Which boring bar?

I agree with post #3. I have a set of carbide insert boring bars, but I also quite often use an slot drill as a boring bar. You could put a slot drill in the boring head just make sure the flutes are parallel with the axis of the boring head.

I recently finished a job boring 0.200" deep X 0.750" wide recesses in aluminium and I used a 10mm slot drill in a tool holder to bore the hole. Gives a much better finish than carbide inserts.
 
That's a nice tool.
The small diameter is well suited to boring accurate small holes, If that is what you plan to do with it then yes.

A larger diameter boring bar would be more rigid, and give a greater depth of cut.

Don't forget to get some inserts for it.
 
The F-series bars use a triangle-shaped insert so it has 3 usable tips. The one you linked to is a 3/16" right hand carbide shank bar with a 5 degree positive lead that is 4" long. It has a minimum bore size of 0.275 and takes Circle Machine TDAB, TDCG or TDAT inserts. TDAB inserts are flat-topped. They come in various nose radii: TDAB-500 is a 0.002"NR, TDAB-505 is a 0.007"NR, and both come in various grades (CG5, CG6, TN7, CM1, ALO). The TDCG is a ground chipbreaker insert (C = chipbreaker, G = ground) that comes in a 0.007"NR (TDCG-505) and a 0.015"NR and 0.031"NR. The TDAT insert is a pressed-type chip breaker with either a 0.007" or 0.015"NR. Most grades will work fine in a hobby shop. I have most grades and use them all but I really like CM1 for harder steels.

I have not used this specific bar but have used bars of similar type and they work fine. They have zero radial rake but should perform well for you if you need a positive lead bar that takes flat topped inserts. For small bars, the ability to use either a general purpose 0.007"NR insert OR a 0.002"NR insert is really useful. It allows you to do general boring and also do really precisely sized bores. For me, a flat topped insert is a real positive. Not many companies produced flat topped boring inserts.

The key reason I chose the CCBI bars over something like the FCBI that you're looking at is because the CCBI uses inserts with a positive axial rake. This reduces tangential forces and really boosts chip clearance. It is a superior design, in my opinion, but the FCBI bar should be just as accurate. The critical thing we are looking for in a small bar is the ability to take inserts with a really small nose radius and the FCBI bar does that.

I think you'll be fine with it but the price for the bar you linked to is pretty high. I would look for another listing that has a new one of these bars for under $100.00. Be patient and it will show up.

Just so you know, the Circle Machine nomenclature is pretty straightforward. The first letter, like C or F or Q is the series that reflects the insert geometry/shape. C is an 80 degree diamond, F is a triangle, Q is a 60 degree triangle or 80 degree diamond, G is a Trigon triangle insert, etc. The second letter is the bar material - C for carbide, S for steel. The third letter is the function of the bar: B = boring, M = multi-purpose (boring, grooving, threading) and so on. I don't know what the last letter stands for.

If you are interested in Circle Machine bars, search for their catalog that should still be available online. Widia took over Circle Machine and still produce the same bars and inserts. They respond to email inquiries so you can contact them to get the current Widia bar and insert numbers.

By the way, I happen to agree with your choice of HSS cobalt bars for the mill. I think you'll find them very useful.
 
Thanks Mikey! You've really cleared up tons for me! I was really hoping that you'd respond to this thread. I see another bar, that seems similiar, for $50. But instead of a FCBI-187-4-5R, it's a FCBI-187-4-5L
any idea what the difference is between 5L and 5R...who am I kidding, of course you do, could you tell me? this is it...
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/292023146875
 
I should add that Circle Machine inserts are like most things on ebay - they come and go. Sometimes there are a lot of them, sometimes it can take a few months for them to show up. The flat topped inserts are getting harder to find and I've noticed their prices are going up. Still, they come up for fairly good prices if you're patient. When you see the one you need, be prepared to jump on it because they will go fast now that I published the Primer thing.

No matter which bar you get, please pay attention to the nose radius on the insert that you're buying.

EDIT: There are some TDAB inserts on ebay right now but they have a 0.015"NR on them - too big for my purposes. I would avoid them.
 
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Thanks Mikey! You've really cleared up tons for me! I was really hoping that you'd respond to this thread. I see another bar, that seems similiar, for $50. But instead of a FCBI-187-4-5R, it's a FCBI-187-4-5L
any idea what the difference is between 5L and 5R...who am I kidding, of course you do, could you tell me? this is it...
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/292023146875

Same bar except the 5L is a 5 degree LEFT HAND boring bar. Unless you plan to bore in reverse, go for a 5R.

By the way, these bars also come with a zero lead. For example, such a bar might be an FCBI-187-4-0R. The 187 means the OD of the bar is 0.187" or 3/16", the 4 means it is a 4" long bar, the 0 means it has a zero lead and the R or L means RH or LH. Circle Machine was really good about their nomenclature, making interpretation easy if you know how it works.
 
That mil/drill is looks like an RF-45 clone. I've got one with the dovetail column and paid WAY MORE than $250 for it! Good score. Excellent rebuild article on a RF - 45 here: http://www.metalworkingfun.com/showthread.php?tid=405 They are all pretty much the same, like you I am very happy with it.
If I can make a suggestion on boring bars, for the mill those sets of brazed Carbide are good value but do need a bit of a touch-up from new, I'd invest in a 3/4" boring head as well. For the lathe I like LH boring bars as it allows better optics and with a 3/4" bar can be used in the 3/4" boring head in the horizontal position which reminds me that I need a LH 1/2" bar!
I agree with WalterC about Mesa Tools, well made good quality at a very keen price.
 
Well, the FCBI-187-4-5R guy decided to let it go for $120, and its new/unused so I went for it. Also got my eye on a ccbi-250-4-5r. Hope to get that one too.
 
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