Hi Dick,

The silver steel (Stubs) bar I have used to make module gear cutters has not been difficult to machine. It was annealed when I got it, it is harder than mild steel so you have to reduce the speed. I have also made a gear cutter from gauge plate, more or less the same way as I did when using silver steel.
Where did you get your silver steel? You might try a different supplier and see if that makes a difference.

Thor

The more accepted way to make cutters is to mount the disc eccentrically on a mandrel to create the form relief.

This is a photo from a thread I posted a while back. Then you mill out between the lobes to create the cutting edges.

No need to use a piercing saw or bash the steel.

The secret with silver steel or O1 steel cutters is in the heat treatment. Don't get it too hot on the initial heating, Let it soak at temp for quite a few minutes before taking it to the bright cherry red. Dunk into oil for O1 and water if it is W1 Stubbs Silver steel. With the tempering, it wants to be at about 150 c for like 20 mins, dunk into boiling water, then back into the 150 c again and then let cool slowly. This process works very well. Keep in mind that the Carbon steel cutter has about 1/2 the surface speed of HSS cutters also, and perform best when they are water coolant flood cooled.

Neil

The relief is giving "back clearance" to avoid the part of the tool behind the cutting edge rubbing – about 5 degrees is usual. For brass it is "front rake" that you don't need much of, or any, to avoid digging in.

By the way, the tool in that photo is made of gauge plate, effectively flat silver steel, and I think i might have roughed out most of the sectors with a hacksaw before milling the edges.

I've come across the ends of silver steel rods being hard, presumeably after being cut to length by grinding .

I have in the past made cutters as John Haine

Roy

Iv'e just had to cut some parts out of 1/32" gauge plate with a piercing saw. It was a nightmare. I tried 4 different makes of blade including Bergeon and a couple of types of "platinum" jewelers blade for cutting hard material.

They performed pretty much the same – worked fine for 1/2" of cut then started getting blunt. If they cut an inch before breaking I was lucky.

I used over 30 blades to cut out 28 small parts and it took all weekend. I've got a load more of these to cut out and I'm not lucking forward to it.

There has to be a better way.

Hi Roy, could you tell me which size blades you use for 1/32?

And how you hold/support the piece?

Thanks, Steve

For 1/32" plate you need a very fine blade, and possibly tilt the saw forward to give a longer face to cut, have a bit of candle, and rub this on the blade often to lubricate it.

Ian S C