Well, this process is a smoothening version of knurling, called ball burnishing. It works the same way in that the rolling item against the work imprints the surface of the rolling item on the work. In this case, the ball is smooth so if the shaft is rougher than the ball, the shaft will take on the surface of the ball. This can also be done with a cylinder (bearing), but it has a larger contact area, so more force will be needed. In the case of knurling or burnishing, oil is the lubricant to use. Nothing special is required as far as I can tell, because this is not cutting, it is mushing the metal (highly technical term there).

Some ball burnishers use hydraulic oil as the force to hold the ball on the work, and the oil is let to leak just a little so lubricate as the ball turns. This fellow used a bearing and the cap to apply the force, so he needed to put oil on the surface.

On Mon, Dec 11, 2023 at 2:53?PM Charles Devore via <Claremont5=[email protected]> wrote:

way back when, thinking Shell Goria G oil(sp.?), later in a oil field shop on Horz. boring mill I used a reamer appearing item with linear type rollers for 1 1/2" slip pin hole finishes in forgings , just fed it in and back out of drilled holes like a reamer,soluble fluid in that shop, it came in 50 gallon drums, sorry, it's been 50 years ago

In a message dated 12/11/2023 1:09:52 PM Pacific Standard Time, johndurbetaki@... writes:

?

oil

On Mon, Dec 11, 2023 at 12:36?PM Miket_NYC <mctaglieri@...> wrote:

You said you use "fluid" for this. What kind?

?

Mike Taglieri?

On Mon, Dec 11, 2023, 7:38 AM Charles Devore via <Claremont5=[email protected]> wrote:

Burnishing has it's place, doesn't remove material, but looks nice, we always used fluid, I suspect that material is "free machining" type and since it is asia is most likely "leadolly"(no longer used much here=epa), if a really nice bearing surface is needed, just rough it around .004 oversize and then run the parts thru a centerless grinder "plunge cutting each one it goes pretty quick

In a message dated 12/10/2023 11:11:14 PM Pacific Standard Time, d.i.williams=[email protected] writes:

?

Dear Mr Animal,

May I ask some related questions for the group to ponder?

Firstly, — Thank you very much (Mr Animal) for posting this? - I found it very interesting and the style of the video was both very sharp & polished. (Pun intended)
(I looked at the chuck and thought - this looks like a rather large chuck on a 7 x X lathe?.)

1. Seriously, is this an industry standard practice for polishing metals in a lathe?

2. A tongue in cheek question…… As a matter of interest, if you had a similar large tool held in a milling machine and run using very close passes over the surface, would it (sort of) polish a flat piece of work? I realise it would not have quite the same effect as the work is not spinning. But the tool is. (Unless it was on a rotary table and you were turning it very very fast.?) Perhaps run in two passes at 90deg. to each other. Producing a sort of diamond effect? Does anyone have any knowledge?

3. Would you get a sort of similar(?) effect using a small(?) spherical shaped ball bearing held in a holder on a (mini) lathe?

Thank you all, in anticipation.

All in all, very interesting. Thank you. Just the harden steel ball doing the polishing.

David UK.
> On 11 Dec 2023, at 04:31, mike allen <animal@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Watched this a few nites back , pretty cool
>
> animal
>
>
>
>
>
>

?

?

--
Buffalo John

--
Buffalo John

way back when, thinking Shell Goria G oil(sp.?), later in a oil field shop on Horz. boring mill I used a reamer appearing item with linear type rollers for 1 1/2" slip pin hole finishes in forgings , just fed it in and back out of drilled holes like a reamer,soluble fluid in that shop, it came in 50 gallon drums, sorry, it's been 50 years ago

In a message dated 12/11/2023 1:09:52 PM Pacific Standard Time, johndurbetaki@... writes:

?

oil

On Mon, Dec 11, 2023 at 12:36?PM Miket_NYC <mctaglieri@...> wrote:

You said you use "fluid" for this. What kind?

?

Mike Taglieri?

On Mon, Dec 11, 2023, 7:38 AM Charles Devore via <Claremont5=[email protected]> wrote:

Burnishing has it's place, doesn't remove material, but looks nice, we always used fluid, I suspect that material is "free machining" type and since it is asia is most likely "leadolly"(no longer used much here=epa), if a really nice bearing surface is needed, just rough it around .004 oversize and then run the parts thru a centerless grinder "plunge cutting each one it goes pretty quick

In a message dated 12/10/2023 11:11:14 PM Pacific Standard Time, d.i.williams=[email protected] writes:

?

Dear Mr Animal,

May I ask some related questions for the group to ponder?

Firstly, — Thank you very much (Mr Animal) for posting this? - I found it very interesting and the style of the video was both very sharp & polished. (Pun intended)
(I looked at the chuck and thought - this looks like a rather large chuck on a 7 x X lathe?.)

1. Seriously, is this an industry standard practice for polishing metals in a lathe?

2. A tongue in cheek question…… As a matter of interest, if you had a similar large tool held in a milling machine and run using very close passes over the surface, would it (sort of) polish a flat piece of work? I realise it would not have quite the same effect as the work is not spinning. But the tool is. (Unless it was on a rotary table and you were turning it very very fast.?) Perhaps run in two passes at 90deg. to each other. Producing a sort of diamond effect? Does anyone have any knowledge?

3. Would you get a sort of similar(?) effect using a small(?) spherical shaped ball bearing held in a holder on a (mini) lathe?

Thank you all, in anticipation.

All in all, very interesting. Thank you. Just the harden steel ball doing the polishing.

David UK.
> On 11 Dec 2023, at 04:31, mike allen <animal@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Watched this a few nites back , pretty cool
>
> animal
>
>
>
>
>
>

?

?

--
Buffalo John