Making a Socket Wrench from Damascus Steel! Part 2

[@realdan1]

that bore tool is used for final cut to get it into dimension, best practice is to drill through with endmill

[@bandana_girl6507]

Looking at his measurements, this may have been a cheaper and faster project to do in the US. Some of his "non-standard" diameters look to be just over standard imperial measurements. Depending on how precise they need to be, they might even just be endmill plunges or drill plunges with cleaning up a shoulder with a boring head

[@lanner777]

That would require having endmills very close to his final dimensions. Another idea would be to use an endmill with a rotary table to get within a few thou, then finish with the boring head.

[@peterspencer6442]

@@lanner777 well he's got a shiny new rotary indexer/table so that's a good idea! Do you think it might also work to use the "pitch circle diameter" function on his shiny new DRO to rough-out the hole with an endmill?

[@realdan1]

@@lanner777 Which he would have to buy, yes, for $100/hr. if you consider imperial and metric, not to mention the oddball sizes available for premium, there's almost always an endmill that'll get you within .050", or even .100" at the worst case. I'm just taking into both setup and process time into consideration for most efficient production. It probably took Alec hours to bore that thing out, when really it could've been

[@bandana_girl6507]

@@realdan1 Though you may need to think about where any big stickouts on a part are, such as wrench handles. You could definitely get to a different part of your circle, though, and if you're already planning on getting those last few thou with a boring head, the difference you might get on the different cuts shouldn't be an issue

[@aserta]

That's not a rough pass tool, it's a fine pass tool, meaning it's used to finish a cut, not start it, or enlarge it. You need mills to cut the dimensions under for each seat. Using that boring head for the whole work is slow and wasteful, not to mention you'll keep dulling the cutters every time, as you saw. Order of operations would've been two undersized through holes, then mills for the bigger bores, then mills for the seats. Then you bring in the boring head to finish each cut, in reverse, preferably so you get crisp cuts (IE, you start with the largest, inwards, going down to the smallest, downwards).

[@mikpiotto]

Hey! No backseat milling

[@EpicZombiez2314]

A boring head and a couple carbide boring bars are a perfectly suitable replacement to end mills that he may not have. And to be honest, its just lathe tooling. Roughing with it is completely normal. Sure he could use a rotary table but that can be tricky to set up right..

[@elijahwalton1766]

@@EpicZombiez2314 I have taken .150 with a boring head using carbide neutral inserts. Could have done that entire side in under 2 hours lol

[@jaxblonk5127]

@@mikpiotto personally, I love hearing the tips, but I am just a bloke with an interest and not the means. Maybe one of those days I'll make a crummy lathe from scraps and bamboo sticks but the tips make me smile nevertheless.

[@mikpiotto]

@@jaxblonk5127 I was just joking

[@GoodJobCasey]

When you and will made the screwdriver I left a comment saying that I thought that was some of the most interesting videos you have done. There was just something about making a normal item was just so tangible. Then making it super fancy I was more on the ride with it. I felt somewhat the same way with the bike/zippo. Maybe there were other things like this since then. But I am really really digging this content and hope that you keep it up. Maybe a carbon steel pan next and invite Alex french guy cooking again. Or some other chef. Can you make a damascus carbon steel pan? I dont think I have ever seen that.

[@jz41f]

Alex,. Throw out the boring bars that came with the head. Get a set of indexable boring bars with carbide inserts. They don't bend and stay sharp. Also look for Mr. Pete's tool that he made to finely adjust the boring head. It works great!

[@OctaneWorkholding]

Awesome video as always Alec! For those who struggle with milling or boring, we have a video covering the topic in depth called "Boring 101". The difficulty Alec faced here was a combination of several factors, mainly the boring bars themselves. Unless the bore is very small, we use indexable boring bars with interchangeable inserts. A smaller tool nose radius will normally chatter much less than a larger radius, but the feed rate will need to be decreased to maintain the same average roughness. (Not to be confused with how shiny the surface appears). Mild steel tends to smear and tear at low RPM as can be seen in the video, it also smears without a sufficient cut depth. It is a good practice to take a large enough finish pass to form an actual chip, this is usually your tool nose radius at a minimum. The problem is, as RPM increases, so does the inherent risk of vibrations which is also seen in this video. Machining can be very difficult without the right recipe, there is no sugar coating it. All carbide is not created equal, a good insert or solid boring bar can create thousands of holes in mild steel. If you ever have questions about machining, we post daily tips and tricks on Instagram and provide technical support. Cheers

[@sheldonrunkey6160]

So, as a point of interest, why wouldn't you drill the through holes first, then you can more easily get the bore tool into the hole to clean out to your outside diameter.

[@1draigon]

That would only for the actual HOLE though right? Because all the other diameters need to have a flat bottom, and this thing can’t do more than a few mm at a time

[@jadedelite]

@@1draigon you could (should) still drill down/out "most of the way" then do the cleanup with the boring bit.

[@effen_aey_man]

He didn't have a drill bit the right size

[@MarioAPN]

@@effen_aey_man even so, it is still faster, but!! there is also a way for messing this up a notch so... Better slow and good than fast and...

[@sheldonrunkey6160]

@@effen_aey_man he still could have used the same methodology and drilled the hole smaller, bored it to diameter. Then did a step up and removed each holes materials to depth and the associated diameter... then he would have just been widening the bit farther each time until meeting his final diameter.. doesn't make much sense to me.

[@kuebbisch]

Nice lesson Alec, I learnt almost the same way...After my first bent boring bar I bought larger drill bits...And boring bars with different shaft diameters (and changeable inserts). Always drill the largest hole possible with a drill (fastest material removal rate possible), and finish with the sturdiest (aka. thickest shank) boring bar. In a pinch a suitable end mill works also to remove most of the material, but at least drill a hole first, end mills don't like to cut in the center.

[@lilSchoen]

I’ve been watching Alec make things for years and through all of his mistakes, he is an absolute genius working through problems and making it up as he goes.

[@roganodonnell]

6:44 Jamie is a true legend for messing with his bloody table

[@coledusing2880]

Thank you for teaching me the lesson “if you push it in too deep, the tool will break.” Those are words to live by.

[@chromemantic9221]

There's something so satisfying about watching the journey that is the process of Alec making things

[@crayfishforge9630]

You should make the socket set to go with it. Great video!

[@Gazongola]

When Alex is using the mill, even boring is never a dull moment!

[@halecj1]

Loving this series! 6:00 - Looks like you need one more circular cut where the two larger bores meet at a sharp angle, near the small clearance holes. Just a tiny bit of material needs to be taken off each side to match the original.

[@effen_aey_man]

8:33

[@halecj1]

No, it's still there at 8:30 guys. I was using 6:00 because you can see it clearer in that shot. I'm talking about the pointy bit where the two large bores meet, right by the small holes on either side.

[@disgruntledwookie369]

You're right

[@svenskakaroliner2149]

I just love seeing you make every day products in a much more simple way, really shows the endless potentials if you just put in the effort.

[@PablosProjects]

exactly

[@bochapman1058]

I wouldn’t call this simple… This is not something you just do on a weekend.

[@7123]

I enjoy the fact its obvious you are learning as you go. As a few other people have said, the boring tool is better used for finishing rather than roughing out. Using end mills or even drills bits, get the bulk of the material out, and then use the boring tool to bring holes up to their finish sizes. The other thing to consider is tool chatter. Ideally, use the largest boring bit you have space for, as the extra thickness of the tool will reduce the amount of vibration/chatter you get, and will give you more consistent finish diameters. Keep up with the brilliant content.

[@skoitch]

I’m so happy you’re making videos more regularly! I miss the days where you did a video almost every day

[@dylanquagmir4348]

Love the fact that both episodes of this project are 9:44 long

[@Nevir202]

5:20 Love those Aeropex headphones. So nice for listening to stuff under awful, loud conditions, as you can listen fine with ear plugs in.

[@robert.brokaw3829]

I hope the enthusiasm that you express is real. It's fun to watch someone so into what they are doing. Keep up the good work young man - stay safe.

[@Talos422]

about the different holes you had to make...if I wouldn't know how expensive they are, I'd suggest you need a 2 1/2 Axes CNC Milling machine (like a Fehlmann Picomax 54, or a Kunzmann, or Mikron of any kind) to properly mill a circular pocket. But since I know how much they can cost, your way of drilling them is probably the better way for now.

[@RickDominick69]

Look at all the fun you have playing with your tool

[@dedrxbbit7549]

Just did a quick conversion. 34.6mm would be roughly 1-3/8”. It’s still a little off, but I’m sure there was some skewing from your calipers that didn’t measure it perfectly 🙂 seems to be your ratchet wrench is in inches, my friend!

[@thehweelman]

5:19 This man speaks the truth.

[@thetoestealer375]

I absolutely love this new type of series you have created! The first project with the zippo was extraordinary and I am so excited to see how this socket wrench turns out! Don't break it in half!!!

[@benkendall7489]

Really nice learning how the DRO (and the boring tool) work and their application, I’ve always wondered!

[@L3ADFARM3RMEDIC]

Been so much fun following you over the years! And it's been really cool to watch your machining skills improve

[@maximizeyourgame3553]

Theres something about being a machinist myself and seeing someone who doesn’t know all the tricks yet. Good luck on your machining journey Alec its gonna be a bumpy and rewarding ride

[@irnoble6832]

The way the DRO looks due to the camera at 6:30 is kinda cool.

[@auxchar]

I'm really enjoying this forray into precision machining you're doing. Whenever This Old Tony posts a video, I always see you in the comments fanboying, and something about that makes me extraordinarily happy. A blacksmith doing machining has some serious "old world meets new world" energy to it, and I really like it.

[@theZDOME]

Show more in the videos, I could watch and listen to y’all for hours

[@garethb5729]

So many recommendations in the comments to reduce time when boring. Mine... Use Brass. 20mins cut, 40min polish, done. Shiny as a mirror. Completely bloody useless as a tool and a complete waste of time. But quick and pleasant on the eye. Awesome Job. Great vid bro. You two rock. Thanks.

[@jonbrooks8232]

Coming from a sophomore manufacturing engineering student, always remember to file your edges between operations because the burr can throw your holes off by like 10 thou, so can chips in the ways of your machine if it’s a very old Bridgeport. Also, learning to make a part sheet will save you lots of time at the mill, watching you read hole dimensions off a printed excel sheet was kinda painful. Love the videos.

[@ttyler77414]

OMG. You have really stepped up your game,mate. So young and so much metalwork knowledge.

[@davidblanck4131]

Definitely use a roughing end mill to get things close, and use the boring bar to finish the hole in the future. Save yourself hours. Came out great though. Massive undertaking if you don't do this often. I'm fortunate to have grown up and worked in mache shops my entire 38 years of life. Can't wait for the rotary indexing tool episode.

[@bendingsands87]

Alec. For a future project, since you like making unique historic weapons, I have two words: navaja knife. A Spanish folding knife/sword sounds like it'd be right down your alley😁.

[@gregiep]

Jamie is an absolute gem!!!

[@johnjude2685]

Did work in a shop and got to see some excellent Craftman running your metal tooling Wishing I'd gotten more training but my need was a job that paid bills. You are loads of inspiration. Thanks for showing

[@maximeouellet306]

Excellent video 🥰 . When you use boring tool tried to not use the Quill, it make your tool cut to fast and make it dull very fast. Just rise the table it will be more stable.

[@frankierzucekjr]

I cant wait to see the finished product. Great work bud. I tried to listen to you talk about the DRO lol but got lost. Haha

[@mienaikoe]

I love all this milling about!

[@DigitalPetrol]

I've loved all your previous series, but these item/tool recreations are fascinating. Thank you!

[@IamZemyn]

Just gotta say, the Apocalyptica made me super happy. Somehow that smidgen happier than your videos normally do. XD Well done.

[@homemadetools]

Nice work. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week 😎

[@unprankable666]

Absolutely love your work Alec. Being fifteen and seeing what you've done in your time on KZbin is very inspiring❤️

[@ohlookitsmatty2982]

Through the miracle of video editing we get two days of work down to just a few minutes. Which is why when people say "why is this handmade object so expensive?"" This is why. It takes a Lot of time

[@chrisspence6484]

2days of work! For 3 hours worth of machining! At least he is having fun.

[@craigsymborski92]

This is a great project for you to take on, the further you push beyond your skills the faster you will improve your skill

[@jacobt5720]

I love this series. I miss using machines... been 5 years since I ran a manual mill.

[@drone-guyTX]

That closing song is beautiful! I used it in my drone video on my channel! Wrench looks amazing! Still have my shirt from when you first started. I wear that collared bad boy with the anvil on it on dates lol. Keep it up you two! Glad to see you back in your homeland.

[@Rocky-oq9cy]

I like how both part 1 and 2 of this project's videos are exactly 9 minutes and 44 seconds long.

[@adriennefraschetta5391]

Can't wait to see the finished product!!!!

[@heyyafreya2664]

Very good video! I’d love to see you make a traditional Pole-hammer like a Lucerne sometime!

[@leeboy8689]

incredible attention to detail just another Alec masterpiece 👏

[@feelthepayne88]

Really enjoying this kind of project, can't wait to see the finished product.

[@corywayward4503]

This really makes me appreciate cnc mills

[@meghallgate9068]

Possibly a bit late in the day for this project but if you’re going to be doing more stuff on the mill it may be worth having a look at some slot drills in various sizes. Then you can rough out more material and then do your final skim with the boring tool. Saves you from having to keep sharpening the tips. Love all the videos and all your weird and wonderful ideas!!

[@sohamm689]

Absolutely loving this series.

[@jonathanlunger2775]

I always want your videos to be longer, great work.

[@baraBober]

Make it look nice, make it the best looking socket wrench ever!

[@spencervoisin7622]

When drilling holes of particular accuracy it’s usually best practice to either spot drill or centre drill first to prevent your drill from walking off centre great video regardless though man! Love this “making my own” series you have keep it up!

[@oliverbrubaker105]

Break of Reality!! Your music selection has gone up a notch.

[@queefersutherland8495]

5:20 true in "other" aspects of life as well

[@bobbeard3483]

I dig the music on this one, I love spectrum of the sky

[@jtcustomknives]

Use end mills to plunge cut the ID holes close to size then open up to finish dimensions with the boring head.

[@J.C.73]

"If you push in to deep the tool will break" 🤣 I guess I find that funny bc I used the same tools & totally saw that coming. I love these videos bc I was building prototypes & rarely had free liberty to do complex projects. I really enjoy watching the next generation using the same old machines.💯👍👍

[@gruntslayer3524]

Got whiplash from that segue at the end

[@Lewy77780]

Technology’s came a long way, I work a 5th axis hurco milling center that could finish the part in 15 minutes. Respect for taking the time and havingfun.

[@JeffBradway]

Love the Break of Reality as background music.

[@thomasbrandt6677]

Absolutely love your work, been watching your progress for years!

[@NitroViper_1]

Alec my friend, next time to rough machine the big holes without the correct drill sizes, you could clamp the part on that nice looking new dividing head, center the holes on the center of the dividing head, put a smaller cheaper endmill and rough both holes with the dividing head rotation, and then mill to the correct size with the boring head... with enough care you wouldnt even need the boring head tbh. My mentor taught me one thing and that is to be a cheapass and make the most stuff with the least amount of tools. Great project btw!

[@SchysCraftCo.]

So happy to see a new video on this video series. It is looking really good so far. Can't wait to see more videos soon. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge on. Weld on. Fab on. Keep making. God bless.

[@crujones43]

It's probably just the shutter speed of the camera but at 5:00 when it is squealing it looks like it is turning backwards.

[@yournamenotmyname3242]

Nice, Aftershokz! I love those things!

[@samwood2627]

Alec Steele please could you review what tools are good for a beginner and what you would recomend

[@epauletshark3793]

I have no idea what the laws for this are in the UK, But a cool future project to do would be to try making a musket from scratch. Musket barrels were forged in some very impressive ways.

[@BH-gd4io]

Alec's reaction to Jamie messing with his table reminded me of Brooklyn 99 when they moved Holt's podium and inch.

[@chrisphillips1130]

It is a genuine need. I need Alec and Jaime (dunno the spelling) to do all the innuendos like they did a while ago. There were so many possibilities in this video with all the talk of Alec's tool

[@richardepps8500]

A great man once said "A machine shop is just a place to create more tools for your machine shop"

[@Waaks]

So thirsty to see the finished product, keep going please Alec, just go non stop till done please hahaha

[@joshholbrooks1181]

I love this project I wish I had one size smaller ratchet like that

[@sandpiper1515]

I have a really neat CHALLENGE, Make Corvo's folding blade from Dishonored. There are plenty of 3D printed ones but what about a metal functioning one that can fold and cut?

[@CapOfXav]

Specifically corvo's blade is 'magic' ...Can't make a proper functional blade that folds in on itself like that one sadly

[@shrapnel4213]

@@CapOfXav of course is possible but it requires lots of brain. for example gravity knives are a clever drop knife design

[@Anonymus-ih7yb]

You should ad some sort of cooling. You can use the oil that you hopefully use as lubricant for your machines. Neither tools or machines like dry metal to metal contact. And these things are meant for finishing, we use similar ones at work and use them for holes with tight tolerances like 63H5 which get drilled to 62,8mm

[@sk8pkl]

We usually use rolling papers with a dab of cutting fluid to shim o.ooo5 inches for finding zeoring the machines. Try it out on a test piece! Maybe make a vid on that!

[@hazboy1000]

you should build a tiny engine using the mill and engine then you should use that engine for a tiny petrol car!!! Loved watching your videos since you were in the storage container way back when you were 19! still watch your videos every single upload. Keep it up Alec!!

[@ohhhsnap17]

An insert endmill for removing most material after drilling . Then use your bore to finish surface it

[@thatguy8879]

You don't necessarily have to use the depth stop. I preferred not to because I found it could sway by about .003 depending on pressure. Zero your tool at the top of the part, then go down until your DRO reaches the negative number you're going for, no stop required as long as you have a steady hand

[@jock-of-ages73]

I missed 1&2! Awesome

[@100thMkey]

its crazy to think that our ancient ancestors made these without power tools!

[@ricvanesh9445]

can't wait for the gold inlay and ebony grip

[@jadedelite]

You should do a collaboration with This Old Tony... it would be epic.

[@SharkLasers380]

Should totally build an Alec-Engineered spec wrench next

[@mettlord8990]

In Germany we call it 1-Schneider it is super precise 👍

[@LikeAboss168]

When using the edge finder you have to make sure you move over half the diameter of the kick off end otherwise you’ll be off half the diameter in this case since you found the center line of your axis you measured both sides and it didn’t matter but it looked like your x axis was off when you had it lined up. I hope this helps in the future. Usually the tip is .200 Inches so you need to move over .100 inches. 2.54 mm. I am a cnc machinist and have some experience with manual mills as well I have made this mistake once or twice 😂

[@bestcoins6806]

The damascus socket wrench is pretty cool as a display piece, but due to the intermittent soft and hard steel, it would probably snap at a stress point if it was put under enough torque. still cool though!

[@nedben1602]

Feeling the this old Tony vibe

[@MDC_1985]

Just an observation Alec, It would appear to me that you in the beginning you were running that tool backwards in terms of cutting rotation. It could be an artifact of the frame rate, but I don't think so. The spindle should be turning the same direction it would with a standard drill or tap. That may explain your dulling, in addition to what everyone else has noted about it being a fine boring finish tool. EDIT-- it seems like at 7:35 or so you were running it the correct direction.

[@jackwriter1908]

Strange how the way we walk changes in time... When I started to follow Alec he made swords. Now all those years later he builds tools and torturing equipment.

[@Nevir202]

Difference between being a blacksmith that makes KZbin videos, and a KZbinr who blacksmiths.

[@jackwriter1908]

@@Nevir202 ?

[@Nevir202]

@@jackwriter1908 When he was a blacksmith making KZbin videos, his products had to be something worthwhile. Now his product is a video, so he can make whatever he wants, it doesn’t really matter. If anything, he is financially incentivized to make ridiculous things.

[@CorbinMusso88]

Alec Steele is a Machine Biologist. He knows the different between male and female dovetails.

[@dragonofdojima6597]

Alec, smal edvise on the boring tools in the mill: they like to run rather slow and are only used for smal amounts of material for precise mesurments and surfacefinish. Depending on your insert you might wanna use alot more coolent.