Got my 105 Die set today (pictures)

[TheBandit]

After a few weeks of waiting my 1.75x6CLR Pro 105 die set came in today. I will be using this set on a custom tube bender (more info here (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=343427) ) and since I've never owned a bender, I have a question about the machining quality.

First off, here's what came as a set for $300+shipping:

http://www.jordanbrosracing.com/cjnn/bender/dieset.jpg

Here are the tube surfaces:

http://www.jordanbrosracing.com/cjnn/bender/diesetmachining.jpg

And here's what I have a question about:

http://www.jordanbrosracing.com/cjnn/bender/counterdiehole.jpg

The pin hole on the counter die has very rough machining :mad3:. As you can see from the picture above, there are steps and ribs throughout the hole, unlike the pin holes on the main die. I am concerned about fit.

Is this kind of poor machining quality typical of these dies? Is this common with pro tool die sets? Should I be concerned?

[MiniMog]

Does the pin go in and out? Does the ribbing make the piece unusable? If not i wouldn't worry about it the pin just holds the block in place....

[willyswanter]

Looks like normal "scratching" from the chips as the hole is drilled/milled. It would be very un-cost effective for them to hold that hole to a high surface finish since it doesn't need to have one.

[TheBandit]

the pin just holds the block in place....

My calculations indicate 81,000lb on this pin when bending 2" x .120 chromoly. That's 40 tons generating a 67,000psi shear stress through each of the two shear planes (upper and lower) of the pin. This is why I'm worried about the surface finish - a less ideal surface finish will generate point loading and bending stresses in the pin.

[mj]

they look rough
I was surprized at how rough when mine arrived
looks very much like a made in China tool, IMO

[dirtytoy]

it will be fine just bend it up, a ton of people work with bigger thicker tube than what you are going to bend, few people bend 1.75 .250wall with those dies

[bgreen]

That hole is fine. Typically thats what you get when you drill a hole in mild steel.

Like said before, any better finish would raise the cost for the end user. Run with it. Those are good dies, made by good people who run a good company.

[chadjans]

Got any pics of the follower? I am curious to as what yours looks like in comparison to my 1.5 die. I polished mine. Makes some really nice bends. I have been told you want the curved die a bit rough. And the follower smooth.

Chad

[TheBandit]

First off, I'm not trying to put down the company at all. They were very helpful over the phone and most of the machine work on this set looks very good. I just thought the difference in finish from the holes in the main die might be an indicator that this particular counter die was botched. I'm not trying to use this to argue that Pro Tools is a bad company. Every manufacturer has occassional defects and I was concerned that this might be one of them.

If this kind of finish is typical and has been used with success, then I'm a satisfied customer.

Got any pics of the follower? I am curious to as what yours looks like in comparison to my 1.5 die. I polished mine. Makes some really nice bends. I have been told you want the curved die a bit rough. And the follower smooth.

I will get a shot of the follower today. It is very smooth and the edges have been radiused nicely. It makes sense to have the curved die a bit rough since you are relying on friction to hold the tube. The follower should be smooth since it is sliding under tremendous pressure. My understanding is spraying the follower with lubricant (white lithium grease) also improves the bend quality.

I plan to do a hardness test on the die strap pin to get an idea of the pin yield strength. The strap pin is under the same load as the counterdie pin for this die set.

[mj]

a search will show you the pin is up to the task but the welds that hold it's mount can let go on 2"

[Sheri]

here's ours with the pro tools 240. Its been working great. :cool2:

[TheBandit]

a search will show you the pin is up to the task but the welds that hold it's mount can let go on 2"

What welds are you refering to? I do not see related welds on the follower block and there are no welds on the arms themselves.

Are you talking about the main die?