This is a very frequently asked question and the hardest to answer as there is no true answer. For many end users, one Flex-Hone tool will last forever. For our high volume OEM customers, however, this is a bigger issue. The life of the tool will vary due to the following: Tool diameter, grit size, abrasive type, beginning roughness of the work piece, desired roughness of the work piece, stroke rate, rpm, material type, lubricant used, and many more. If you need more tool life for an ongoing application, please contact our technical staff to help you determine key points that may improve the longevity or number of parts worked per tool.
Contact us. We can design and manufacture tapered Flex-Hone tools and stepped or multi-diameter Flex-Hone tools in any of our abrasive types and grits.
Because the tool needs to be slightly oversized to function properly. The tools should always be ordered to the true ID of the bore to be worked, and then they are manufactured with the correct oversize.
No. The Flex-Hone tool is a surface finishing tool, not a material removal tool. We are reducing the rough peaks of a surfaces microstructure and typically we only remove a small amount of material.
The grit and abrasive type is identified by two key markings, one on the stem and one on the tip. The stem markings identify the abrasive type and the tip markings identify the abrasive grit.
| Flex-hone® Tool Information: Color Code | |
| Stem Marking | Type of Abrasive |
| No Color | Silicon Carbide (SC) |
| Black | Aluminum Oxide (AO) |
| Gold | Boron Carbide (BC) |
| Tan | Tungsten Carbide (WC) |
| Green | Levigated Alumina (LA) |
| Red | 25% Zirconia / 75% Alumina (Z25) |
| White | 40% Zirconia / 60% Alumina (Z49) |
|
Order by actual cylinder I.D. All Flex-Hones are produced oversized. |
|
| End Marking | Grit Size |
| Brown | 20 |
| Purple | 40 |
| Grey | 60 |
| Orange | 80 |
| Silver (No Color) | 120 |
| Cardinal Red | 180 |
| Navy Blue | 240 |
| White | 320 |
| Yellow | 400 |
| Pink | 600 |
| Light Blue | 800 |
The RPM will vary with the size of the tool and will range from 1200 to 60 RPM. The smaller the hone, the faster the speed. For a 1″ tool, for instance you will want to be at around 800 RPM, for a 3″ tool, you should be near 700 RPM, for a 6″ tool, you’ll be nearer to 450 RPM and so on. These are just guidelines and optimal performance for each specific application will be found with a bit of experimentation and testing. The Flex-Hone tool is a low RPM tool. Specific RPM is dependent on the diameter of the tool and the application. General speed ranges are given but, again, machine trials are required to verify the parameters. Hone Dia. RPM
19″ to 36″ 60 to 120 RPM
12″ to 18″ 80 to 350 RPM
8″ to 12″ 300 to 500 RPM
4″ to 8″ 400 to 700 RPM
2″ to 4″ 600 to 800 RPM
1″ to 2″ 700 to 900 RPM
4mm to 1″ 800 to 1200 RPM
The Brush Research learning center is completely free of charge for our distributors, field representatives and employees.
It is very easy to use. The abrasive globules each have independent suspension that assures the Flex-Hone to be self-centering, self-aligning to the bore and self-compensating for wear. No time-consuming training or set up is needed .
There is no difference. The Flex-Hone and Ball Hone are both trademarked names for our tools. We market the tool under the name Flex-Hone, but a common name is Ball Hone. Colloquially, some people also refer to the tool as a dingleberry hone, grape hone, bead hone, bottle brush hone, glaze buster/breaker hone, or flexible hone, but we do our best to dissuade the usage of those terms and to promote Flex-Hone. In any case, if it says BRM, you’ve got the best.
Brush Research is located in Los Angeles, CA.