BRM's Flexible Honing, Surface Finishing, and Deburring Blog

Speed-O-Motive of West Covina, California is machine shop for hot rodders that cleans engine blocks, bores cylinders, and rebuilds engines. As guest contributor Tom Dufur of Hot Rod Engine Tech explains, the machinists and engine mechanics at Speed-O-Motive "do this on a daily basis, and after 40+ years in the trade, have got the procedure down pretty well."

Engine Rebuilds and Tool Selection

After cleaning and bead blasting the engine block, Speed-O-Motive checks for cracks and then taps the main cap bolt holes. Instead of using a long plug tap, the experienced staff chooses a bottoming tap to avoid damaging the threads. As Tom Dufur explains, "numerous engine blocks have been ruined" by do-it-yourselfers who chose the wrong tool.

When it's time to hone cylinder bores, the engine restoration specialists at Speed-O-Motive also choose the right tool - the Flex-Hone from Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM). Built with a stiff metal stem and flexible nylon abrasive filaments, the BRM ball hone imparts an ideal surface finish to cylinder walls, promoting optimum lubrication and reducing engine wear.

Engine Hones and Cylinder Walls

Unlike traditional honing stones, the Flex-Hone uses a low-temperature surface finishing technique that removes harsh peaks and creates oil-retaining valleys. This substantially flat surface or plateau surface creates a greater bearing area and promotes lubrication in engine components. Self-centering and self-aligning to the bore, BRM's cylinder hone also aids with piston ring seating and sealing.

As Flex-Hone® users know, BRM's plateau hone is a low revolutions-per-minute (RPM) tool with a recommended range of 500 to 1200 RPMs. Always use a lubricant, preferably Flex-Hone oil, and never hone for longer than 20 to 45 seconds per cylinder. Choose a BRM engine hone that's oversized for the cylinder you'll be working with, rotate the tool prior to entry, and hone for 60 to 120 strokes per minute.

Expert Advice for Engine Builders

As BRM explains in its easy-to-read Flex-Hone instructions, engine builders should accelerate final stroking to produce an ideal 45° cross-hatch angle. After plateau honing is complete, it's time to clean the engine block. Thoroughly wash each cylinder with a soft nylon brush, warm or hot water, and a mild detergent. Finally, oil the engine cylinders to prevent corrosion.

Speed-O-Motive of West Covina, California has over 40 years' experience, but amateur engine builders can master do-it-yourself cylinder honing, too. Start by choosing the right tool for the job, the Flex-Hone® from Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM). Visit the BRM website for more information, where you'll also find free technical books such as the Flex-Hone Resource Guide.

Author's Note: This CR4 blog entry originally appeared in the BRM Flex-Hone Blog.

During the 1980s, Bob "Flex-Hone" Fowlie was part of a tight-knit community that popularized the sport of paintball. On weekdays, the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) set goals, monitored costs, and made key decisions about the California company's full line of industrial brushes. On weekends, Fowlie made time to play - not on the golf course, but on the paintball field.

Paintball Videos and Honing Tools

In a video produced by Bacci Paintball with assistance from BRM, Fowlie explains how his company's Flex-Hone tool has been part of paintball from the beginning. Like semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, paintball markers have metal barrels that require cleaning. Proper gun maintenance is important, too. Stock paintball barrels may have machine lines, or lack a smooth interior surface.

As Fowlie explains in the video, the BRM Flex-Hone is ideal for interior barrel polishing. Built with a stiff metal stem and flexible nylon abrasive filaments, this flexible honing tool mounts in a handheld electric drill and is easy to use. Shooters can find Flex-Hone tools for Firearms on the BRM website and add Flex-Hone oil to their orders, too. For paintball guns, choose either a barrel hone or a rear bore hone.

Paintball Manufacturers Choose Flexible Hones

In the early days of the sport, Bob Fowlie would barter with paintball gun manufacturers for the latest equipment. In exchange for Flex-Hone tools, paintball gun makers like Tom Kaye of Airgun Designs, Bud Orr of Worr Game Products, and Rob "Termite Smith" would send Fowlie their latest semi-automatics. Through the years, many more paintball pioneers chose the Flex-Hone for superior surface finishing.

Today, Bob Fowlie still works for Brush Research but is retired from paintball. As he remembers when paintball gun manufacturing was a "cottage industry", BRM's COO shares pictures from places like Sat Cong Village and the original Malibu Conquest field. As part of the Who Are Those Guys? Mercenary Service, Bob "Flex-Hone" Fowlie even gave BRM arm patches to paintball promoters like Jessica Sparks.

Paintball Gun Maintenance

Are you a paintball player? If so, how do you maintain your gun's barrel and rear bore? Have you tried the Flex-Hone for paintball guns yet? Since the sport's early days, Bob "Flex-Hone" Fowlie and Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) have played an important role. Watch the video with Bob, visit the BRM website for more information, and comment on this blog entry if you have questions.

Author's Note: This CR4 blog entry originally appeared in the BRM Flex-Hone Blog.

Gun Trade World magazine is where gun buyers learn about leading suppliers to shooters, hunters, and the firearms industry. Available digitally and in print, Gun Trade World also provides news, insights, and commentary about topics ranging from handgun sales to rifle manufacturing. With its growing global audience, the magazine is sent to more readers in more countries than any other shooting publication.

Flexible Honing for Firearms

As many Gun Trade World readers know, BRM's Flex-Hone for Firearms tool is specially designed for surface finishing cylinders, slides, chambers, magazine tubes, and smoothbore barrels. Built by Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM), makers of a full line of flexible honing tools and industrial brushes, this flexible hone is used with shotguns, rifles, revolvers and pistols, and even paintball guns.

Gun Tools and Optimum Lubrication

Today, visitors to the Gun Trade World home page can watch an instructional video that explains how to use BRM's gun tool. Readers can also revisit the magazine's March edition and learn about the proper way to use flexible hones. Always coat these gun tools with generous amounts of lubricant, and choose BRM Flex-Hone oil for optimum results.

Choosing a Honing Oil

Flex-Hone oil contains a specially-formulated blend of honing and lapping oils, a moisture-dispersant, a nonionic surfactant wetting agent to assure complete lubrication of the surface, and a special additive to help keep the metal cuttings and containments in suspension. BRM's emulsified honing oil also contains a lard oil to prevent the galling of aluminum, and an antibacterial agent.

BRM Flex-Hone Oil

The reasons for choosing BRM's high-quality honing oil are threefold. Flex-Hone oil keeps the Flex-Hone from Firearms from excessive loading, ensures the exposure of fresh cutting particles, and prevents cast-off metal from becoming embedded in the surface.

After honing is complete, remember to clean the honed area with warm water, mild detergent, and a soft nylon brush. Then lubricate your firearm with gun oil.

Author's Note: This CR4 blog entry originally appeared in the BRM Flex-Hone Blog.

http://www.flexhoneblog.com/2013/05/brm-flex-hone-oil-featured-in-gun-trade.html

EASTEC 2013 is where local job shops, East Coast manufacturers, and multinational OEMs meet top suppliers and find new partners from across the U.S. and around the world. By connecting with forward-thinking companies at every level of the supply chain, businesses can meet decision-makers in a wide range of industries.

EASTEC is sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), a professional association that connects manufacturers to each other and to the latest technologies and production methods. Supported by a strong network of chapters and technical communities, SME is well-known to CR4 as a leader in promoting workforce development, technical information, and technological innovation.

Surface Finishing Solutions at EASTEC 2013

At EASTEC 2013n Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) is preparing to showcase Diamond Flex-Hone and NamPower surface finishing technologies. Mike Miller, BRM's Vice President of Global Sales, will join Josh Neugass, BRM Technical Services Specialist, in Booth # 5000 at the Eastern States Exposition (EASTEC) in West Springfield, Massachusetts from May 14 to May 16. Will you be there, too?

Diamond Flex-Hone Tools for Surface Finishing Hard Materials

At EASTEC 2013, BRM will showcase Diamond Flex-Hone technology for deburring, edge blending, and surface finishing hard materials. Today, the aerospace industry uses BRM diamond honing tools to surface finish aircraft structures, helicopter drive shafts, hydraulic control mechanisms, and swivel components. Military customers and the defense industry use BRM diamond hones to machine high-quality holes and to avoid the loss of strength and temper.

Diamond honing tools are also ideal for surface finishing medical parts that must meet the highest standards for safety and quality. In addition to the medical industry, leading manufacturers use the Diamond Flex-Hone to surface finish carbide wear rings, guide and drill bushings, chromed and plated bores, ceramic cylinders, and electrical discharge machining (EDM) layers. Precision-engineered for rapid cut rates, BRM's long-lasting diamond honing tool provides excellent heat dissipation and optimal finish.

NamPower Industrial Brushes for Automated Surface Finishing

Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) will also showcase NamPower abrasive disc brushes at EASTEC 2013. Using a combination of ceramic and silicon carbide filaments, these high-performance industrial brushes work like flexible files, conforming to part contours while wiping and filing across part edges and part surfaces. For less vibration and more repeatability, NamPower abrasive disc brushes also feature a molded, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic base.

Manufacturers prefer NamPower industrial brushes because these high-quality finishing tools integrate easily into automated machinery, CNC machining centers, transfer lines, and robotic cells. Manual surface finishing and deburring tools are fine for hobbyists, but industrial users need NamPower technology for automating finishing and deburring operations with high-volume parts.

Visit BRM at EASTEC 2013 in Booth # 5000

Will you be at the Eastern States Exposition (EASTEC) in West Springfield, MA from May 14 to May 16? Let BRM know if you plan to go, and Mike Miller and Josh Neugass will see you there. The EASTEC tradeshow comes only once a year, but this exciting event offers opportunities for manufacturers to learn about technologies like the Diamond Flex-Hone and NamPower abrasive disc brushes.

Hope to see you at EASTEC! BRM will be in Booth # 5000.

Fine blanking is a manufacturing process that uses a combination of metal stamping and cold extrusion technologies to produce high-volume, high-precision parts. Using specially designed tooling and a triple action hydraulic press, manufacturers can produce metal parts with fully-sheared, straight-cut edges. Fine blanking is also used to manufacture components with small holes, excellent flatness, and thin web sections relative to material thickness. The process is highly-repeatable with little dimensional variation.

Fine Blanking for High-Volume Production

Invented in Germany during the 1920s, fine blanking was first used to produce cash registers, watches, and clocks. Since then, machine builders and manufacturers have made many technological advances in terms of both fine blanking tooling and fine blanking presses. Today, this highly-precise manufacturing method is used to make auto parts and electronic components. Fine blankers also mass produce knife blades, power tools, and multi-tool components.

Die Wear and Metal Burrs

Fine blanking equipment produces parts with near-zero clearance and precise tolerances. Over time, however, fine blanking dies wear out and impart sharp edges to metal surfaces. These extruded edges often contain burrs, unwanted pieces of metal that can injure material handlers, damage seals, increase mechanical wear, interfere with lubrication, and lead to premature part failure. Metal burrs that break free from fine blanked parts can also damage machinery and equipment.

Manual Burr Removal vs. Automated Deburring

Manual deburring is great for hobbyists, but this surface finishing operation can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. For the high-volume production of fine blanked auto parts and electronic components, manufacturers need a cost-effective alternative to hand tools. That's why Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) offers NamPower abrasive disc brushes, professional-grade deburring tools for manual and automated machinery.

NamPower Industrial Brushes for Manufacturing

NamPower industrial brush tools integrate easily with machinery, CNC machining centers, transfer lines, and robotic cells. Made with a molded, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic base, these high-quality industrial brushes are designed for use with a flow-through coolant holder. By allowing coolant to flow from the brush center instead of supplying lubricant only from the outside, NamPower arbors provide improved cutting action and longer tool life.

How to Automate Deburring and Surface Finishing

NamPower brush tools enable fine blankers to perform deburring and surface finishing operations at the same time. Parts manufacturers can also use NamPower abrasive disc brushes for edge radiusing, parts cleaning, and rust removal. From metal finishing prior to plating to deburring after fine blanking, BRM's NamPower brushes provide a total finishing solution. To learn more, watch the new How to Automate Deburring and Surface Finishing video from Brush Research Manufacturing.

Author's Note: This CR4 blog entry originally appeared in BRM's Flex-Hone Blog.

Most hunters and shooters who maintain their own firearms don't have the tools of a professional gunsmith. Although some gun owners use reamers, others apply steel wool or sandpaper to metal surfaces. Without the proper surface finishing tools, however, problems such as pitting, rust, residue, corrosion, and barrel fouling may persist. Even newer rifles and shotguns have small pits and occlusions that can cause jams and failures to eject (FTEs).

Handheld Drills and Flexible Hones

Fortunately, hunters and shooters can use a flexible hone with a common power tool to obtain a superior surface finish for their long guns. Built with a stiff metal stem and flexible nylon abrasive filaments, the Flex-Hone for Firearms mounts in a handheld electric drill and delivers a burr-free finish. Made by Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM), the flexible honing tool is versatile and easy-to-use.

Recently, The Outdoorsmen Magazine published an article (January 2013) entitled "DIY Rifle Chamber Maintenance for Hunters". As a DIY gunsmith who once used a finish reamer on his rifle explained, the Flex-Hone for Firearms is "simply the best thing going for a uniform burr-free finish". Other shooters agree. Firearms applications for BRM gun hones include rifle chambers, shotgun barrels, and shotgun forcing cones.

How to Maintain Rifle Chambers

Before discovering the Flex-Hone for Rifles, the owner of an old 30-06 rifle used 800-grit sandpaper to surface finish what he called "a strange raised area in the bottom of the chamber". After continued FTEs, however, the rifleman tried BRM's gun hone for rifles. "The Flex-Hone removed the residue and corrosion - and extraction is fine now," Todd Waggerman explained.

The owner of a Model 99 Savage Arms rifle also reported a success story to The Outdoorsmen Magazine. "Before using the Flex-Hone on my .308 chamber," noted John Eggleston, "expended rounds would not extract unless I used a rod to knock them out. After using the BRM Flex-Hone for Rifles, however, the shooter reported "no more stuck casings" from his properly polished and resurfaced rifle chamber.

How to Maintain Shotguns

Hunters and shooters also report that the Flex-Hone for Shotguns provides a superior surface finish for barrels, forcing cones, and chambers. By removing oxidation and corrosion, the BRM shotgun barrel hone allows fired casings to extract more easily. BRM forcing cone hones also result in less barrel fouling, while shotgun chamber hones remove corrosion and residue in smoothbores.

The buildup of fouling near shotgun forcing cones is of special concern to hunters and shooters. Although regular shotgun cleaning will remove some residue, residual fouling creates added resistance and can promote corrosion. By using the Flex-Hone for Firearms with Flex-Hone Oil, both shotgun owners and rifle owners can improve firearms performance.

Author's Note: This CR4 blog entry originally appeared in BRM's Flex-Hone Blog.