Cutting Dowel Pins

[f350ca]

I need a section of 3/4 inch dowel pin 1/2 inch long. It needs to be cut reasonably square. Cutting it with an abrasive wheel then truing it up on the bench grinder is the current plan. Wish I had a surface grinder. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Greg

 

[Bob Korves]

What is it for, Greg? Trying to get an idea of the accuracy and strength needed for what you are doing...

 

[Chipper5783]

Cut it with the grinder, then face it in a lathe. Those hardened pins cut okay with carbide.

I recently threaded a hardened dowel pin for a drill chuck mounting pin (it is handy for drilling jobs in the mill, when I already have a collet in - saves nearly 2" of head room and is faster than swapping in the MT adapter and normal drill chuck). I was using a carbide tool and probably sharpened in 5 times - but the end result was good.

 

[Silverbullet]

Do you own a spindexer with 5 c collets. You could clamp it next to your grinder and it would be pretty good for tolerance and easy to do. You could even use it to cut the dowel pins and finish in one cut.

 

[RJSakowski]

I cut two 3/16" dowel pins yesterday. I used a cutoff disk in a Dremel type tool. I needed flat ends so I mounted the pins in my Atlas 6 x18 and cut them there (make sure to protect the ways, etc, from cutoff wheel dust).

 

[Tony Wells]

Vee block and disc sander......get a SS pin if you don't need a hardened pin and simply machine it.

 

[f350ca]

Thanks for the replies,
Length isn't critical Bob but I need the hardness, it will be pressed through a bore to form disks.
Didn't think I'd be able to face them on the lathe David, We'll give it a try.
The spindexer is a great idea, I can hold the grinder as I turn it. Thanks for that one Silverbullet.
Thought about spinning them on the lathe R J but the spindexer will saver a lot of clean up.
Need the hardness Tony, the disk sander should work to true them up with the spindexer on the table.

Thanks Guys, we now have a better plan.

Greg

 

[f350ca]

The spin indexer worked like a charm. Had someone turn it as I brought a cut off disk into it. Then used the angle grinder to clean it up as it spun and a final finish with a flap disk on the angle grinder.



Thanks for the help.

Greg