5/8" arbour for slitting saw?

[brewdexta]

I want to cut slots in some grub screws, yes I could do it by hand but I want a nice repeatable job. Plus I have a dozen or so of these nice slitting saws from my dads stash. It is likely that I will be making slotted machine screws for other machine restorations.

The problem is that the arbour in the Tom Senior M1 is 1" and these are 5/8" or 15.88mm. So a 16mm arbour will be too big. Using a reamer on the saws won't work well with a keyway if I ream it to 16mm, I've been there, it goes off centre. Yes, I could just get a 16mm arbour and 16mm slitting saw, or maybe just slitting saws with a 1" bore for the Tom Senior, this is probably where the smart money is

There is a second hand 5/8" to 2MT arbour for sale on ebay by Home and Workshop machines for £43, which is a bit steep for a second hand unit that I will use two or three times a year but would fit directly into my Myford as that has an MT2 headstock, I could then mount the screw in the toolpost of off we go.

However, as I am by no means an expert in the slitting saw arbour world, I thought I would throw it out there and see what comes back, there may be a much easier/cheaper option that people have used for these occasional jobs that may fit the bill that utilises what I already have.

Any simple but safe ideas?

 

[Tony Brazier]

Hi here is new from Arc Euro : - https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Cata...g-Saws-and-Arbors/MT2-Stub-Milling-Arbor-16mm

 

[brewdexta]

Hi here is new from Arc Euro : - https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Cata...g-Saws-and-Arbors/MT2-Stub-Milling-Arbor-16mm

16mm though, as per my message, the saws are 5/8" - I could turn the arbor down a little I guess....

 

[RobCox]

I'm not familiar with your machine, but I'd get an ER chuck (ER32 is what I use) then turn an arbor to suit the saw that would be held in the chuck. That way, when you get a saw with a different bore it just requires you to make an arbor, not spend more.

This assumes you have access to a lathe of course.

 

[brewdexta]

Thanks Rob, I could make one to fit a collet chuck. I have Myford ML7 with an ER32 collet chuck so that a possibility. I guess cutting a slot on a screw isn't that challenging, I probably don't need a keyway, but could mill one.

 

[RobCox]

I never use a key with slitting saws. They're delicate little flowers and its better they spin in the arbor if they get clogged up - gives you a bit more time to back out the cut pronto before it goes bang. I dont use a key on horizontal milling cutters below about 1/8" width, just rely on friction.

 

[Chippie]

Yup, defo don’t do the key thing… better to let the cutter slip than risk shattering a saw blade…just keep it lubed up too…

 

[Agroshield]

Hi here is new from Arc Euro

They also do a 13mm one which could be used with a 13mm ID, 5/8" OD bush (reducing washer), just like you get with circular saw blades.

 

[RichardM]

If you go the ER32 route make sure you have enough clearance for what you want to split and the ER nut.

 

[brewdexta]

Am I over thinking this and the tolerance on a 16mm arbour is ok with 5/8" AKA 15.88mm. Or is a 16mm arbour really a 5/8" arbour for the US market just dressed up in metric pants?

 

[RichardM]

Model Engineering and engineering tools online from RDG Tools Ltd Home Page (Engineering Tools) Tel 01422 885069 /884605

Model Engineering and engineering tools online from RDG Tools Ltd Home Page (Engineering Tools) Tel 01422 885069 /884605

RDG do actually differentiate between Imperial and Metric. Did you once say they were not far from you, if so why not just take a blade down to try out?

 

[Agroshield]

The 'fits every size' type are not all that good.

See:

Indexa 1/2" Diameter 2.9/16" Long Slitting Saw Arb| at Zoro

Indexa - 1/2" Diameter 2.9/16" Long Slitting Saw Arbor available at Zoro.co.uk - UK's Leading Supplier of DIY Tools and Supplies'

www.zoro.co.uk

for how they work.

IME, they do not hold the saw particularly rigidly or concentric.

If you rotate them one way, the countersunk securing screw unscrews. If you rotate them the other way, you strip the hex of the countersunk screw trying to undo it at the end.

 

[brewdexta]

Thanks guys, some interesting options available. RDG is not far away from me, a very dangerous place to visit though, if you know what I mean

 

[addjunkie]

Id just go the er32 route and make a spiggot to hold the saw. No key either. Buying new tools all the time for odd jobs becomes painful

 

[brewdexta]

I just nipped into the workshop and found an MT2 drill chuck arbour. I think it has a JT taper on it for the chuck. I could turn the JT end down to 5/8" and thread it for a nut and make a spacer. Trouble is that if has a tang rather than a draw bar thread. I could cut the tang off, drill and thread it M10.

It's good to have something to think on when going down to the smoke for my weekly enforced exile from the workshop

 

[addjunkie]

It's good to have something to think on when going down to the smoke for my weekly enforced exile from the workshop

when I was doing the Monday to Thursday thing in the big city, I spent all week thinking about going North

 

[Milkybars]

https://www.chronos.ltd.uk/product/soft-blank-end-arbor-2-mt-tapped-end/

This should do the job, turn the stub to 5/8" and use spacers either side of the blade, if it ever digs in of gets chewed you can play around with spacers to get a fresh bit of 5/8"

 

[brewdexta]

For the price I went for the RDG multi size arbour threaded 10mm. If the screw is a pain to remove or comes loose I'll modify it to take a stud and nut with locking nut, but for this one job it should be fine.

I then decided to use my Tom Senior light vertical milling machine, easier to hold the screw etc. I had to make a 10mm drawbar, not exactly hard so it was soon mounted.

But the machine was filthy as I had to cover it in thick syrupy slideway oil last year when I had a workshop heating malfunction and it started rusting

So a good clear down of tools, swarf, the treacle like oil and a bit of rust and it looks a lot better, I gave her a good lube as well. I did tart the base and column up when I bought it as I had to take it apart to take it up into the workshop, and I had the spray gun loaded with Tom Senior green as I was renovating and M1 at the time. But I didn't touch the head. This needs a bit of TLC, there's a chipped pulley and a few other small issues and a general check over, but it came with a brand new single phase motor.

I also mounted an aluminium bin on the wall behind it that used to grace the back of my BT Bedford HA van to take the tools off the tray.

The motor was great when I first used it for boring out a tractor axle, but now I want a slow speed, I could really do with a 3 phase motor and a VFD. I have the older 4 speed S type head and speeds are 480 to 2760 rpm, and 480 seems a tad fast for this.

So, I may move it over to the Tom Senior M1, that has a VFD and a back-gear so no issues with speed. The knuckle head on it takes MT2 so shouldn't be an issue mounting it, The only issue is that I haven't remounted the VFD since I moved the machine from one side of the workshop to the other. I shall do that over the weekend.

What a lot of faff to cut some slots when I have a hacksaw

Cheers
Andy

 

[RichardM]

Personally I would have put it in the horizontal on the M1.

 

[brewdexta]

Personally I would have put it in the horizontal on the M1.

I did mention that in the first post as probably where the smart money lies

This thread is rapidly becoming a machine spring clean and fixing thread. The M1 looked like this. so attacked it with some paraffin

Now looks like this, it was covered in sawdust so must get some dust sheets and use them

Seeing as I stink of paraffin, I'm going to finish the Colchester tonight so I can get the clothes on a hot wash.

Tomorrow I may get a 1" ID slitting saw for the M1 horizontal if I get chance, otherwise it will be Monday. I have to refit the VFD on the M1 and work out why its not as powerful as it should be, I had to fish around for the star point and change it to delta, I think I know what the issue is.


To be continued.........