How do I cut splines?

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  • randy803
    Junior Member
    • May 2001
    • 7

    How do I cut splines?

    I am trying to make a hub adaptor for a Porsche steering wheel but I need to cut internal splines to match the steering column shaft. I do not have a shaper but I do have a Lathe and mill anyway to do this without a shaper? Thanks!
  • SGW
    Senior Member
    • Apr 2001
    • 7010

    #2
    ...with a lot of patience, maybe.

    You can grind a toolbit, put it in the lathe toopost, and manually plane out the splines by racking the carriage back and forth. You'll need some way of indexing (and locking) the lathe spindle to index the splines. The toolbit will need to be quite thin, as you can't get a lot of force behind it, so you'll need to shape the splines in stages.

    The same thing can be done on the milling machine by putting a suitably-ground toolbit in the spindle, locking the spindle, and planing out the splines by using the quill downfeed. Same caveat about a very thin toolbit, as you can't get much force behind it (although probably more than with the lathe carriage idea). Indexing would probably be easier, as you could put the hub on a rotary table to index it.

    Either of these methods would take a REALLY long time, but it is do-able with sufficient patience.
    ----------
    Try to make a living, not a killing. -- Utah Phillips
    Don't believe everything you know. -- Bumper sticker
    Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. -- Will Rogers
    There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory. - Josh Billings
    Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
    Don't own anything you have to feed or paint. - Hood River Blackie

    Comment

    • randy803
      Junior Member
      • May 2001
      • 7

      #3
      How about this crazy idea? I was thinking of making a small cutting wheel to the shape needed and mounting it on a long rod with a small belt drive mounted in the lathe tool post. The using the lathe head to index I could insert the spinning cutter and take small cuts until the desired depth? This sound to out there? maybe i should draw up my idea and post it?

      Comment

      • SGW
        Senior Member
        • Apr 2001
        • 7010

        #4
        Hey, it might be made to work. How big a hole do you have?

        Rigidity may be a problem.



        [This message has been edited by SGW (edited 04-08-2005).]
        ----------
        Try to make a living, not a killing. -- Utah Phillips
        Don't believe everything you know. -- Bumper sticker
        Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. -- Will Rogers
        There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory. - Josh Billings
        Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
        Don't own anything you have to feed or paint. - Hood River Blackie

        Comment

        • kmccubbin
          Member
          • Mar 2005
          • 86

          #5
          Have you considered making a broach?

          Comment

          • randy803
            Junior Member
            • May 2001
            • 7

            #6
            A broach is good but then I have to manually push and pull it.

            Comment

            • DR
              Senior Member
              • Jan 2003
              • 4783

              #7
              "I was thinking of making a small cutting wheel to the shape needed and mounting it on a long rod with a small belt drive mounted in the lathe tool post. The using the lathe head to index I could insert the spinning cutter and take small cuts until the desired depth? This sound to out there? maybe i should draw up my idea and post it? "

              Yeah, that'd work great......except the splined steering columns I'm familiar with are pretty small diameter. If you're into micro tool making go for it.

              Comment

              • lugnut
                Senior Member
                • Sep 2004
                • 1896

                #8
                Randy, taka look at the tool on the following web site http://homepage3.nifty.com/amigos/sl...ing_tool-e.htm
                something like it might do what you want.
                Mel

                [This message has been edited by lugnut (edited 04-08-2005).]
                _____________________________________________

                I would rather have tools that I never use, than not have a tool I need.
                Oregon Coast

                Comment

                • randy803
                  Junior Member
                  • May 2001
                  • 7

                  #9
                  THATS THE TICKET! Thank you!!!

                  Comment

                  • Paul Alciatore
                    Senior Member
                    • May 2002
                    • 17491

                    #10
                    That's a neat tool, I gotta make one.

                    Bet you could cut the gear teeth with it also.

                    Paul A.
                    Paul A.
                    s
                    Golden Triangle, SE Texas

                    And if you look REAL close at an analog signal,
                    You will find that it has discrete steps.

                    Comment

                    • C. Tate
                      Senior Member
                      • Jul 2001
                      • 533

                      #11
                      Use old hub attach to new wheel.

                      Comment

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