# Keyway Broaching tools?



## Brent H (Nov 25, 2020)

Hey Gang, 

I have some projects to do that will involve cutting some keyways that are a bit long for the lathe and mill to set up and they will be going through some gears that need to float on the keyway , so accuracy is a good thing.  

Has anyone used and had good luck with the broaching cutters on amazon or ebay and did you buy a set (so broach and collars) or did you by a broach and just make the collars as required?

Here would be the set:

https://www.amazon.ca/Accusize-Stan...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Or buy individuals and make collars as required:

https://www.amazon.ca/HHIP-2006-101...ay+broaching+tool&qid=1606348855&s=hi&sr=1-63

Thoughts?


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## Janger (Nov 25, 2020)

I wanna know what you're making Brent.


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## David_R8 (Nov 25, 2020)

At the risk of dissuading you from buying tools  have you considered using a round boring bar with a HSS cutter chucked in your mill and using it as a vertical broach?


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## Brent H (Nov 25, 2020)

@Janger - it will be a couple of different projects that all slam into one another at some point.  I am re-making the gearing for my Cincinnati No 2. tool cutter grinder for the slow feed handle in the front.  The original was basic spur gears that slowed the feed down on a planetary type system.  The gearing that was on mine was slightly advanced and they went with a helical gear arrangement. 




parts 291, 293 and 304 will be rebuilt.  Part 293 needs a 1/8” keyway cut - it is about 2” long in cast iron. 
Here are some sketches:









Setting up on the lathe or mill to make the keyway in 293 will be a long tedious process with room for error and I only have a limited amount of the cast iron.  The operation of the unit is such that the  handle is pulled out to disengage and then pushed in so all the gearing is going properly.  

Other parts of the operation involve the NMTB30 taper gear cutter arbors I am making to hold the cutters.  These I need to mill in the 1/4" keyway, no problem, but I need to make the ring spacers and such to allow for other cutters to fit. - yes.... also could be slowly cut in on the lathe or mill but will be made out of 4140, so a little tougher and I will be zipping a 1/4" keyway.

That I guess is just the start - several other projects on the go ....and it is getting close to Christmas  ... my wife likes nice Broaches... my turn...

@David_R8  - been there and done that - usually for less tough material - like Aluminum or mild steel - did it in cast iron for a pulley - but that is basically fit it and done - no slide action required type thing.  I also have some other gears to make where the cut needs to be nice and square.  Plus there is always the more tools thing......hahahahahaha


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## David_R8 (Nov 25, 2020)

Brent H said:


> @Janger - it will be a couple of different projects that all slam into one another at some point. I am re-making the gearing for my Cincinnati No 2. tool cutter grinder for the slow feed handle in the front. The original was basic spur gears that slowed the feed down on a planetary type system. The gearing that was on mine was slightly advanced and they went with a helical gear arrangement.
> View attachment 11879
> parts 291, 293 and 304 will be rebuilt. Part 293 needs a 1/8” keyway cut - it is about 2” long in cast iron.
> Here are some sketches:
> ...



Far be it from me to stand in the way of tool acquisition! 
Go forth and acquire man! 
(Be sure to report back on what and how  )


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## Brent H (Nov 25, 2020)

@David_R8  - hahahahahaha - says the man with a whole load of new "to him" machines! haha


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## Janger (Nov 25, 2020)

Good project Brent. and I like your sketches. Please post your experience with the broach. Be interesting to know more.


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## RobinHood (Nov 25, 2020)

Brent H said:


> did you by a broach and just make the collars as required?



i have two broach sets: one US made and an off shore one. Regardless, I have made multiple bushings because both sets only include the “standard” sizes of bushings. Invariably, you will run across a non-standard bore or an extra long one that requires a custom bushing...


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## Brent H (Nov 25, 2020)

So @RobinHood :  my thoughts were to just buy the broaches I currently require (1/8, and 1/4) and make the bushings to fit what I need right now.

Future plans also call co making some custom gear cutters.....so that means I get to make the bore and key for the blanks and then harden them - also means if I get these crazy metric things coming in I can adapt...LOL...

@Janger I will keep things updated as I go - thank you about the sketches, could always draw faster than talk at times...LOL - perhaps you will know why the pics always flip sideways?....


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## RobinHood (Nov 25, 2020)

Sure, that works.

the only reason I have sets is because they were part of “tool buys” - all or nothing.


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## Tom Kitta (Nov 26, 2020)

I may have spare 1/8 and 1/4 I have to check - I have doubles or triples of these. 

I make bushings as needed. 

Accusize set looks expensive - they have became expensive Chinese importer - you should get stuff for much less then they sell it for. 1/8 broach is tiny.


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## Brent H (Nov 26, 2020)

@Tom Kitta  - the 1/8 is $45 and the 1/4" is $62 as individual items.  The bushings will be not a bad make as the first keyways are in 3/4" holes and 1" holes.


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## CalgaryPT (Nov 26, 2020)

David_R8 said:


> At the risk of dissuading you from buying tools  ...



That comment is precariously close to making me hit the "Report" button David....


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## trlvn (Nov 27, 2020)

Tom Kitta said:


> Accusize set looks expensive - they have became expensive Chinese importer



My impression, from random online comments, is that Accusize is more expensive but also consistently decent quality.  My only personal experience is with an R8 to Jacobs taper arbor.  I got two different arbors from KBC (house brand) that were measurably out of round.  The Accusize arbor did not have any such problem.  Price was roughly the same.

I would guess that Accusize works with better quality manufacturers and/or insists on higher quality standards.

YMMV, etc

Craig


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## CalgaryPT (Nov 27, 2020)

trlvn said:


> My impression, from random online comments, is that Accusize is more expensive but also consistently decent quality.  My only personal experience is with an R8 to Jacobs taper arbor.  I got two different arbors from KBC (house brand) that were measurably out of round.  The Accusize arbor did not have any such problem.  Price was roughly the same.
> 
> I would guess that Accusize works with better quality manufacturers and/or insists on higher quality standards.
> 
> ...


Agreed. I've had great luck with Accusize. And that set looks nice. I bought a set of chucking reamers from them and I love them.


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## Tom O (Nov 27, 2020)

I’ve got a 1/4” square broach if anyone needs to use one.


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## hovercraft57 (Dec 8, 2020)

Brent H said:


> Hey Gang,
> 
> I have some projects to do that will involve cutting some keyways that are a bit long for the lathe and mill to set up and they will be going through some gears that need to float on the keyway , so accuracy is a good thing.
> 
> ...


Hi Brent If you don't mine buying Chinese  a site called Banggood has inexpensive machine shop items . The down side is it will take 6 weeks to arrive and some time to fish around the site to find what you want . Cutting keyways in tempered 4140 is doable with hss with oil a few times .


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## Brent H (Dec 8, 2020)

@hovercraft57 : I have some coming from Aliexpress and a one from @Tom Kitta (thanks Tom).  I will give them a shot.  I will have to make the bushings - but that is ok.  I watched some guy on you tube the other day pull out a set he bought off Face Book complete with 4 square hole broaches included for $60....WTF....argh! and he thought it was expensive.....only in the US  I guess


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## Tom O (Dec 8, 2020)

Lucky b! 
Facebook and kijiji buying tools the hunt and Peck method.
I’m still looking for tapping collets.


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## YYCHM (Dec 8, 2020)

Tom O said:


> I’m still looking for tapping collets.



What kind of tapping collets?


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## Tom Kitta (Dec 8, 2020)

Square broches off eBay are very expensive - easily over 60 each for smaller sizes - what most pp do is confuse keyway cutters with square hole cutters. 

I have some tapping collets and chucks but mismatched sizes - the rubber - metal collets are very expensive when new and hard to find on eBay for reasonable price.


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## Tom O (Dec 9, 2020)

I’ll find some eventually I’m looking at expanding mandrels, chucking reamers, and possibly a gauge set for Xmas.


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