Hexagon holes

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Hexagon holes

This topic has 14 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 10 February 2010 at 02:01 by James Veitch.

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7 February 2010 at 01:46 #48308
James Veitch
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@jamesveitch82153
This one has me stumped.

I need to make some hexagonal holes in the center of small gears and wheels.

How do I accomplish that to an acceptable degree of accuracy?

I would like to be able to make holes of various sizes, mostly fairly small.

The only thing I can think of now is to drill a round hole and brutally gnaw out the hexagon “by guess and by golly”. The results are pretty crude.

Suggestions please.

Thanks in advance, Jim V.
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7 February 2010 at 01:46 #15453
James Veitch
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@jamesveitch82153
How do you make a hexagonal hole?
7 February 2010 at 07:56 #48311
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
You could make a broach to finish the hole once its been roughed out as you describe, assuming its a through hole. You can buy hex broaches but at over £100 for the smallers sizes you would need to be making a lot of holes.

Depending what you call small and the depth of cut it could be done with a rotary table and small milling cutter, then just file out the corners

Or build yourself an EDM machine

JAson
7 February 2010 at 08:28 #48312
Jens Eirik Skogstad 1
Participant
@jenseirikskogstad1
Or go for this rotary broaching as here: http://www.rotarybroaching.net/support.htm
7 February 2010 at 09:38 #48314
mgj
Participant
@mgj
Or you go to Hemingway and make their slotter.

You’d need a dividing head connected to the lathe mandrel, which is just a bracketing job, if you already have the DH.

I have knocked out a load of square internal holes like that, and a hex is no different, other than the setting on the dividing head.
7 February 2010 at 09:57 #48316
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi there

Could you use the end of an Allen key as a broach?

Needs to be good quality but would probably work in brass.

regards David
7 February 2010 at 10:09 #48317
Eric Cox
Participant
@ericcox50497
As David suggests, drill with Dia. = AF size. Heat up the gear and either use an Allen Key or a nut. Grind the end of the Allen Key flat so you end up with sharp corners and reduce the length of the Allen Key to give a workable length.
7 February 2010 at 11:22 #48320
Steve Garnett
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@stevegarnett62550
Posted by JasonB on 07/02/2010 07:56:38:

Or build yourself an EDM machine

Did you see the SMEE one at the model engineer exhibition? That was producing small hex holes in stanley knife blades in about 30 seconds – very neat little machine, as I’ve observed before.
7 February 2010 at 21:23 #48348
Tomk
Participant
@tomk39956
There is an article in MEW 157 on making a rotary broach holder. Or a wobble broach as the writer calls it.
7 February 2010 at 21:50 #48350
chris stephens
Participant
@chrisstephens63393
Hi Steve,

Mike and Alan, from SMEE , have a wonderfully simple hand controlled EDM. I believe they plan to have it on the SMEE stand at Brighton this coming weekend., well worth a look.

chriStephens
7 February 2010 at 22:28 #48354
Steve Garnett
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@stevegarnett62550
Posted by chris stephens on 07/02/2010 21:50:49:

Hi Steve,

Mike and Alan, from SMEE , have a wonderfully simple hand controlled EDM.

That was the one they ‘built’ during their lecture session, wasn’t it? That was good, but it was the rather more developed one that I was really impressed with. It was great to talk to them about it as well – really informative.
7 February 2010 at 22:33 #48356
Ramon Wilson
Participant
@ramonwilson3
James,

If I may elaborate on one of the above helpful sggestions.

You state small holes in small gears/wheels. Assuming these are 4-5mm or under then depending on material and the power available to push it through, this can be done, as said, using a hex key of suitable size. However it is difficult to achieve a ‘full’, flat sided, hex. The fit on the points however will be a good fit on the key.

The hole size needs to be a few thou greater than the ‘across flats’ dimension. Open the hole at the top to the ‘across corners’ dimension just enough to position the key. You do have to sacrifice a key here – preferably make a holder by drilling a blind hole into a small length of mild steel a few thou smaller than the A/C dimension and, asuming you are doing this in the lathe, using the tailstock chuck, broach the key in to the holder until it stops.

Putting this holder in the tailstock drill chuck , you can now, if you are happy this will not stress the lathe, use this to broach the hole using the small recess in the workpiece to align it. A small holder to grip in the chuck to centralise the workpiece if neccessary can also help but the closed jaws may suffice. (you can also use the drill press but you need to ensure the tool is perpendicular to the workpiece or rather the hole is axial to the broach). As previously mentioned grind the hex key off nice and square but preferably don’t debur and use a good cutting fluid to get the best result.

As said it all comes down to material and size depending on size a fair bit of force is required relative to the small amount to be removed so be careful not to over stress things.

Hope this helps – Ramon
9 February 2010 at 15:40 #48421
Circlip
Participant
@circlip
As a “Mod” to Ramons suggestion, if you grind the end of the Allen key to form a “Dowel” type spigot, the diameter being the A/F size of the Hex., By forming a downward pointing Hook on the “Teeth” of the hex you can drill a pilot diameter in the blank and Broach the slot. Works with squares and whatever other shape you want.

If you don’t need concentricity, by “Cusp” grinding the end of the shape, the same can be achieved, – look in the sockets of some of the “Cheaper” socket head screws.

Regards Ian.
10 February 2010 at 00:32 #48456
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
Circlip,Ithought of putting apilot on the hex bar,bu then the thought of were are the chips going to go,you’v got to clear the chips ahead of the broach.The idea sounds good as it would centralise the broach. Ian S C
10 February 2010 at 02:01 #48459
James Veitch
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@jamesveitch82153
Thank you all for your fine suggestions. I appreciate them very much.

Yours, Jim V.
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