Is a shaper the only machine that can cut a key way?

[skippyelwell]

I have the original cast iron pulley for my lathe, at the moment it has a 5/8" bore and I need drill it out to 7/8" for the new motor.
Do I have to find someone with a shaper or is there another way to do it?
Thanks

 

[Tom O]

It can be done on the lathe or broached with a press.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I have the original cast iron pulley for my lathe, at the moment it has a 5/8" bore and I need drill it out to 7/8" for the new motor.
Do I have to find someone with a shaper or is there another way to do it?
Thanks

nope.

You can broach with a arbor press and a broaching set

 

[TorontoBuilder]

nope.

You can broach with a arbor press and a broaching set

If you tell me the size of the keyway you need I can see if I have the right size broach to cut it

 

[140mower]

I have put keyways in the inside of a few pulleys on both the lathe and mill, even did one on the shaper.

 

[Darren]

A file will do it too. Make a plug, mill a slot in it , like a broach guide, but use it as a file guide. Done in 10 mins and good enough for a motor. If you have a mill, you can mill the keyway. It doesn't have to be square in most cases. Or partially mill it and square it up with a file.

 

[thestelster]

I've used my milling machine as an arbour press a number of times. Lathe boring bar with HSS bit. Sharp bit, and small depth of cut, and it works perfectly well. The band clamp in the picture is to prevent the spindle from turning.

 

[Megar arc 5040dd]

I've used my milling machine as an arbour press a number of times. Lathe boring bar with HSS bit. Sharp bit, and small depth of cut, and it works perfectly well. The band clamp in the picture is to prevent the spindle from turning.

how does the how clamp stop the spindle from turning? I am picturing it spinning with the quill.

 

[wmetfab]

No spinning. Push it down

 

[Perry]

Broach using my CNC mill.

Same idea as @thestelster


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-...=sharing&resourcekey=0-s2w4YaQx-z702EeDJu0i2g

 

[skippyelwell]

I've used my milling machine as an arbour press a number of times. Lathe boring bar with HSS bit. Sharp bit, and small depth of cut, and it works perfectly well. The band clamp in the picture is to prevent the spindle from turning.

So you're shaving the keyway in a couple of thou. on each stroke, cool. That's how green I am when it comes to the possibilities of what a mill can do.
Did you modify that boring bar yourself or is that something that can be purchased?
I found these guys but their tools look expensive. https://cncbroachtools.com/

 

[Perry]

Just a cheap boring bar like these from Busybee. https://www.busybeetools.com/produc...-5-8in-3-4in-1in?_pos=15&_sid=185968aec&_ss=r

You can buy them individual for ~$10. You will need to cut(grind) a little short bit.



You could also do this in a lathe. Set up the pulley in the chuck. Lock the chuck and run the tool post back and forth manually. Slow, but it will work.

 

[ShawnR]

Spooky lately. It seems when I am working on a project, some relevant comments pop up in a forum. Google is way too into me!
Yesterday's squirrel project was a slitting saw arbor. Had the blades for years, thinking some day I would make an arbor. Yesterday it happened and I was at the point of figuring out how to do the keyway. Log in, and catch a glimpse of this thread. I have not done many but I like the tool bit in the cross slide method on the lathe, if the piece is conducive to that and that is all you have. I cut one this morning on the milling machine. 1/8" end mill, 1/4" slot. Will see later if it works. I need to shape the key now. But figured I would add to this thread.

 

[Susquatch]

I need to shape the key now.

I made my own arbor too. I never bother making a key. I also never liked how much the arbour sticks out beyond the blade so I made it as a button screw that threads into the arbour. As long as the rotation tends to tighten the screw, I don't think a key is required. Then again, I never take beefy cuts.

Joe Pie has a nice design too. Might be worth a watch.

 

[Tom O]

The first one I bought was from Busy Bee it tightened right up to the point of stripping the hex bolt trying to get it apart so I like the idea of a key way.

 

[Downwindtracker2]

I have a unfinished 6" shop built shaper. In order to do internal key slot ? way ? , it needs a boring bar type extension on the clapper box. You can buy a single size broach, BTW .

It's only cast iron and it's small, a file will work. Its called being a fitter. I have spent a good deal of company time with a file on mismade jobber parts .

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I made my own arbor too. I never bother making a key. I also never liked how much the arbour sticks out beyond the blade so I made it as a button screw that threads into the arbour. As long as the rotation tends to tighten the screw, I don't think a key is required. Then again, I never take beefy cuts.

Joe Pie has a nice design too. Might be worth a watch.

I have so many slitting saws now I'll need to make a few arbors... I'll make keyway versions since some of these saws are big

 

[TorontoBuilder]

So you're shaving the keyway in a couple of thou. on each stroke, cool. That's how green I am when it comes to the possibilities of what a mill can do.
Did you modify that boring bar yourself or is that something that can be purchased?
I found these guys but their tools look expensive. https://cncbroachtools.com/

If you want a simple version of a broach to stick in your mill use 1/2 - 5/8" round bar, and 3/16" round carbide or HSS blank and a 4mm grub screw.

Cut the 5/8" bar to a length long enough to travel the length of keyway you need, plus enough for length for clearance, for projection into the collet, as well enough length to leave sufficient material below the cutter mounting point.

You need to then drill a 3/16" hole thru the middle of the bar, and a 3.3mm thruhole perpendicular to the first hole so it enters the bore of the first hole. Tap that second hole for M4 grub screw.

Then grind a flat on your blank to the midpoint of the blank at the front tip.

Then grind 5 degree primary relief angle.

Then grind a nice deep secondary relief angle.

Then grind a flat on the side as shown, perpendicular to the flat on the top. Finally cut off the cutter to just shy of 3/4" long.

Insert your cutter into the shank. Insert shank into the mill quill using R8 collet. Ready, set, broach.

 

[wmetfab]

Thats excellent!

 

[140mower]

In this instance I had a pulley that was the right size, but the hole was too big. I bored it out until all of the keyway was gone. I then turned up a press fit plug and put the right sized hole through it. Before drilling the bore, I installed a dutch key to keep it locked in place. Then back into the mill to put in the keyway. Unfortunately I am already a few strokes into it in the first picture, what you are looking for when you center it are two equal very faint lines, one from each corner of the tool bit. If one side is digging a little harder, you are not on center. Feed slowly, take breaks when you need and in little time you're going to have a suitable outcome and one more tool in your bag of tricks.