Joint forming tool and method

A tool for finishing at least two surfaces to be joined together with an axial connector inserted into an aperture that extends generally orthogonally into the surfaces to be joined, the axial connector remaining at a generally normal orientation to the surfaces, the surfaces to be finished with a surface working means, the tool comprising:

• a support wheel having an upper surface, a lower surface having a generally flat surface and an aperture extending through said support wheel along a central axis that is generally normal to the flat surface of the lower surface, the generally flat surface of the lower surface being adapted for supporting the surface working means, the flat surface of the lower surface extending in a coplanar manner from the aperture extending through said support wheel to the cylindrical surface;
• a shaft adapted for insertion through the aperture in said support wheel, the shaft having a first end defining a guide axle, a mid-portion having means for retaining the shaft against said support wheel and a second end defining a drive axle, so that when said shaft is inserted through the aperture in said support wheel and retained against the support wheel the drive shaft portion extends from the upper surface of said support wheel and along the central axis of said support wheel, and so that the guide shaft portion extends from the flat surface of the lower surface and along the central axis of said support wheel, so that the support wheel driven by means of the drive axle supports the surface working means against the surfaces to be joined as the guide axle is inserted into the aperture of the axial connector.

A method for creating a joint consisting of at least two surfaces, the method comprising:

• providing a first component having a surface having an aperture;
• providing a second component having a surface having an aperture;
• providing a tool having:
• a support wheel having an upper surface, a lower surface that is flat, and a central axis that is generally normal to the flat lower surface, the generally flat surface of the lower surface having a surface working means;
• a guide axle extending from the flat lower surface and along the central axis of said support wheel;
• and a drive axle extending from the upper surface of said support wheel and along the central axis of said support wheel;
• contacting and preparing a surface around the aperture of the first component with the surface working means by inserting the guide axle into the aperture of the first component until the surface working means on the support wheel contacts the first component;
• contacting and preparing a surface around the aperture of the second component with the surface working means by inserting the guide axle into the aperture of the second component until the surface working means on the support wheel contacts the second component;
• and
• joining the surface around the aperture in the first component against the surface around the aperture in the second component by placing the aperture of the first component in alignment with the aperture of the second component, so that the first component and the second component contact one another.