Boyd Allen
Active member
I am not sure why counter rotation works, but when the subject came up, some time ago, in a discussion on this same topic, with an experienced machinist/machine shop owner, he told me the following story.
He and his partners were involved in the production of close tolerance aircraft parts, hydraulic cylinders of some sort, that required accurate deep hole drilling. After struggling with producing the parts to the required tolerance, he decided to see how the competition was getting it done, and applied for and got a job in their shop. (as little industrial espionage, as it were)They were counter rotating. If I remember correctly, he said the machines that they used were big lathes that were fitted with a headstock on both ends.
I think that he attributed the problems that they had without counter rotating to the cumulative effects of gravity as the hole got deeper. Who knows? In any case, they adopted the procedure, and the problem was solved.
He and his partners were involved in the production of close tolerance aircraft parts, hydraulic cylinders of some sort, that required accurate deep hole drilling. After struggling with producing the parts to the required tolerance, he decided to see how the competition was getting it done, and applied for and got a job in their shop. (as little industrial espionage, as it were)They were counter rotating. If I remember correctly, he said the machines that they used were big lathes that were fitted with a headstock on both ends.
I think that he attributed the problems that they had without counter rotating to the cumulative effects of gravity as the hole got deeper. Who knows? In any case, they adopted the procedure, and the problem was solved.