Thanks for the offer, Curt. The only custom-made part I'm having to fabricate is a reducer bushing a little over an inch long, with a 1 1/4" OD, a 5/8" ID, and a flange on one end. There are two diameter cuts, two facing cuts, and a close-tolerance boring operation for the ID so a hardened drill guide bushing is a close fit. The main part of the tool is a 3" long milling cutter spacer with a 1 1/4" ID and a keyway, purchased online from Victor Machinery Co. It's a close slip fit over the crankshaft snout and serves as a holder for the guide bushings for the drill bit and the tap. I do have to open up the 7/16" guide bushing ID a few thousandths with a diamond bit mounted in a Dremel tool on the lathe tool post because the tap flutes are a bit larger diameter than a 7/16" drill bit and the bushing is too hard to drill. Simple operations, just several of them with the associated setup time.
Here's a pic of the kit, including a balancer pusher to avoid hammering the balancer back on. The reducer bushing I make is beside the milling cutter spacer, with the 1/8" wide flange facing upward.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Drill_and_tap_guide_2_005.JPG I'm also building a holding and alignment fixture to bore 216 connecting rods for insert bearings, one that will replace the compound swivel on my lathe carriage. The precision boring head will be mounted in a 4-jaw chuck and dial-indicated for centering. I used a similar machine a few years ago in an automotive machine shop, but it was dedicated to rod boring only, and it cost about $20,000.00! I'll have a little less than $200.00 invested in my fixture, plus 20 or 30 hours of labor time!
Jerry
