cutting and drilling links

[davway]

ok, i need some ideas on how to cut all my links even and drill them straight.
shouldnt really be hard in the real world but i dont have the appropriate tools on hand.
my basic tools consist of:
electric hand drill
bench vice
hack saw
hand files
and other general tools that dont make exact cuts.

i have cut my links already with a hack saw but obviously they all arent exactly the same length. anyone have some ideas about how to even them up without sitting there for an hour with a hand file?

onto the drilling so i can tap some threads.
how can i drill a centred, straight hole with the tools above?

any little tips and or tricks would be appreciated.
obviously my ideal shed would contain a mill, lathe, and a drill press but unfortunately my shed doesnt at this stage.

[Crawln Coles]

What material are you using?

When I make delrin links I use a bench grinder to even em up. I know you don't have one, but maybe a friend or neighbor. As for drillin the holes in the center make a template or jig out of some scrap. Alum or woodwill work, but alum is better. First drill the smaller hole all the way through then drill a hole the size of your links half way through. Then you can just insert your link on one side and drill bit on another. Perfect center every time!

[davway]

links are 6mm soild round aluminium.
im planning on drilling each end of the link, tapping a thread, screwing in the appropriate screw and cutting the head off so i can screw on the rodend.
im re-using links i made 2 years ago when i only had a chassis. they were too long anyway and 3/4 of them came out with holes off centre and crooked.
funny thing is, i've done engineering so i know how to do all this already...with the proper tools. im just a little lost as to how to make everything even and centred without the right tools.
they dont teach you that kind of stuff.

i even had all 4 links (that were to be the same length) sitting in the vice as one unit so they should all come out the same length....the hacksaw had different ideas though.

[RCCrawlerTT]

The easiest/best links I think you'll be able to make with your setup are made by using 8-32 threaded rod and 1/4" brakeline. Use the Traxxas 5525 ball ends and tap out the hole that is already in there with an 8-32 tap and you have a pretty solid set of straight links with centered holes.

As far as cutting them, I just use a cheap little tubing cutter I got from lowes and make sure my measurements are accurate the first time.

I have a drill press, dremel with cutoff tool and several other small things that would do it, but the tubing cutter (pipe cutter) does a very clean job with minimal effort and leaves a nice edge when finished.

[davway]

Originally Posted by RCCrawlerTT

The easiest/best links I think you'll be able to make with your setup are made by using 8-32 threaded rod and 1/4" brakeline. Use the Traxxas 5525 ball ends and tap out the hole that is already in there with an 8-32 tap and you have a pretty solid set of straight links with centered holes.

As far as cutting them, I just use a cheap little tubing cutter I got from lowes and make sure my measurements are accurate the first time.

I have a drill press, dremel with cutoff tool and several other small things that would do it, but the tubing cutter (pipe cutter) does a very clean job with minimal effort and leaves a nice edge when finished.

thanks but that doesnt really help.
i already have solid rod cut, tap and drill bit on hand and screws ready to go.
threaded rod is $20 a metre, then the tubing on top plus the tube cutter. im not going to go out and spend more money when i have materials here already to use.
the thread im using is M4 thread on 5347 (iirc) traxxas ends.

[mrmaxxman]

next time get some set screws, you can get them various lengths i usually get 1 in. long 8-32 then you can use an allen wrench to screw them in good and tight without having to cut a screw head off. as for drilling, that just takes patience, i clamp my aluminum rod in a vice just as square as i can with just enuff sticking out then file away till its as flat as i can get it, then i take a center punch and try to get as close as possible to center and then i take a small center drill
and start a small hole then i use the correct size of bit for my threads in a hand drill with the rod just as it was in the vice when filing(i usually use 8-32) for my super, hope this helps ya, btw i get my set screws from mcmaster.com

[davway]

thanks, the centre punch idea might just help to get the hole centered.
just have to make sure i keep the drill straight.
i have a local nut and bolt shop here and the guy is very helpful and has pretty much any kind of nut and bolt you could think of.
he actually has more hobby sized nuts and bolts than the local hobby shop!

[mrmaxxman]

thats great, just take your time it will come out good, the best advice is the set screws, and patience TAKE YOUR TIME it is sooo much easier than trying to put a normal screw in and cut the head off, plus if ya have to take it apart you can grab the allen wrench and take it back out again, i use lock tight on the set screw when i am ready for final install, not a lot just so i can get it back out and save the set screw for further projects...