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vixen file mill for tubing spacers

johnbright

Well Known Member
Friend
Squaring aluminum tubing spacers with a vixen file and drill press.

Somewhat tedious but controllable because the file loads up every 0.002".

215 RPM, the slowest speed of my drill press.
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drill and scotchbrite wheel

I did something similar by spinning the tube in a hand drill and turning on the scotchbrite wheel - probably not quite as square as your idea, but pretty square.
 
I’ve done something similar, too. First I use a tube cutter, then I finish up by putting the tube in the drill press with a sanding block in place of the vixen file.
 
If you have a cross vice for the drill press, you can clamp up a lathe tool and use it like in a lathe to cut the end of the tube to the correct dimension.
 
I’ve also chucked a bushing in the drill press and dressed the end on some sandpaper. Easy to square it up, take off a thousandth or two, etc.
 
I’ve also chucked a bushing in the drill press and dressed the end on some sandpaper. Easy to square it up, take off a thousandth or two, etc.

This approach works well and how I did it before the lathe.
 
I did something similar by spinning the tube in a hand drill and turning on the scotchbrite wheel - probably not quite as square as your idea, but pretty square.

+1, or alternately using a disk sander. Fast and easy way to get them the right length as well.
 
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