How Would You Make This Cutter

[Smithdoor]

This is a cutter that goes on the end of an 18 inch tube, driven by a drill, to sample hay. I can buy the tubing, make the drill arbor end, but after I use up the cutters I have on hand I will have to buy or make these. I just bought a vertical mill, and looking over time for needed tooling. Turn it on the lathe first. Do I need an indexing head? What end mill cutter?

That is a all day on mill.
I would look at a bandsaw blade solder to tube , from what see photo.

Remember the manufacturer of that tool has a automatic machine so one kind is harder to dup. Reinvent is faster.

Dave

 

[T Bredehoft]

Now there's a GOOD IDEA. (Band saw blade, soldered to tube.) It might be hard to bend the blade to match a tube, (anneal it, bend it, torch harden it again). Make sure you get the teeth going the right direction. While it's annealed, drill some holes it it and rivet it to the tube.

 

[CJ5Dave]

Another thought is a shaft both the sample cutter and the one to be made would fit. Drill Holes to setscrew each to the shaft. Set a spring loaded detent rod that allows the sample cutter to move one tooth at a time. lower mill, cut tooth, rotate again.

 

[MikeWi]

Yes, the cutter can be purchased from the competing manufacturer, but the cost uses up all the profit. If I have a $2000 Bridgeport sitting in the middle of the shop floor, would like for it to earn something.

This.
Why can't we answer questions like this instead of criticizing their choice? Seems obvious that the OP would have already realized they could buy the part after all. Why else do we buy these machines anyway?
Sometimes, the challenge is all the reason you need, not saving money or time.

 

[CJ5Dave]

Yes, I got the exact opposite reaction a few months back about fitting a lathe chuck. I wanted to find a chuck seller who would thread my oddball spindle 1942 lathe chuck before shipping and save me the trouble. My current chuck is really too shot to thread the new one on. The consensus was I was crazy to buy something already made, make it myself. But don't try to make a cutter to sell. Maybe as hobby machinists we are not allowed to make and sell stuff. I missed the vow of poverty.

 

[dabear3428]

my bright idea is to make an arbor that will accept 2 short sections of bandsaw blade with a lead in ramp. the arbor would be an inner and outer machined piece that thread together (one inside the other) to clamp the band saw blade sections in a curve. when the blades dull just replace them.

 

[GeneT45]

Yes, I got the exact opposite reaction a few months back about fitting a lathe chuck. I wanted to find a chuck seller who would thread my oddball spindle 1942 lathe chuck before shipping and save me the trouble. My current chuck is really too shot to thread the new one on. The consensus was I was crazy to buy something already made, make it myself. But don't try to make a cutter to sell. Maybe as hobby machinists we are not allowed to make and sell stuff. I missed the vow of poverty.

It's not a vow of poverty, it's a wake-up call. We all have machines. We can all (potentially) make money with our machines. However, we can also lose money - hand-over-fist - if we're not careful. Making money usually requires innovation or extraordinary demand. Simply duplicating a mass-produced item is a good way to work for $0.10 / hour.

I'm sure there are darn few (if any) here that would discourage a guy from making a mint if they thought it was possible. However a lot of us have learned the hard way that manual machining of commodity items just doesn't pay. Sure, you could "make" a few hundred bucks, but when you account for your time, you'd have been better off working at McDonald's.

Not to discourage, but simply to offer a counter-point. If OP had demand, volume, and margin, I'd be singing praise.

GsT

 

[Rex Walters]

anneal it, bend it, torch harden it again

It's for hay. Annealed, it might only last for ~10,000 uses.

 

[dabear3428]

It's not a vow of poverty, it's a wake-up call. We all have machines. We can all (potentially) make money with our machines. However, we can also lose money - hand-over-fist - if we're not careful. Making money usually requires innovation or extraordinary demand. Simply duplicating a mass-produced item is a good way to work for $0.10 / hour.

I'm sure there are darn few (if any) here that would discourage a guy from making a mint if they thought it was possible. However a lot of us have learned the hard way that manual machining of commodity items just doesn't pay. Sure, you could "make" a few hundred bucks, but when you account for your time, you'd have been better off working at McDonald's.

Not to discourage, but simply to offer a counter-point. If OP had demand, volume, and margin, I'd be singing praise.

GsT

I hear you and agree mostly, but if you enjoy doing things like this it can be like getting payed for your hobby. I often take on projects only because they look like they will not cost me a ton and they look like fun.

 

[CJ5Dave]

Look at it this way. I can sir in the recliner and watch Hopalong Cassidy, or spend a few hours playing in my shop, maybe for money, maybe learning. The money is already spent for the lathe and mill. Can’t really lose much money. I assume others just buy equipment, clean it up, paint it, put covers on and let them sit.