14.
CARE OF TOOLS.
a. Care of cutters and flaring tools.
(1) Cutter wheels. The cutting wheel on a pipe or tube cutter must be
removed and sharpened when it becomes dulled, nicked, or otherwise damaged. Remove
the wheel by tapping out the pin in the center of the wheel or by backing out the
attaching screw on some types. Secure the wheel in a suitable jig and carefully
grind the cutting edge on a grinder abrasive wheel or grindstone. Preserve the
temper by frequently dipping the cutter wheel in water during grinding. Any wire
edge can be removed on an oilstone.
(2) Storage. Clean and wipe cutters and flaring tools with a thin film of
oil before putting away. Carefully store tools to prevent cutting wheels from
becoming damaged. For long periods of storage, coat all parts of cutters and
flaring tools with a rust-preventive compound. Wrap cutter wheels in cotton or a
small piece of rag saturated with light machine oil to prevent damage and store in
a dry place.
b. Care of reamers.
(1) Do not expect a reamer to remove more than 0.002 to 0.003 inch of
metal. If the hole is too small, enlarge it with a drill before reaming it.
(2) Keep reamers absolutely clean to do accurate work.
(3) Handle all reamers carefully; if they are dropped or thrown against
other tools, their sharp edges will be nicked and dulled.
(4) Wrap reamers in oiled cloth when not in use and store each reamer
separately to protect its cutting edges.
(5) If the proper pressure is applied in use and the reamer chatters,
replace it. Chattering indicates a poorly or incorrectly sharpened tool
If the
reamer edges are only slightly dulled, honing the edges on an oilstone may restore
the sharpness. The blades on an adjustable reamer may be replaced. Resharpening
reamers is a factory or depot operation. Special jigs and equipment are required
to sharpen reamer edges correctly. To insure accurate work, always replace a
reamer that requires sharpening.
(6) For long periods of storage, clean reamers thoroughly and coat with a
rust-preventive compound. Wrap each reamer separately in oiled cloth and store in
a dry, safe place.
c. Care of taps and dies.
(1) Maintenance. Do not attempt to sharpen taps or dies. Sharpening of
taps and dies involves several highly precision cutting processes where the thread
characteristics, chamfer angle, and, in some cases, the book angle and spiral point
are involved. These cutting procedures must be accomplished by experienced
personnel in order to maintain the accuracy and cutting effectiveness of taps and
dies.
(2) Cleaning. Keep taps and dies clean and well oiled when not in use.
Store them so that they do not contact each other or other tools.
(3) Storage. For long periods of storage, coat taps and dies with a rust-
preventive compound; place in individual or standard threading set boxes in a dry
place.
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