How to Cut, Chamfer, and Clean OD of Tubing

[EPAIII]

There are many ways to cut identical lengths. Basically a saw with a stop. If you need tighter tolerances, then you will have to finish it in the lathe or some other machine (mill?).

I had to make a bunch of 1/4" diameter, aluminum pins with nice ends: flat, square, and with a chamfer. I found this:

It is a hand tool, but I see no reason why you could not make or buy a version for use under power. It is one tool that does internal and external chamfers using the two sides.

I also made this from a center cutting, end mill and a scrap of steel.

It works just great in a hand held drill: just put the pin (your tube) in a vise and hit it for a second or two. For larger diameter tubes I think abrasive disks would be better than the milling cutter. That would probably need a two piece holder with the abrasive disk between them. They would be held together with screws or a male/female thread cut on the two halves.

You could have two or three shop made tools mounted in hand held drills: facing, outside chamfer, and inside chamfer. Slap the cut tube in a vise and use the shop made tools in rapid succession. Flip the tube around and do the other side. Should go quickly.

 

[Nerdlinger]

There isn't there a local service center with a cuttoff line that will supply you pallets of finished tubes?

We use EMJ for a lot of our raw material. I asked them about the heavier wall (3/16") and they said, "no" but that's as far as I got. I can put more effort into that, though. We have a mentality of "if you want it done right do it yourself" which I know isn't always economical so I'll try harder to at least get some quotes.

 

[Nerdlinger]

There are many ways to cut identical lengths. Basically a saw with a stop. If you need tighter tolerances, then you will have to finish it in the lathe or some other machine (mill?).

I had to make a bunch of 1/4" diameter, aluminum pins with nice ends: flat, square, and with a chamfer. I found this:

It is a hand tool, but I see no reason why you could not make or buy a version for use under power. It is one tool that does internal and external chamfers using the two sides.

I also made this from a center cutting, end mill and a scrap of steel.

It works just great in a hand held drill: just put the pin (your tube) in a vise and hit it for a second or two. For larger diameter tubes I think abrasive disks would be better than the milling cutter. That would probably need a two piece holder with the abrasive disk between them. They would be held together with screws or a male/female thread cut on the two halves.

You could have two or three shop made tools mounted in hand held drills: facing, outside chamfer, and inside chamfer. Slap the cut tube in a vise and use the shop made tools in rapid succession. Flip the tube around and do the other side. Should go quickly.

Very cool! We've got a machine we put tubes in and opposing drill heads chamfer the OD and ID of both ends and it works well but I just didn't know if there was more of an "all-in-one" machine...I figured our product wasn't the only one in the world that required tubes cut to length and chamfered on both ends!

 

[FredC]

Still chamfer the ID of the back side via secondary op, right?

Only one chamfer to do, easy enough by hand if absolute size is not an issue. A sharp cutoff tool will minimize the effort needed. A rotary saw cut off will make the cutoff bur even smaller and easier to remove.
You need something for the operator to do anyway while the machine is running, right?
I bought my A42 25 or 30 years ago when they were still in some demand for $3500.00 I am sure they go for less if you catch them before they go to the scrap yard. Cost to run is minimal.

 

[gusmadison]

I applaud your "if you want it done right, do it yourself" attitude. Words to live by but sometimes as you know, it's good to be sure someone else isn't really well set up to deliver what you need(?).

If'n it were me, I'd be talking to someone high up at Chicago Tube & Iron about delivering the material with as many operations done as possible within your tolerances. Might have to centerless them in house?

FWIW I've learned not to ask about such things at CTI with my regular assigned desk order taker. They seem sometimes lazy or ignorant about the type of quote you want. YMMV

And kudos to you for taking into consideration all the good ideas that have been offered up to you in this thread. A person with such an open mind will always learn a LOT!

 

[Triaged]

Fred, I know Traubs can come without a turret but never seen or heard of an A42 without one. Oh well,learn something new every day. I suppose that if I suggest a TD 36 you will tell me that they can also come with no turret.

For parting work Traubs come with a "burrless attachment" sub-spindle. Not too common and hard to find parts for.

 

[Triaged]

This is an A25 but you get the idea.
Traub Screw Machine A-25 Automatic Screw Machine Cross Slide Burrless Head, Bar Feed

 

[DDoug]

Only one chamfer to do, easy enough by hand if absolute size is not an issue. A sharp cutoff tool will minimize the effort needed. A rotary saw cut off will make the cutoff bur even smaller and easier to remove.
You need something for the operator to do anyway while the machine is running, right?
I bought my A42 25 or 30 years ago when they were still in some demand for $3500.00 I am sure they go for less if you catch them before they go to the scrap yard. Cost to run is minimal.

Or employ a lathe with "pick-off"....

 

[FredC]

Fred, I know Traubs can come without a turret but never seen or heard of an A42 without one. Oh well,learn something new every day. I suppose that if I suggest a TD 36 you will tell me that they can also come with no turret.

Camscan,
My A42 came with the advertising manuals and accessory manuals. No mention of a turret at all. The distance between the guide bars is about 3 inches. If a turret was ever available after mine was made, it would have been very wimpy.
A friend has a "B" series machine and it has 2 or 3 times the distance between the guide bars as well as an electrical box with many trip dog positions. I think most of the "B" series (maybe TB60) did come with turrets even though my friends has only the sliding tailstock.
I did a quick search of A42 Traubs on youtube and this came up not sure if it is an A42 or A36, it does seem to be the larger casting machine:
YouTube
It does have the double drilling attachment that I do not remember being listed as available on A42 but was listed for the A25s and smaller.

One other thing in the mix is Alexander Machinery in California imported these from Traub. Possible that he had no interest in turret machines, if they were available in Europe. Alexander may have printed the manuals in English to his specs.

You have much more experience on autos than me, I worked in a multi shop with 3 New Britains for a few years and with my own 2 singles. Only watched a couple of singles with turrets for a few minutes. Funny thing I applied for work at a shop that had B&Ss and they thought I was some sort of whiz kid because I had multi experience. From what I have seen single spindles with turrets have to be a lot more difficult to set up.

For the others there were a lot of accessories listed for the small frame Traubs like pick off and such that were not listed for the A36 though A60s. if the OP is going to get a Traub he will need the an A42 or A60 that may not have all the fancy stuff available.
An A42s main attributes will be it is easy to understand and set up and trouble free. Probably will not do everything.

I dug up one of the A42/60 manuals and they do have something like a turret as an option, 2 positions and pneumatically actuated. Never seen or heard of one in the US.