Machine Sunnen rod hone - usefulness (other than servicing con rods)?

[Chipper5783]

Any folks here using a Sunnen rod hone? I have opportunity to acquire one, I used one in trade school way back when. They seem very cool and work great for what they are designed for - however the shop is getting crowded for another dust collector. I get a few small revenue jobs (almost always on the CNCs, occasionally some specific task on a manual machine). I’m pretty confident machining bores to half thou, sometimes taking a few licks with a spring hone.

Do you have a Sunnen style hone? What do you use it for?

 

[Gearhead88]

The one here is used for engine projects , it's tooled up pretty good , sadly it's an expensive machine to outfit ...... almost anything Sunnen on ebay is super expensive .
To fill the oil reservoir is now sneaking up close to a thousand dollars , There are ways to extend the life of the oil .
The oil that Sunnen sells is a specialty product with the correct formulation to promote cutting action , extend the life of abrasives , prevent the loading up of the abrasive stones , substituting the oil for a cheaper alternative is not advised .
I used to send out precision honing work or do it where I was employed , now I do it at home where I have control of the accuracy .
This one gets used for cylinders - the removable type , connecting rods - big or small end , bushings & bearing races

 

[Chipper5783]

Yeah, wow. Thank you for getting back to me. Pretty tough to get on spec, just because it is cool and would be handy to have. Even if the machine were free (and the one I was entertaining is not), it would be a tough go ($1000 for a charge of oil, $$ for each mandrel). It isn’t quite that handy/cool.

 

[Gearhead88]

Is it a bare machine or does it include any mandrels ?

 

[Gearhead88]

Abrasives are not cheap either , course , medium , fine , it gets spendy

 

[Chipper5783]

A bare machine.

 

[Gearhead88]

Benchtop of floor model ?

 

[Chipper5783]

Floor model

 

[Mcgyver]

It's not just for rods, it's for any bore, and you can get long mandrels - e.g. it is the BEST way to do a tail stock. I don't know that there is a better way to get a round straight bore, a couple of micron accuracy is possible according my bore gauge.

The problem is the mandrels. They are very expensive to buy new (imo for what you get )and you need a lot of them. I got about 10 with mine but am in the market for a cupboard full; never seems like you have the right one.

Without any mandrels, for me, it would have to be a very low price as its useless without them

How did you get to 1000 for oil? The oil place hamilton sells honing oil for less than half of sunnen's price and I used about 2/3 a 5gal pail. Couple of hundred imo. If the oil tank is that massive, throw some rocks in it lol