Need a machinist or mechanic in Jefferson

[Rhandhali]

Strange question, but I figured someone here might know someone or have access to the equipment I need.

I am striking some doubloons, by hand, for one of the walking parades during Mardis Gras. I had a guy in California hand carve a set of dies. The dies work great, but to make sure that they strike evenly (and you don't smash someone's hand when you drop a 20lb sledge on the die that somebody is holding) there's a sleeve that holds the two dies with the doubloon blank in between them. The dies fit in the sleeve just fine. The problem is that the blanks I have won't allow the sleeve to hold the assembly together. The sleeve is maybe a quarter to a half millimeter too small.

I talked to the die maker and I need some way to bore this sleeve out just enough so that the blanks can fit into the assembly. All I've got is a hand drill, I spoke to the die maker who suggested using a hone for a carburetor or something, but that's a piece of gear I don't have and I don't know if a standard hand drill is going to be up to the task.

If anyone has access to a drill press or mill, or knows a small machine shop who can (very quickly, we roll at the end of the month!) bore out the sleeve a little bit at a time until we can get the blanks and dies to fit together. The inner diameter is right around 1/2" right now. I'd be sending it back to California guy but it's going to take too long to get here and we have about 1,000 tumbled and deburred blanks to strike.

 

[Abby Normal]

Where Yat Rhandhali,
If all you need is 1 mm Sounds like you need a brake hone.
That's if it's made of mild steel or cast. You can pick one up
At most good auto parts stores like Napa. Put it in your drill
And have at it. Not sure how long it would take to knock off
One mm.

 

[Rhandhali]

Thanks, I'll look into it. Only thing is I don't have a proper vice, just some clamp ons which won't be sufficient and I'd be afraid of ovaling out the sleeve. Those tools look like they'd be perfect though. I'll check a couple of the auto shops around me and see if they can do a quick bore out for me.

 

[Akajun]

Im in Baton Rouge, but I could bore it out for you on my lathe for a nominal fee. Let me know if your interested. Pics would help determine the price .