F.J. Feddersen Knows Honing
Among his many innovations, Fred Feddersen is a believer in the power of honing to make the best barrels on the market. Honing is a process that eliminates radial reaming marks and achieves perfect roundness and straightness in a barrel. We are one of only a handful of shops in the United States that have the machinery capable of honing at the Feddersen level and even fewer that hone only on the pull stroke (just one of the powerful processes that make a Feddersen). After honing, our barrel roundness is down to a point where a tenth-reading dial-bore Gage barely flutters.
Like any metalworking process, honing relies on a systemized approach of components working in concert to deliver optimized results. Honing oil is one of these critical components, and this article examines the role it plays in a successful honing operation.
Honing is an abrasive process capable of producing bore size tolerances as small as 0.00002 inches (20 millionths of an inch, or one-half of 1 micron) and is typically used in components that demand the highest level of precision. Honing can consistently hold extremely tight tolerances at sub-micron levels, even when running millions of parts. Holes from 0.060 inch to 60 inches in diameter can be honed, in virtually any type of material used in manufacturing.