The Alvord Polk 128-0 straight flute chucking reamer (also called a machine reamer) is a general purpose round shank tool made of cobalt steel with no finish or coating, and is most commonly chosen for reaming in high-temperatures generated by machining tough, hard materials applications, or with abrasive materials. Cobalt steel tools are good for machining stainless steel and nickel alloys, which are harder and generate more heat through friction, giving cobalt a longer-lasting sharp edge than an equivalent high-speed steel tool. This tool can be used in a drill press, screw machine, lathe, or other good-quality toolholder. Straight flute reamers are useful for uninterrupted cuts in general purpose applications. These reamers make small, circular, and precise enlargements to through and blind holes. Cobalt steel is commonly chosen to make tools with exceptional wear resistance and temperature stability, and can be fed at higher rates than high-speed steel, while being more economical than carbide. For reamers in the 128-0 series with 0.0280 0.1561 inches diameter there are four flutes, for 0.1562 0.5220 inches diameter there are six flutes, for 0.5221 0.8820 inches diameter there are eight flutes, for 0.8821 1.1950 inches diameter there are 10 flutes, and for 1.1951 1.5000 inches diameter, there are 12 flutes. Tolerances are +0.0002 -0.0000 inches for all reamers in the 128-0 series except for those that are dowel-pin sized, in which case tolerances are +0.0000 -0.0002 inches. Reamers are used to finish an existing hole. These holes are often adequate, but in some engineering applications the resulting hole is not round enough or is incorrectly sized, and therefore reaming is necessary. Reaming positively affects the mechanical properties of the hole by producing a hole with an exceptionally smooth finish and precise roundness and diameter. Reaming is often used before tapping screw threads. Alvord Polk manufactures a broad family of cutting tools, brushes, and tooling components, following ISO 9001 standards for quality and environmental impact of their products. Their offices and manufacturing facilities have been located in the United States since 1881.
