Drill rod needed...

Guerra Cues

Guerra Cues

I build one cue at a time
Silver Member
Hey folks,
I went to my local machine shop supply to buy a drill rod to check on the run out of my metal lathe and they only sell 3' at a time. Harbor Freight does not carry it either.
Does anybody have a piece that they would sell me or give me advice of a store where I might be able to buy it locally? Or even anything else that I might be able to find easier on any big retail store as a replacement of a drill rod?
Any advice is appreciated.
 
BENFICA said:
Hey folks,
I went to my local machine shop supply to buy a drill rod to check on the run out of my metal lathe and they only sell 3' at a time. Harbor Freight does not carry it either.
Does anybody have a piece that they would sell me or give me advice of a store where I might be able to buy it locally? Or even anything else that I might be able to find easier on any big retail store as a replacement of a drill rod?
Any advice is appreciated.
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Get the 3 feet, you will use it all eventually.
 
hangemhigh said:
Get the 3 feet, you will use it all eventually.
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For what? In the back of my car? :D
Is it ok to use a piece that long to check the runout? I was thinking about using a small piece of drill rod so there was not that much weight when checking the runout.
 
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BENFICA said:
For what? In the back of my car? :D
Is it ok to use a piece that long to check the runout? I was thinking about using a small piece of drill rod so there was not that much weight when checking the runout.
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The longer the better as far as I'm concerned. I've used different diameters in jigs that I have made and I use around a 3' section to check for run out on my lathes so that it will easily span between the two chucks and still stick out about 12" or so. You don't have to indicate on the end if you don't want to but being longer never hurts.

Dick
 
rhncue said:
The longer the better as far as I'm concerned. I've used different diameters in jigs that I have made and I use around a 3' section to check for run out on my lathes so that it will easily span between the two chucks and still stick out about 12" or so. You don't have to indicate on the end if you don't want to but being longer never hurts.

Dick
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Thanks everybody.
I got a small piece of drill rod but will pull the trigger sometime next week on a longer piece.
You folks are awesome. Merry Christmas everybody :smile:
 
A friend told me once a good quality reamer is ground to precise tolerances and can be used in a pinch.

Kelly
 
rhncue said:
The longer the better as far as I'm concerned. I've used different diameters in jigs that I have made and I use around a 3' section to check for run out on my lathes so that it will easily span between the two chucks and still stick out about 12" or so. You don't have to indicate on the end if you don't want to but being longer never hurts.

Dick
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My wife says the same thing to me!!
 
Can't you just use aluminum? A piece 1.0 or more, 12 inches long for headstock to bed and then a longer one for head to tail stock. I am assuming you are doing a two collar cut and then one between centers??
 
pescadoman said:
Can't you just use aluminum? A piece 1.0 or more, 12 inches long for headstock to bed and then a longer one for head to tail stock. I am assuming you are doing a two collar cut and then one between centers??
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Aluminum isn't very good and in fact neither is drill rod unless it is hardened. They mark to easily so that they no longer check up very true. A hardened ground rod is what is supposed to be used. I have a number of long reamers but they also are marked up and hard to get a good reading off of. I've got some 1" aluminum rods that I sometimes use but I have to take a pass on them between centers to be able to use them.

Dick
 
rhncue said:
Aluminum isn't very good and in fact neither is drill rod unless it is hardened. They mark to easily so that they no longer check up very true. A hardened ground rod is what is supposed to be used. I have a number of long reamers but they also are marked up and hard to get a good reading off of. I've got some 1" aluminum rods that I sometimes use but I have to take a pass on them between centers to be able to use them.

Dick
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Good point Dick, I didn't think of that.
 
Checking run-out

Drill rod is not accurate enough for setting up headstock or tail stock alignment. Aluminum is also not suitable for this task. The accuracy of the work you turn out is directly related to the set-up and nothing is more critical than the alignment of the headstock to the bed and the alignment of the tailstock. I have tried several "test rods" over the years, including so-called precision drill rod and aluminum rod. Below is what I have found out that works best. The ends are tapped-this means they have a very accurately placed chamfer entry for placing on your tailstock center.

Hardened Precision Shafts with Tapped and Threaded Ends
Save time and avoid the hassle of machining—these case-hardened precision ground shafts already have internally tapped or externally threaded ends. Shafts have exacting diameter and straightness tolerances; all meet Class G6 tolerances. Straightness tolerance is 0.001"-0.002" per foot.
Shafts have a 10-16 rms micron finish, which makes them ideal for linear bearings, slides, and other precision applications. Ends are chamfered.

Part Number: 6649K21 McMaster-Carr

 
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