O-ring grooves and floating o-rings

[Gun Freak]

I always hear people talking about ways to make o ring grooves like "drill in a vice" and stuff like that, and for my upcoming project, I am going to need to make some o-ring grooves without a lathe. Can somebody explain in more detail or give me a link? Also, about the floating o-rings, I searched and couldn't find the thread on them. And I heard they work perfectly. Thanks.

[clemsonguy1125]

You may have already seen this but it has the needed information
http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/o-ring- ... 19412.html

[Hubb]

Someone made an o-ring cutter on here, but I can't remember who. It was similar to one of those pipe cutters that just circle the pipe. I'm sure something could be put together rather easy to do this. It can probably even be configured to be precise in cutting o-ring grooves. In fact, if I had a need to make many o-ring grooves, I would build one.

If you have access to a drill press, those can be rigged to make better o-ring grooves than a clamped drill. Tech did this in one of his QDV threads. If possible, you could always sandwich an o-ring in between two couplings.

[Bluetooth]

If you have a table saw, that seems like your best bet. The second best would probably be a dremel/roto-tool mounted in some kind of jig to hold it in the correct position. There was a thread with a video on here somewhere about how to do it with a table saw, but I can't seem to find it.

[DR]

A low-cost option:


<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4 ... SS400_.jpg">

<a href="" target="_blank">Hobby Lathe</a>

Technical Details

24" between centers
360° head swivel
6" swing over bed
Aluminum alloy bed construction

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Interesting find DR! Certainly beats clamping the drill in a vice

Gunfreak, this could be helpful.

[FighterAce]

If you have a dremel, you could attach the piston to the dremel and use the appropriate tool to cut into it.
Because I use a piece of PVC pipe for my piston, I can insert the rubber drum sanding attachment into the PVC and spin it. Then I can use the shaft of any dremel attachment to melt in the grooves because the PVC I use is some sort of thermoplastic and the walls are very thick.

If you have steady hands you could insert a drill bit the width of your O ring into a dremel or even a small drill and cut/melt the grooves by spinning the piston against the drill bit by hand. If you just need to melt them in you could use a nail or the straight piece of a drill bit.

I used both techniques myself and they work very well if you have steady hands and a good eye. Most important of all is to work slowly and remove small bits at a time, checking the fit of the O rings.

[Gun Freak]

Yeah I don't have a dremel, just a drill, vice, bench grinder... thats about it. I am going to put the grooves on the outside of a bushing for a serviceable piston, so the link JSR posted isn't really any help (thanks though). I might just do some practice ones today to find the easiest way. Thanks for all the help.

EDIT Can anybody give me an amazon.com link for a good dremel tool? I might buy one... I have money to spend there on a card.

[Hubb]

I get mine from Walmart for about $20.

[Gun Freak]

Oh ok so they're sort of cheap then... I think I'll get one.

[FighterAce]

Yeah I had the one for $20 too... it lasted a few weeks and then the motor died
If you want something thats gonna last, you should get a Dremel 300 series. Its been with me for about 2 years now with constant use and no problems what so ever.

I call those cheap ones one time use dremels because they do just that. You use them for a project and not a moment too soon, they fail you. I guess they're good if you need it just for one project but I doubt anyone would.
If it brakes down and you still need it.. well... a poor man pays twice

[Technician1002]

I use a drill press vise. In the set of pictures in this thread it shows making a piston for my Mouse Musket. It was small so that piston did not get rings. My larger piston was made the same way, but the drill press vise with a ground off drill bit was slid on the drill press table to cut the grooves into the side of the piston.

http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/how-to- ... 17899.html

I will look and see if I have any pics online of the actual groove cutting. A compound drill press vise make the job super easy. This picture is just cutting the piston round with straight walls by machining it in a drill press.

[Gun Freak]

Ok thanks tech, I saw that thread, but not the pictures. I never scrolled down. I don't have a drill press though... and one more thing. How would you make the grooves on a 1.5" bushing since the whole in the middle is 1"?