Drill rod questions

[Moleman-]

Good job, if it cuts it doesn't matter how you got there. My first reamer didn't cut well. With a little bit of creativity you can cut the flutes on your lathe. I've seen where guys held the reamer blank in the tool post and an end mill in the lathe, and also held it in the lathe between centers as normal and used the bull gear to index the reamer and cut the flutes with an die grinder held on the tool post.

[M-Tecs]

Some good basics on heat treatment here. https://www.crucible.com/eselector/g...eralpart2.html

[country gent]

We cut blind keys in the lathe with a boring bar and lathe bit facing forward touch and back out (leave spindle in lowest gear) then run in with table take a couple thousandth each pass. Same could be done to cut flutes. set a tool high and run in a few thou each pass and rotate for next flute.

[Wolfer]

That should work pretty well, especially on straight reamers. A bottle neck might be a little more difficult but could certainly be done.

My harbor freight cross slide vise should be here today. It and an angle plate from grizzly should let me do some light milling.

[44man]

I use a Vertex to cut flutes on cherries. Any angle is perfect.