Chamfer Blending and Deburring with Flexible Honing Tools

Metal cutting machines that produce parts from tubes, extrusions, and bar stock can create rough edges or raised areas called burrs. Chamfering, the process of machining angled edges around the ends of a cylindrical workpiece, offers a high degree of precision but can create secondary micro burrs that affect surface quality. If chamfered parts aren’t properly surface finished, metal burrs can affect dimensional tolerances, limit the overall efficiency of machined components, and even cause part misalignments. 

Brush deburring provides a flexible, cost-effective alternative to expensive chamfering machines that use blades or cutting-inserts and require rigid setups. Burr removal with brush tools does not create secondary micro burrs, nor does it change part dimensions or concentricity. For parts manufacturers who want to remove burrs and blend chamfered edges for cylinder applications, Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) supplies Flex-Hone® tools for consistent, high-quality surface finishing.  

Flex-Hone® Tools for Chamfered Edges 

Built with a stiff metal stem, flexible nylon filaments, and ball-shaped abrasive globules, the BRM Flex-Hone® is versatile, reliable, and easy-to-use. Designed for use with handheld power tools or machines, flexible hones mount in hand drills, drill presses, robotic arms, and machining centers. In addition to improving the internal surface finish of cylinders, Flex-Hone® tools remove loose, torn, and folded metal. Cylinder hones can also deburr cross-drilled holes and slots, and support easy tool changes.

Flex-Hone® tools for chamfered edges are designed for use with any type or size of cylinder ranging from 4 mm to 1” in diameter. In addition to polishing and radiusing the intersection of the chamfer and the flange face (outer corners), these deburring tools improve the surface finish of the chamfered holes. BRM flexible hones can pass through thin sections, and are recommended for surface finishing rotating parts (such as aerospace components) that require polished and radiused chamfered surfaces.

How to Select Flexible Hones for Chamfer Blending 

The Flex-Hone® for chamfer blending is specified according to tool diameter, chamfer size, abrasive type, and grit selection. Tool diameter is determined by the nominal bore size in which the deburring tool will operate. Since the degree of oversize creates the Flex-Hone® tool’s soft cutting action, always order a flexible hone in an oversize condition. For example, if the nominal bore is 1.093”, order a flexible honing tool with a diameter of 1-1/8”.

 Chamfer size, another important product specification, is given by range. Choose from Small, .005” to .015” (.12 mm - .38 mm) chamfer, per side; Medium, .015” to .030” (.38 mm - .76 mm) chamfer, per side; or Large, .030” to .050” (.76 mm – 1.27 mm chamfer, per side). With regard to abrasive type and grit selection, standard Flex-Hone® tools for chamfer blending are available in silicon carbide (SC) abrasive with 180 grit. Other grits and abrasive types are available by special order.

Flex-Hone® tools for chamfer blending can be used to surface finish titanium, Inconel, super CVM, and nickel-based stainless steel alloys. BRM deburring tools can eliminate time-consuming hand finishing operations, and produce consistent surface finishes from hole to hole and from part to part.