Machining lugs

[Rich2502Participant @rich2502]

How do you machine a round bar with a sqare key, or lug on it ?

 

I have a mill / lathe set up.

[Rich2502Participant @rich2502]

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

Make a square jig to sit the round bar in, clamp to milling table then turn through 90 degrees to mill each face of the lug and then face the end?

 

[DustyParticipant @dusty]

Richard, with great difficulty with the equipment you appear to have. I would turn the dia of the bar to size and then on the milling machine cut a keyway into the bar to whatever length and width you require. Now make up a key to fit the keyway, this can be fixed into the keyway with socket head cap screws (allen screws) with the heads lost in the key.

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

Ahh

 

I thought the lug was on the end of the bar, not in the middle

 

D’oh!

[mgjParticipant @mgj]

Or you can use a bit of round with a square milled on the end. Raise a coupe of burrs to hold it correctly in its hole and silver solder. Best if the socket isn’t a through hole, though that may not matter..

 

If the lug is on the end thin I’d mill a slot across the end and silver solder the appropriate bit of square in.

 

Or you can machine a length of bar with a ring on it and do it in several passes under hte mill with a dividing head – thats less elegant, because you then have to skin the final little facets off with a dividing head too.

 

If its a long slot(s) you can just mill the slots and loctite the bit of “spline” in , which is fine since the thrust is taken on the sides of the slot. If the machining is good and tight to width, the Loctite merely locates.

[Author]

Posts