Cutting axle splines on a lathe?

Have you considered another path such as redesigning the shafts to eliminate the need for splines? Bore and bush the sprockets or replace the sprockets. Use shafts without splines. Secure the sprockets with taper lock bushings, keyways or taper pins?
 
Since there are six splines, you may be able to accomplish the indexing by using one of the 5C hex collet blocks that are typically used for milling and mount it in your milling attachment vise. Of course, you'll also need the appropriate 5C collet. You will probably have to get a little creative about coming up with a method to support the axle.

Just some food for thought.

Ted
 
There was a video of a Russian machinist broaching gear teeth using a form tool and a mill as the broaching ram.

A similar procedure could be used with a lathe. The axle would be mounted in the lathe chuck and a means of indexing and locking the spindle. implemented. The form tool would be mounted in the tool holder and the carriage used to cut the spline much like a shaper does. The cutter would be advanced with each pass until the final depth of the slot was reached. Then rotate the chuck to the next index point and repeat.
 
I would check with shops in your area, or better yet, if there is any retired machinists that still do jobs part time. It is a lot of work, but the once things are setup, the rest is just babysitting the machine.
 
Bob Korves said:
Depends on the type of splines. If they are involute a form cutter will be required.
Click to expand...
The picture shows straight sided splines; I have cut many by using two slitting saws ganged together at the proper width and then using a wider cutter to clean out the bottom; most straight sided splines do not bear on the bottom of the space between the teeth. The biggest obstacle, as many have said is the indexing it must be quite accurate for a tight fit; if the fit is not tight due to poor indexing and having to make the fit sloppy to assemble, the life of the splines will suffer. Later on in my spline cutting career, I bought spline cutters that look like a gear cutter, being form relieved with the proper angled sides and a female radius in between; I bought them from Ash Gear Co.
Perhaps our poster of this question should make friends with someone who has a milling machine and dividing head!
 
RJSakowski said:
There was a video of a Russian machinist broaching gear teeth using a form tool and a mill as the broaching ram.

A similar procedure could be used with a lathe. The axle would be mounted in the lathe chuck and a means of indexing and locking the spindle. implemented. The form tool would be mounted in the tool holder and the carriage used to cut the spline much like a shaper does. The cutter would be advanced with each pass until the final depth of the slot was reached. Then rotate the chuck to the next index point and repeat.
Click to expand...
Can you imagine trying to do that with an Atlas lathe? I doubt it would survive that ordeal.
 
benmychree said:
The picture shows straight sided splines; I have cut many by using two slitting saws ganged together at the proper width and then using a wider cutter to clean out the bottom; most straight sided splines do not bear on the bottom of the space between the teeth. The biggest obstacle, as many have said is the indexing it must be quite accurate for a tight fit; if the fit is not tight due to poor indexing and having to make the fit sloppy to assemble, the life of the splines will suffer. Later on in my spline cutting career, I bought spline cutters that look like a gear cutter, being form relieved with the proper angled sides and a female radius in between; I bought them from Ash Gear Co.
Perhaps our poster of this question should make friends with someone who has a milling machine and dividing head!
Click to expand...
I finally saw the splines photograph earlier and tried to edit my post. They are definitely not involute. I was not able to edit the post, and have no idea why. I have edited posts before and after that one today, with no problems, but not able to edit that post.
 
I have been caught short myself all too many times ------ Like the old saying, "seven times measure, one time cut" should be "seven times read, one time respond". I would like to edit my list of machinery, can't figure out how to do it.
 
I have a Record branded Toyo milling attachment which I use on the cross slide of my lathe, it's from this model -

RecordLathe.jpg

it came with 6mm, 8mm and 10mm collets.
 
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