spline shaft cutters

[John BurridgeParticipant @johnburridge26484]

Hi to all,

Does anyone know where you can get hold of spline cutter simalar to involute type cutter as i need one to make a batch of replacement leadscrews on a M300 Harrison lathe cross slide leadscrew.

I could grind up a single point tool and flycut them but a multitooth cutter would makes things easier.

Do anyone know of a secondhand tool dealer who might have them in stock at a reasonable price.

Alternatively i could make a multitooth cutter and form relieve it and heat treat afterwards.

Regards

John Burridge

[John BurridgeParticipant @johnburridge26484]

availability of spline cutters

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

John,

Don't think you are going to be lucky with an off the sheft cutter.

Ash Gears in the States have the odd one but again with so many pitches and still 8 to the set, chances are low.

I did some shafts a while ago and made a multi tooth spline cutter. Some info here.

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=41591

John S.

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

Slightly off track – how are internal splines cut? (ie a pinion that slides on a splined drive shaft?

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

how are internal splines cut?

Broached

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

Hi JB ,

Most commonly by broaching .

Sometimes by slotting with a single point tool .

Mass produced gears with splined internals are sometimes made all in one go by hot or cold rolling .

A rarely seen but quite practical method uses a variation of the drilling a square hole principle – sometimes called rotary broaching .

Michael Williams .

[GoCreateParticipant @gocreate]

Splines can be of involute form and cut using an internal gear shaping method.

In a jobbing shop internal splines may also be done by spark erosion (EDM).

 Or wire erosion

Nigel

Edited By tractionengine42 on 15/04/2012 10:37:45

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

Hi Nigel ,

Your mention of internal gear shaping methods reminds me of the now it seems rarely used technique of gear shaving .

External gears and splines can be shaved with shaped cutters but the clever mechanical gear cutting machines of the past used plain rack cutters and the synchronised work rotation and cutter axial shift method which just automatically generated perfectly shaped involute teeth .

With CNC now in common use rack form cutters and CNC motions could again generate almost perfect external gears and splines with very simple cutter shapes .

Originally gear shaving used reciprocating cutters (like a shaper ) but the method is easily adapted tp rotating cutters .

Regards ,

Michael Williams .

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by MICHAEL WILLIAMS on 15/04/2012 13:04:50:

With CNC now in common use rack form cutters and CNC motions could again generate almost perfect external gears and splines with very simple cutter shapes .

Regards ,

Michael Williams .

 

 

When we demonstrate cutting gears by CNC at the shows we tend to use a largish tooth form so people can see it and it also allows us to use a bigger cutter so faster speeds and longer life.

 

The samples we cut are usually 2 MOD or approx 12 DP and we cut these with a perfect involute with an off the shelf 3mm three flute end mill, basically because we have them on stock !

We also cut helicals the same way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI8f6Lrwx00

John S.

Edited By John Stevenson on 15/04/2012 13:28:49

[colin hawesParticipant @colinhawes85982]

I have seen beautifully cut splined gears cut by a CNC laser in steel about 3/8 inch thick at an exibition. Colin

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I cut the splines on this gear using a 'Stan Bray' toolpost slotting tool, and made the 'internal gear' by plunging in a 3-flute cutter – it only acts as a dog clutch on another gear.

Outer gear using the Ivan Law single point cutter method.

Neil

[Anonymous]

Neil: Wow, those are pretty nifty gears, I'm impressed!

Regards,

Andrew

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

You ought to see (I'v no photos) the sprockets we use for the chain drive on the hay bale feed out machines we build, they are cut out with oxy acetylene, and cleand up with an angle grinder, the 35 mm hole for the shaft gets bored out on my lathe, and a hub welded on with a key way broached for a 3/8" key. The sprocket is cut from 10 mm hot rolled plate. It works, its cheap. Ian S C

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