Cut longer bar into pieces. How?

A

A. Fig Lee

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Hello guys,
I'm trying to make T nut from 3/4 12L14 steel bar on "Homier" mini mill (actually X2 from Princess Auto).

So, I started to do following:
set up vise parallel with indicator and started to cut central 11.7 mm to fit into T slot.
Now, whole piece is 6 inches, I'm using 2" SOBA "precision" vise.
I think to make 4 or 6 nuts.
Now I see that top surface probably had to be passed with fly cutter for nice finish, will do it later.

I wonder 1 thing: how do you cut bar into pieces? Just using 1/8 or 3/16 end mill?
Is there other approaches? I have slitting saw, but would have to set up bar vertically,
not sure this is a good idea.

Any other ideas?
Thank you.
 
TBH I would do all the machining processes, tap the threads, then use a hacksaw and mill the cut ends square. Keep it simple! make yourself some T nut studs with short threads at one end just long enough to fill the depth of the T nut, that way you don't damage your T slots.
Phil.
 
Seems to me an end mill would waste a lot of material. With that leaded steel I would think about using a hacksaw to make the cuts. I's sure others will offer better ways to do it or more sound advice.
 
I just got a new band saw from Northern Tools for less than $300.00. This thing is so great I cut off a 1/64" slice of a 1-1/8 piston steel round rod. 1-1/2 minutes. That's how I would cut the t- nuts. Nice clean cut.

Jim
 
Ideally, a bandsaw. I use a hacksaw since I don't have a bandsaw. Just make sure you leave a little extra material for the hacksaw cut.
 
hermetic said:
TBH I would do all the machining processes, tap the threads, then use a hacksaw and mill the cut ends square. Keep it simple! make yourself some T nut studs with short threads at one end just long enough to fill the depth of the T nut, that way you don't damage your T slots.
Phil.
Click to expand...

Oh! Nice tip regarding short threads. Thank you.

Thank you, everyone, understood how to cut.

I'm lazy to use hacksaw. Would electrical reciprocating saw would be ok?
Alternatively I saw on sale this chop saw -
http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/milwauk...tml?start=2&cgid=milwaukee-metal-cutting-saws

is it ok for such things?
 
I'd draw the squares round the T bar in lead and use a simple 4 inch dia hand held electric grinder ( a simple whizzer like this is ideal for cutting bars, tunes , slots and sheets , it's much better than a hacksaw unless you have a power cut ) with a thin ( usually stainless steel cutting ) blade to make the separations . Cut on the waste side and then use the bench grinder to kiss and cut back to the line.
Then use a dead smooth file blocked/clogged with some chalk to make micro champhers /bevels on all edges on the " T" nuts to allow easy free movement in the " T " slots or if your a perfectionist use your mill to get precision faces .

In truth a ragged or even non squared end on a " T " nut ain't going to bother anyone so long as there are no burrs that will affect the fit or scrape the slot.
 
A. Fig Lee said:
Oh! Nice tip regarding short threads. Thank you.

Thank you, everyone, understood how to cut.

I'm lazy to use hacksaw. Would electrical reciprocating saw would be ok?
Alternatively I saw on sale this chop saw -
http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/milwauk...tml?start=2&cgid=milwaukee-metal-cutting-saws

is it ok for such things?
Click to expand...


Those 300 mm one foot fibre resin & grit impregnated bladed chop saws tend to have a lot of blade flexing & metal twisting when you're pressing down to make the cut plus........ they are not the most accurate creatures for making a right angle cut no matter how gentle you try and make the cut .

I spent ages and ages trying to set mine up accurately several years ago & I was using a diamond impregnated tungsten carbide tipped steel cutting blade that cost more than the chop saw itself to stop the blade flexing. I had to trim up every one of the 120 x 45 degree cuts with my hand held whizzer .
On reflection I should have either hired an industrial geared down coolant cooled one or paid just a few dozen beers more and got the real deal industrial one .
 
Without a bandsaw, I would use a hacksaw. The pieces are very small and the hacksaw will give you much better control than a reciprocating saw. Finish up the ends of the nuts in the mill and you're done. Rather than trying to set the length of the thread on the studs (Murphy says eventually you will use the wrong end and damage the table), use a cold chisel on to put two notches on the bottom of the nut threads so you cannot over thread.
 
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