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What would you do with this Enco Automatic Facing and Boring Head?

Stellrammer

Well-Known Member
That’s a 40NMTB. If you want to remove the shank put a left hand tool in it, reverse the spindle and take a big heavy cut. It will unwind from the arbour in a most convincing fashion, and project at great haste towards the operator and any vital areas, or ping about the machine area and shop doing as much damage as possible to anything in its path.
I know this, unfortunately.
 

TorontoBuilder

Ultra Member
That’s a 40NMTB. If you want to remove the shank put a left hand tool in it, reverse the spindle and take a big heavy cut. It will unwind from the arbour in a most convincing fashion, and project at great haste towards the operator and any vital areas, or ping about the machine area and shop doing as much damage as possible to anything in its path.
I know this, unfortunately.
Thanks for letting me know, and I am glad to see you survived the event
 

PeterT

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I presume it can be used as a regular boring head, or be used as a large fly-cutter in a pinch?
Another way to ask my question, if someone already owned an automatic boring head, would there be any reason to purchase a regular boring head?
The automatic feature of a BH like this for the cutting tool to advance radially outward, typically at fine feed, and also disengage at specific position (diameter) dictated by the stop set position. Then advance the BH down to a deeper position, repeat... Think of a counterbore profile which has to be accurately machined in diameter + depth + bottom surface perpendicular to spindle axis. This is straightforward to achieve on a lathe where the work rotates & the cutting tool can move in 2 dimensions. But only if you can chuck the object - what if its a 20" cylinder head. What if the c/bore profile is at some angle relative to work.

So could the ABH fly cut? Yes. But IMO a flycutter is a better flycutter. Its a cheaper tool, typically benefits by its larger rotational mass & better balance, multiple cutting surfaces... The only objective is to cut a nice surface in one plane, no bonus points for radiating outward.

If you lock/disengage the automatic feature, it basically becomes a regular BH
 

trevj

Ultra Member
Keep an eye on auctions, I got my UPA3 for about $350 last year. Missing some accessories and the locking pin but was an easy fix.
Yeah, both mine came off ebay. The UPA2 had a poorly done adaptor on the integral MT2 shank, which I am certain, drove the price down in the end, and the UPA1 was listed as "small boring head".
 

Rauce

Ultra Member
UPA1 was listed as "small boring head".
A friend of mine got a UPA2 like that from a used tool store. They had it tagged as a “Boring head” and priced at $150 or so.

I meant industrial auctions rather than eBay. I’ve seen a lot sell for $300-800. That’s where I got mine.
 

trevj

Ultra Member
A friend of mine got a UPA2 like that from a used tool store. They had it tagged as a “Boring head” and priced at $150 or so.

I meant industrial auctions rather than eBay. I’ve seen a lot sell for $300-800. That’s where I got mine.
I used to go to a lot of Farm Auctions around Saskatchewan, mainly for the entertainment value, but while in Edmonton, I pretty much stopped going to industrial type auctions, as either the prices were stupid high, or the auctioneers kept bundling great piles of crap that nobody wanted, in with a few good items, and it got to the point that it wasn't worth taking the time to go.
 

Dabbler

ersatz engineer
Calgary auctions are similar. I stopped going. A 16" lathe without chucks or any accessories got bit up to 10,000$, for instance. it was not in good shape. 3 times I have had to pass on a Vidmar that got bid to over 1000$.

John finds me great deals on marketplace instead.
 

TorontoBuilder

Ultra Member
Calgary auctions are similar. I stopped going. A 16" lathe without chucks or any accessories got bit up to 10,000$, for instance. it was not in good shape. 3 times I have had to pass on a Vidmar that got bid to over 1000$.

John finds me great deals on marketplace instead.
I still go to auctions, I just posted a calgary auction for you all to ignore in the member spotted deals
 

Susquatch

Ultra Member
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
google is failing me. But I know they exist and you used to be able to order them but I'm drawing a blank now. I did see a straight shank version

Lots of metric ones too. I'll do a quick look before I hit the hay.
 
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