posted by dapoling View Post
    ..... but when it comes to the things I do know, I will address them.
    But why do you find it necessary to use words like 'stupidity'. That is not helpful. You didn't like my definition: Okay, explain why you didn't like, explain that you feel it was outside the bounds of the thread...but do things politely.

    EDIT: Incidentally I will post against things I think are unsafe but I try to give reasons and keep my comments factual and moderate.

    http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51457

    Last edited by Geof; 01-30-2008 at 01:56 PM. Reason: Added link
    An open mind is a virtue...so long as all the common sense has not leaked out.


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    Quote Originally Posted by dapoling View Post
    I know at times there is situations and out of the need we must use other tools for what they were intended for while yet keeping in mind their design and cutting properties.

    I have on several occasions setup a larger 2 to 2.5 dia spade drill and designed them as a from tool and cut on a Wire EDM to the profile I needed to produce.
    I used a 3 degree draft and depending on the complexity of the profile I would alternate sided of the cutter into the tight areas to provide clearance.

    After cutting the profile one would have to finish hand grind relief as you can imagine the amount of relief needed for something with that thickness.

    I would rough out the pocket or exterior and then interpolate the profile that was required.

    I found it did require additional time to indicate the spade drill to ensure it was sitting properly so both side of the spade drill form tool ended with the proper form.

    When I get a chance I will post an example of a design.
    How does your post relate to the original post, have you addressed any pros or cons concerning the original post.
    If you want to address the issue of your setup then do it in your thread, I have posted there as well since you made me aware of it.

    My Response to "It's Close Enough", "Is Your Tool Box and The Door Close Enough?"


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    Guess that makes the count 2-1 with two outs...

    EXIT 85 Manufacturing "The best custom wheels, period" (www.exit85.com)
    Experts in low volume, highly complicated, one-off forged aluminum wheels


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    dapoling:
    when you wire cut your profiles in the spade bits, do you incorporate grooves to make smaller chips such as the grooves in purchased blades? or do you simply cut the profile (form tool) uninterrupted? I can't help but think you would get nothing but chatter on a contour. hope my question made sense...



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    Quote Originally Posted by tyty43086 View Post
    dapoling:
    when you wire cut your profiles in the spade bits, do you incorporate grooves to make smaller chips such as the grooves in purchased blades? or do you simply cut the profile (form tool) uninterrupted? I can't help but think you would get nothing but chatter on a contour. hope my question made sense...
    I thought the same at first but there was no chatter with the profile being cut on both flutes, however I did later do to tight radius in some profiles split the profile on both sides so there was relief opposite of the profile.

    Depending on depth of the profile, several step cuts to diameter were made, this left a very nice finish.

    My Response to "It's Close Enough", "Is Your Tool Box and The Door Close Enough?"


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    Default Form Tool cut from a Spade Bit

    This is an example of a form tool made from a spade drill, used in a Milling Machine.
    Pre Bore and then interpolate to size stepping in diameter as you go.
    It has been a while but I would recommend starting with .006 per revolution's.
    Do not get to aggressive with this as the holder will flex.

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails More uses for a Spade Drill-spade-drill-form-tool-jpg  
    My Response to "It's Close Enough", "Is Your Tool Box and The Door Close Enough?"


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More uses for a Spade Drill

More uses for a Spade Drill