How to make thin groove for E clip ?

Grind the side of a parting tool?

Wes

Im machining 0.5mm grooves in 6.35mm s/steel rod. I just ground up a mini parting off tool in HSS. Works ok for me - I'm not sure what the correct way to do it is. : )

I did not know that a parting tool that thin would work but in my case the groove is not deep - I will give it a go - thanks

Tim

I really like to use 1/8" HSS endmills for this. Grind clear past the middle on one side a little deeper than your groove depth. Grind the other side to width. Use the existing flute as your cutting edge. Quick and pretty rigid. Good use for a broken one.

They do make mini-carbide tooling for doing this, but if you're doing just one or two, grind a HSS tool blank. Hold the protrusion down, you aren't making a parting tool and you'll need all the strength you can get. Plunge cut, lock the carriage and don't breath sideways on it.

The tooling with 10 inserts runs about $100 or so, I got mine for cheap off the MSC scratch and dent table but that source isn't around here anymore. Check their website for the tooling and manufacturer, might be you can get it locally for less.

Stan

If you are too lazy to grind your own bit (not that difficult), you can buy blades (and the tool holder) from Komet. They look like parting off blades, but they aren't and have the width required. Very easy to resharpen.

No product-catalog online :-(

Nick

============== A lot will depend on how many you have to do.

See

for inserts. Most likely somewhat "spendy" but you should be able to make a holder to fit your lathe. Be sure to look at all 11 pages.

For only a few grinding a HSS lathe tool is the way to go.

Unka George (George McDuffee)

There is something to be said for government by a great aristocracy which has furnished leaders to the nation in peace and war for generations; even a democrat like myself must admit this. But there is absolutely nothing to be said for government by a plutocracy, for government by men very powerful in certain lines and gifted with the "money touch," but with ideals which in their essence are merely those of so many glorified pawnbrokers.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), U.S. Republican (later Progressive) politician, president. Letter, 15 Nov. 1913.

I turn a standard cemented carbide bit on its Side..so the carbide is up and down, rather than horizontal, then grind to shape/width.

One can use their chipped/busted lathe tools for this and get additional life/usefulness out of them this way.

Gunner

"If thy pride is sorely vexed when others disparage your offering, be as lamb's wool is to cold rain and the Gore-tex of Odin's raiment is to gullshit in the gale, for thy angst shall vex them not at all. Yea, they shall scorn thee all the more. Rejoice in sharing what you have to share without expectation of adoration, knowing that sharing your treasure does not diminish your treasure but enriches it."

- Onni 1:33

And for one or two out in the dirt with no lathe handy, a Dremel with a cutoff disk mounted and a piece of tubing to guide the cut will do the job. Crudely, but done and working. Not that being inside a nice clean equipped shop wouldn't be more pleasant, or anything...

Nick Do you mean this catalogue:

shows what appear to be slotting blades down to 0.9mm (page 5) Martin

What sort of material and how many grooves?

I've had good luck with a Nikole holder and their carbide grooving inserts, which go down to 0.020" or so AIR. There are probably lots of other brands as well.

Mike

20 grooves - 8mm silver steel (drill rod) unhardened.

tim

Yes, this they are.

Nick