How would you …. cut drive flanges

[Anderzander]

The original shaped early Series drive flanges are no longer available …. They were start shaped, like this net sourced picture:

the later (available) ones looking like this:

How would you cut the latter to have the shape of the former? (or close to it)

For small numbers I know people would be able to bench fit it - but I know I wouldn’t end up with a clean edge in sight.

Ive seen joiners use a router attachment where a special bit has a long shaft with a rotating cylinder on it above the cutting edges - so you can trace a shape with the cylinder and replicate it by cutting into the material below.  I can’t imagine that working on a mill though..

For large numbers I guess you’d get it into CAD and cnc them - but I would imagine that’s only viable for fairly significant numbers.

Any thoughts or machining wisdom?

I’d be interested in how I might do a couple - but also how it might be done for a batch. 

 

[miketomcat]

For all numbers I'd just use a grinder or plasma cutter. If your lucky enough to have a mill then that's even better. For larger numbers take it to a machine shop they can CNC mill, plasma, laser or water jet cut them. It may be worth talking to a machine shop anyway sometimes they like a small fill in job especially if your not in a rush.

Mike

[Maverik]

If you just want a few doing there are small machine shops all over that could mill to shape I reckon, if you're handy with a grinder you could also try that, but if it was me, I'd go find somone with a milling machine.

[Gazzar]

Grinder and a finger sander?

[elbekko]

Endmill that's the diameter of the cutouts, and put it on a rotary table in the mill?

[FridgeFreezer]

Milling machine with a rotary table or just a CNC machine.

Small machine shops may well CNC a small batch of them for you.

[Stellaghost]

My ten pence worth....

For only a couple I would trace the outline on card, but out the centre and place it over the new flange and mark the outline you want cutting with a sharpy, then cut out with whatever you've got and shape accordingly with a flap wheel, once painted it will be champion and it would be very hard to tell the difference

You could do a couple in a milling machine but from what I can see the bottom of the recess has a flatter area so a single diameter cutter will not do it all without a rotary table, from my own point of view I could cut out and shape faster by hand than setting up on a mill to do everything in stages.

For mass production a cnc milling machine would be the best way to go, even with cnc plasma or water jet the finished edges would need rounding off

If you need a couple doing, send them up and I will do it for you

Hope this helps regards Stephen

Edit, if you wanted a shot at doing them and need to practice first you could get some plate cut to the diameter, drill the bolt holes in and then draw in cut out section then set too with whatever you've got to start shaping, learn the best technique ( 6 cut outs to practice on ) and then do it for real

Regards Stephen

[vulcan bomber]

One of my mills would chomp through them quite nicely, pm me if you want some doing.

[Anderzander]

Super helpful info and offers - thank you so much all. 

SP sell the round ones for so little money that I’ll order some - I’m going to order some wheels from them in the not too distant future - so will put them in with that order.

@vulcan bomber I will message you when I get them thank you 🙏🏻 

[vulcan bomber]

2 hours ago, Anderzander said:

Super helpful info and offers - thank you so much all. 

SP sell the round ones for so little money that I’ll order some - I’m going to order some wheels from them in the not too distant future - so will put them in with that order.

@vulcan bomber I will message you when I get them thank you 🙏🏻 

No problem, I don't t get on the forum much so may take me a few days to reply