BRM Official Blog

If you’re lucky enough to be at SHOT Show this week, there’s a good chance you’ll win big on the tradeshow floor. Each year, members of the shooting, hunting, and firearms industry learn valuable lessons from commercial buyers and sellers of military, law enforcement, and tactical products. By turning their newfound knowledge into profits, SHOT Show participants reap the rewards all year long.

Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM), a full-line manufacturer of metalworking tools, has the surface finishing solutions that guns owners, firearms manufacturers, and knife makers need. From January 17 to 20, 2017, BRM will be in Booth #1617 at the Sands Expo Center. But even if you’re not in Las Vegas this week, you can still see Flex-Hone® and NamPower technologies for yourself.

The BRM Official Blog is ending the year by looking back at how we’ve helped readers find solutions to surface finishing and deburring challenges.

As a full-line supplier of flexible honing tools and industrial brushes, we’ve covered plenty topics in 2016. Here are our Top 5 Blog Posts in terms of views. 

BRM Flex-Hone® tools come in 10 abrasive types and 11 grit sizes. When it's time to select and use a flexible cylinder hone, remember these two rules about deburring and surface finishing. 

• The base material of your workpiece determines which abrasive type to select.  
• The amount of work to perform and the degree of surface improvement that’s required determines which grit size – or sizes – to use.

Here’s what else you need to know about abrasives and grits for Flex-Hone® tools.

Flex-Hone® tools always require the use of a lubricant. If you don’t use the tool wet, you’ll load up your flexible cylinder hone with tiny bits of abrasive material and cast-off metal. Using the tool dry can also cause debris to become embedded in the workpiece. The lack of a lubricant can generate excessive heat and shorten tool life, too.

To prevent problems like tool loading, excess heat, and premature wear, always use a good-quality lubricant like BRM Flex-Hone® oil. Never use solvents, and remember to lubricate the tool generously and properly. By following the advice in this article, you can hone more efficiently and cost-effectively.    

Flex-Hone® tools impart the ideal surface finish to cylinder walls. Made in the USA by Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM), these flexible cylinder hones mount in most any rotating spindle.  Some users chuck BRM ball hones in a handheld electric drill. Others mount Flex-Hone® tools in a drill press, milling machine, or lathe. Flexible cylinder hones can be used with CNC equipment and industrial robots, too.    

No matter how you use them, Flex-Hone® tools come with some best practices. For example, enter and exit the bore while the ball hone is spinning. Slow down your RPMs to keep the tool cool. Don’t over-hone by stroking too much. Last week’s blog entry listed a total of ten tips. This week’s article takes a closer look at some best practices related to speed and stroke rate.

For cylinder deburring and surface finishing, Flex-Hone® tools get great results. Made in the USA by Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM), these flexible honing tools remove loose, torn, and folded metal while creating a substantially flat or plateau surface. BRM’s flexible cylinder hones also remove burrs from cross-drilled holes and slots. 

Flexible honing doesn’t require any special training or instruction, but there is a right way to use BRM’s metalworking tools. By following the ten tips in this article, you can cut your deburring costs while improving cylinder surface finish. Future articles in this series will take a closer look at each tip, but here’s an overview to get you started.

Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) supplies a full line of metalworking tools to a wide range of industries. BRM’s signature product, the Flex-Hone® tool, helps manufacturers to improve part quality and ensure consistency.

By removing burrs and improving surface finish at the same time, Flex-Hone® tools also promote operational efficiency. Flex-Hone® tools don't require any special training or instruction, but part manufacturers need to understand some basics about the tool's features, selection, and use.  

There are plenty of myths about high-performance engines. For example, some drivers claim that most engine wear happens at high speeds under tough racing conditions. In fact, the one or two seconds before full lubrication at startup is where most engine wear occurs. Similarly, some mechanics say that more zinc in your engine oil is always better. Yet too much zinc can interfere with friction modification.

There are some powerful myths about engine hones, too. Some mechanics say that you should never use BRM Flex-Hone® tools with Nikasil cylinders. “Never”, however, is incorrect. While it’s true that BRM’s engine hones are not recommended for all Nikasil cylinders, you can use aluminum oxide (AO) Flex-Hone® tools to deglaze some (but not all) non-ported Nikasil cylinders. 

So what kind of Nikasil cylinders are good candidates for flexible honing? Let's take a look.

Piston rings are engine components that seal the combustion chamber, transfer heat from the pistons to the cylinder walls, and help regulate oil consumption. To promote engine power and performance, the piston rings and the cylinder wall must form a proper seal.  Otherwise, excessive “blow-by” can enter the crankcase. The results can range from power loss to engine damage. 

As Performance and Hotrod Business magazine explains, Flex-Hone® tools from Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) help promote piston ring performance. In an article called “Rings True”, automotive writer Ed Sullivan describes how BRM’s flexible hones “allow for the fine-tuning of cylinder bores”, even in engine blocks made of harder metals that can make piston ring break-in challenging.

Flex-Hone® tools are available individually, but wouldn't it be nice if you could just buy a kit with all of the different-sized ball hones that you need? Even better, wouldn’t it be great if this kit included Flex-Hone® oil, BRM’s own special honing oil, for your next automotive project? 

If you’re in the market for a complete surface finishing solution, check out BRM’s new 10-piece Flex-Hone® automotive kit. Each flexible hone is proudly Made in the USA and comes in 180-grit silicon carbide. The tools range in size from 10mm to 2”. This special kit also contains 1/4 quart of Flex-Hone® oil along with how-to videos, instructions for use, and a premium BRM baseball cap.