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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2011
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    Murray Bridge S Aust.
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    Default Cutting a spline with the lathe

    Saw this on you tube and thought it an interesting way to cut a spline on a shaft with the lathe. They called it a gear, but to me it's more of a spline.
    Please do not complain to me that it's abuse of the lathe, I submitted it as what could be done in a pinch.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7TtqyDFzlI

    Cutting an internal spline, similar concept
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BczEh2hFFrY


    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
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    Adelaide, SA
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    Default

    Those Indonesian machinists can get fairly creative with their "mesin bubut" and "mesin kumai"

    Interesting dividing technique. Probably how it was done a few centuries ago.

    Safety issues aside there have to make do with what they have. Most job shops don't even have a fire extinguisher and usually no one is wearing any shoes

  3. #3
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    Default

    Hi Kafie, I'm glad that you could understand that writing, as I forgot that you lived there for a while.
    It's amazing as to what they can do with so little equipment.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
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    1,894

    Default

    The lathe or "prince of machine tools" has many of the elements of other machinery.
    Here they have adapted one for use as a shaper, and then as a milling machine.
    Holding the job in place seems to be achieved just by severely tightening the tailstock ram.
    That doesn't appear to be positive, but has evidently been successful here.

    I've seen that type of spline referred to as serrations. Not much good as a gear I think.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Adelaide
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    Default

    I've cut internal splines on the lathe a few times in the past, racked the saddle back and fwd by hand - it does work but gets tiresome very quickly. I cut the tapered internal spline on a steering wheel boss for one of the kid's car projects, to index I used wrapped a length of brown paper around the chuck back plate, removed it and then divided it up with pen marks according to the number of splines, taped back onto the back plate with a simple wire pointer next to the chuck was good enough, it was fortunately only about 18mm long and aluminium so soft enough to cut each spline in one go - I had to use the top slide to advance the cutter rather than the saddle as the spline was tapered.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
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    Revesby - Sydney Australia
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    Default

    The second video (internal spline) shows some things I found interesting;

    1) When he parts off the tube, there was a very good wiggling action –
    ensuring clearance for the tool in the slot it was cutting.

    2) Somehow, this lathe allows disconnection of the spindle from the feed/lead screw.
    I have never used one that allows that, but some lathes have many clutches.
    However, it seems he just selects E on the gearbox,
    and then the thread cutting screw turns independently to the spindle????

    3) When the cutter is nearing the end (closest to the chuck),
    it seems it kicks in toward the centre.
    Couldn't tell if this was quick turn out of the cross slide,
    or something to do with the motor reversal rocking the saddle.
    Nigel, from a cave FULL of unfinished projects and lost tools.

  7. #7
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    Oct 2019
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    Default

    I will have to watch the video again but IIRC:

    I thought the operator used a live center in the spindle and a dead center in the tailstock which under friction/pressure from the tailstock should keep the part static (independent of spindle rotation) and allow using the carriage under power feed to cut the spline.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    Southern Highlands NSW
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    Default

    I agree.
    It's probably just as well to cut from the left to right, to add to the "braking" effect.

  9. #9
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kafie1980 View Post
    I will have to watch the video again but IIRC:

    I thought the operator used a live center in the spindle and a dead center in the tailstock
    In the first video (external splines), yes.
    Nigel, from a cave FULL of unfinished projects and lost tools.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
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    Adelaide, SA
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    Default

    Sorry, What second video? I just saw the second video.

    Interesting, and I have not seen this feature before built in a lathe before.

    On the kind of lathes we have at home, we could still do this with a live center in the spindle. And for extra work holding replace the dead center in the tail stock with a tailstock chuck.

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