Best way to machine square end on round stock?

[BGHansen]

Based on the tooling you already have, I'd do it like Flying suggested above. If the stock is long, clamp it in the V-block horizontally and do two sides. Then rotate the V-block 90 deg. without unclamping the rod from the block and do the other two sides. That'll leave you with your cutter's radius at the bottom of the cuts. If you need a squared interface to the rod, do the same set up, but remove material off the top surface. Then rotate the block 90 deg. and repeat until you have a square.

Like mentioned above, many ways to do the task if you have the tooling available. Most of us are always looking for excuses to buy more tooling. I think I have more collets than Carter's has little pills. I generally square rod stock using a square collet block and 5-C collets. The width of the block is written on my block with a paint marker so I know the delta from the vise jaws if I'm cutting on the sides. I've also used a spin indexer with 5-C collets, a dividing head and the V-block method mentioned in this post.

Bruce

 

[PHPaul]

A 5C collet Spindexer is your friend.

Hmmmmmmmmm... I can see multiple uses for that. $150-ish for the spindexer and a set of collets. That's doable.

 

[PHPaul]

Based on the tooling you already have, I'd do it like Flying suggested above. If the stock is long, clamp it in the V-block horizontally and do two sides. Then rotate the V-block 90 deg. without unclamping the rod from the block and do the other two sides. That'll leave you with your cutter's radius at the bottom of the cuts. If you need a squared interface to the rod, do the same set up, but remove material off the top surface. Then rotate the block 90 deg. and repeat until you have a square.

Bruce

Oh, okay, NOW I get it. For some reason the original explanation confused me. (Not a particularly difficult thing to do...)

Thanks!

 

[Flyinfool]

Bruce did 'splain it better than me.
I was never real good at 'splainin stuff. But I knew what I meant...... A teacher I will never be. I am good at showing how to do stuff.

 

[PHPaul]

I'm way better at grasping things I can see myself. Very visual learner.

 

[mickri]

I need to make another chuck key for both of my 4 jaw chucks. I don't have collet blocks, rotary table, V blocks or a spin indexer. Using what I have my plan is to first mount the rod in a 4 jaw chuck and scribe a line on the rod at each jaw. Move over to the mill and mount the rod in the vise with one of the lines aligned with a mark on the edge of the vise jaw. Make the cut. Then rotate the bar to the next line for the next cut. Repeat this until all 4 side are cut. Not terribly precise but should be good enough for a chuck key.

 

[Bob Korves]

I probably use my R8 collet blocks more than I use my dividing head, rotary table, and spindexer -- combined! It is just so quick and easy to set it up and get cutting. I am usually done before the the other tooling would have been mounted square to the table. Of course, those other tools definitely have their places, and I am really happy to have them when I need them.

 

[PHPaul]

I need to make another chuck key for both of my 4 jaw chucks.

That's what I was doing and you're right, precision is not a requirement for this job, but I knew there had to be a better way.

 

[cjtoombs]

Just hold the part in the vise upright, reference the machine on the top center of the part, load the CAM program in to cut the square and run the machine. The answer all depends on the part, your available equipment and the accuracy and time requirements to make it. Some of the guys on here could probably do a good job filing it.

 

[brino]

I need to make another chuck key for both of my 4 jaw chucks. I don't have collet blocks, rotary table, V blocks or a spin indexer. Using what I have my plan is to.....

Nice!
That's great out of the box thinking!
It it likely "good enough" for the project at hand.

-brino