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I have a set of bore gauges but have never been able to afford a bore gauge setter. There are a couple of them available now on GC Surplus. There was another one but I already bought it. I really hope this tool is what I think it is and I did not make a mistake buying it. They are in the Halifax area.
I should have said dial bore gauges. Do you set your dial bore gauges with a micrometer or are you thinking of telescoping gauges? I tried to set my dial bore gauges with a micrometer and was not able to do so.
Dial bore gauges. Setting is probably the wrong word, I use them as a comparator and not for direct measurement. For fussy work, as things are getting very close to size, I set up a micrometer in a stand and lock spindle after setting to a gauge block. I take a reading with the bore gauge and note it. Then I work the bore gauges between the mic anvils several times until I'm sure i've got the minimum reading. Kind of like you play the ends of a telescoping gauge across the anvils. Its less dicey than it sounds, even with a micron gauge you get very consistent readings after a few passes.
For direct measurement which I don't usually bother with, set the mic to size. Play the bore gauge between the anvils and find the lowest reading. Keep zeroing the dial on the bore gauge to that point and in few tries it should be spot on.
There may be other ways to use them, that's just what I've done
I'd also like to get some setting rings. I've got some fancy digital bore gauges with the three feet that are all but useless without rings.
@Upnorth, I think that unit was what we used in the shop where we were honing block bores to size. Going back 30+ years now. I thought it worked very well, and fairly simple to use, wished I had my own, and the dail gauge to go with it!
My plan for the setter is to use when I'm honing cylinders in the future. Overkill probably but I want to make sure all the bores are the same. One of the projects will have 18 cylinders and I want them all within spec.
@Upnorth, that setting equipment and a good dial gauge should do the trick, possibly depending on size of bores and the length of them (and what the specs are).
The honing equipment, I think is the make or break part of the deal, however, time and care do make make the difference.
Maybe your making a full size 3 row radial engine! Can't remember how many cylinders some of them were.
It's funny I have this on my 'Bid Watch' just to see how much its going to sell for. last I looked the bid was $31 lol Although it's not listed as an item their willing to ship, I was thinking about asking anyway. NOTE: I'm not looking for one, I am just Curious Geor... I mean Sanders lol
@Upnorth, that setting equipment and a good dial gauge should do the trick, possibly depending on size of bores and the length of them (and what the specs are).
The honing equipment, I think is the make or break part of the deal, however, time and care do make make the difference.
Maybe your making a full size 3 row radial engine! Can't remember how many cylinders some of them were.
@Upnorth, that setting equipment and a good dial gauge should do the trick, possibly depending on size of bores and the length of them (and what the specs are).
The honing equipment, I think is the make or break part of the deal, however, time and care do make make the difference.
Maybe your making a full size 3 row radial engine! Can't remember how many cylinders some of them were.
It's going to be a double row 18 cylinder engine. I'm getting to be more on the fence on it because the cost of materials is absurd. Biggest road block is 2 internal ring gears that are going to cost over $500. I do have access to a honing machine at my friends shop. He actually offered me a spare one he has for my shop if I want it.
It's funny I have this on my 'Bid Watch' just to see how much its going to sell for. last I looked the bid was $31 lol Although it's not listed as an item their willing to ship, I was thinking about asking anyway. NOTE: I'm not looking for one, I am just Curious Geor... I mean Sanders lol
I haven't been around an actual hone like a Sunnen but my understanding is they are reading an integrated bore gage right then & there? That would be the dream machine.
For us lesser mortals (or if honing still requires a further touch up to a target) its inevitably a lapping procedure. Measuring really isn't that difficult but you need a tenths reading dial bore gage just to stabilize the setup for consistency. (left) is Terry.M's picture for a different engine, but exact same setup for his 18-cyl Hodgson which I assume is what you are contemplating. You take several readings down the bore length & at rotated clock positions. (right) my 5-cyl liners came out within a tenth ~2" long bore CI using Acro lap.
The thing is, it doesn't really matter if you land on 0.999" or 1.001" as long as they are as identical as possible, ideally within 0.0001" Because you will using that resultant measurement, whatever it is, to make the ring OD & expansion gap, ideally using the Trimble method. So pretty much every procedure I've read & done myself is you cycle all the liners on the same lap tool, increment setting, then reverse the cylinder order. Rinse & repeat. Save the last tenth run them all through... like that. Its mind numbing & messy but it has to be done.
My engine, in hindsight was unnecessarily difficult because I was matching to commercial rings. So I had to hit the target bore AND bore finish simultaneously I didnt hav eheat setting capability to make my own, but knowing what I now now, that would have been easier. You have no choice in the matter because you will need to make both compression & oil control rings on the H18
A very useful tool is an indicating micrometer. This classic is tenths reading, finer if you want to interpolate between the tics. Set it to a gage block with needle on zero if you don't trust its absolute reading. Lock in position. Now present your tenths bore gage to that setting, rock back & forth & match its dial maximum to zero. Now you have a repeatable reference which every bore will be relative to.
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