Keyway cutter for Myford

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Keyway cutter for Myford

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  • #331728
    David Hunn 1
    Participant
      @davidhunn1

      Hi I want to make a keyway slotter for a myford s7 any body made one David hunn

      Edited By JasonB on 12/12/2017 14:21:33

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      #30645
      David Hunn 1
      Participant
        @davidhunn1

        Keyway cutter build

        #331733
        pierre ehly 2
        Participant
          @pierreehly2

          Hi,

          See ME 17jul1970

          Lathe planing adapter by LC Mason

          P

          #331734
          Jim C
          Participant
            @jimc

            Hi, Yes, made one from the casting and drawings available from College Engineering Supplies.

            jim.

            #331742
            Roderick Jenkins
            Participant
              @roderickjenkins93242

              slot 1.jpg

              This one was made by the previous owner of my lathe. I believe it is the Mason design as mentioned above. It works very well.

              HTH,

              Rod

              #331750
              steamdave
              Participant
                @steamdave

                Hemmingway do a kit for a slotting attachment.
                http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Keyway_Slotting_Attachment.html

                If you want to make up one from bar stock, have a look at
                http://files.thor-hansen.webnode.no/200000005-d15e8d34f4/Emco_Slotter.pdf

                Another design: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attachments/2/8/1/5/0/127440.attach

                Dave
                The Emerald Isle

                #331756
                Clive Foster
                Participant
                  @clivefoster55965

                  Stan Brays' simple design was published in Model Engineers Workshop issue no 1. As drawn its to go in a tool post but the carrier is easily modified to suit your preferred mounting.

                  Clive.

                  #331762
                  RichardN
                  Participant
                    @richardn

                    As much as I like the designs here, some of which I have considered making, for an occasional use, is there an issue with just using the saddle handwheel for movement with a keyway cutter held on the topslide? I appreciate a few turns of the handle each stroke is less convenient than a single swing of a lever, but the same overall effect?

                    #331764
                    Tony Pratt 1
                    Participant
                      @tonypratt1
                      Posted by RichardN on 12/12/2017 17:24:03:

                      As much as I like the designs here, some of which I have considered making, for an occasional use, is there an issue with just using the saddle handwheel for movement with a keyway cutter held on the topslide? I appreciate a few turns of the handle each stroke is less convenient than a single swing of a lever, but the same overall effect?

                      No problem, I have cut keyways a couple of times using the hand wheel.

                      Tony

                      #331765
                      JasonB
                      Moderator
                        @jasonb

                        I have done quite a few with the handwheel upto 3/16" wide in steel.

                        That was before the availability of reasonably priced broaches from the far east which may work out less expensive than buying castings and materials. That is the way I went and can simply knock up another bush if required if I don't have one of a particular dia..

                        #331772
                        Tony Pratt 1
                        Participant
                          @tonypratt1
                          Posted by JasonB on 12/12/2017 17:37:07:

                          I have done quite a few with the handwheel upto 3/16" wide in steel.

                          That was before the availability of reasonably priced broaches from the far east which may work out less expensive than buying castings and materials. That is the way I went and can simply knock up another bush if required if I don't have one of a particular dia..

                          Do you need an arbor press as well, I would imagine a Myford 7 tailstock screw or vertical mill table screw would be up to the job, but not actually used broaches?

                          Tony

                          #331775
                          Clive Foster
                          Participant
                            @clivefoster55965

                            Keyway cutting / slotting on a lathe goes a lot easier if you can arrange to get most of the metal out with a suitable drill. Obviously has to be done before boring the hole or by inserting a plug.

                            Apart from relatively low speed of operation a major drawback to using the tailstock screw or carriage hand wheel feed is lack of feel. Its quite easy to apply unkindly large forces without realising what's going on.

                            Clive.

                            #331776
                            norman valentine
                            Participant
                              @normanvalentine78682

                              I have just recently cut several keyways 2.5 and 3mm wide for my Minnie Traction Engine using a tool in the toolpost of my Loughborough Training lathe and using the handwheel to feed it. This machine is a more substantial than a Myford but I was definitely in fear of something breaking. Today I have started making a slotting tool that does not depend on the lathe mechanism at all. I have designed it to replace the topslide and be lever operated similar to Rod's photo.

                              Edited By norman valentine on 12/12/2017 18:50:30

                              #331779
                              not done it yet
                              Participant
                                @notdoneityet

                                Norman,

                                Not to be recommended for a Raglan Litte John – and I suspect the Loughborough uses the same parts in the apron, for the longitudinal carriage travel. The L/J pinion, shaft and apron bearing were a weak point – the 5" was beefed up considerably, but I would still not use it for cutting keyways in that fashion. The hemmingway and other examples where the cutter is moved with the long travel locked down is, by far, the better option IMO.

                                You will shortly have a PM, regarding another matter.

                                #331782
                                JasonB
                                Moderator
                                  @jasonb

                                  Tony, upto 1/8" with a broach can be done in a drill press, just put a bar end in the chuck and pull down the quill lever, not tried using the tailstock screw.

                                  These 3/16" ones on the left are 1" long and done in steel using the WM280 carrage handwheel and would be as big as I would be happy to do, probably 1/8" may be as big as you would want to go an a myford.

                                  #331783
                                  peak4
                                  Participant
                                    @peak4

                                    I made a home brewed one similar to Rod's which seems to work well enough for keyways and splines shafts.

                                    Bill

                                    #331784
                                    John Haine
                                    Participant
                                      @johnhaine32865

                                      How many internal keyways are you going to make? I've made one in anger, for a bushing to adapt a pulley to fit the shaft of a 3 phase motor. I used an inserted bit boring tool with a square tool on its side in the tool post, fed with the saddle hand wheel, taking IIRC round about 0.2mm cuts. It took a while but not as long as making a special slotter! Next time I may just write some gcode to do it as my lathe is CNC.

                                      #331801
                                      norman valentine
                                      Participant
                                        @normanvalentine78682

                                        John, my answer to your question is more (keyways) than I am prepared to risk damaging my lathe for. That is the reason that I am making a slotting tool. If I only use it occasionally it will have been worth it. I have a few more to do in my current project so the time will be well spent. I have plenty of time as I am retired.

                                        #331803
                                        RichardN
                                        Participant
                                          @richardn

                                          Good to hear I haven’t been abusing my S7 then, since so many others have done rather more than I! I don’t mind admitting I have done so now I know people who know what they are doing do it too…

                                          #331825
                                          Howard Lewis
                                          Participant
                                            @howardlewis46836

                                            A long time ago, I made a Slotting Tool to the design of the late Peter Robinson. It is intended for the Myford 7 Series, but I use it with a raising block on my BL12-24 (Warco BH600 / Chester Craftsman lookalike)

                                            The casting came from College Engineering. Presumably, the new owners can still supply?

                                            The rest of the material was awaiting to "come in handy"

                                            Much better, and quicker, than a lot of winding of the Tailstock or Apron handwheels.

                                            Howard

                                            #331831
                                            Hopper
                                            Participant
                                              @hopper
                                              Posted by RichardN on 12/12/2017 17:24:03:

                                              As much as I like the designs here, some of which I have considered making, for an occasional use, is there an issue with just using the saddle handwheel for movement with a keyway cutter held on the topslide? I appreciate a few turns of the handle each stroke is less convenient than a single swing of a lever, but the same overall effect?

                                              I've done at least one job like that on my Drummond M-type, a 5/32 keyway in an old Myford-style cast iron change gear. It works but very tedious. If I had more than one gear to do, I would rig up something like Rod Jenkins posted above, a long handle attached to the top slide.

                                              On the Myford ML7 I would be wary that the apron casting is fairly flimsy Mazak attached to the saddle by three 1/4" Allen bolts so too much racking back and forth might be a bit much for it. (The Mighty Drummond's apron is a piece of 9/16" thick steel plate held on by 3/8" bolts so more durable.)

                                              I plan to make a rig like the one Rod posted, but with the addition of three-position stop so it can be used for graduating hand dials etc. I have found that on homemade graduating tools it's hard to get rid of that last thou or two of slop between moving ram and body, which makes it difficult when cutting lines only four thou deep. So the topslide should provide a readymade precision slideway with zero slop.

                                              #331832
                                              not done it yet
                                              Participant
                                                @notdoneityet

                                                An alternative to building a shaper attachment for the lathe is to pick up a small shaper, like an Adept, and use that for keyway cutting. The slideways and ram are built with plenty of rigidity for very good reason. Weighty, perhaps, but doesn't take up too much storage. Saves thrashing (or even trashing) the lathe.

                                                The Alexander I have is very capable of cutting internal slots of any size I will ever need. The Drummond is even more capable.

                                                #334240
                                                norman valentine
                                                Participant
                                                  @normanvalentine78682

                                                  Earlier in this post I mentioned that I was making a slotting tool. It is now complete. I made it for my Raglan lathe and it mounts in place of the topslide. I found it to be very straightforward to use and on a test piece I was able to make 2 thou. deep cuts, without any sense of straining anything, and no dig-ins. When I tried slotting by racking the saddle backwards and forwards 1 thou was a strain and I had lots of dig-ins.

                                                  The actual cutter holder is interchangeable and can be made to suit the bore of the job in hand.img_0576.jpg

                                                  Edited By norman valentine on 28/12/2017 16:38:12

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