Making Square Broach

My mistake. I just re-watched that one. He doesn't wrap it in wire here, but he often does.
 
If the hole is not too deep. Then, my vote is also using a rotary broach. I found mine on fleabay. And make the cutters as I need them. It is a well-used toy in my shop! I don’t know how I got along without it!...Dave.

Also, 4mm is not that big. A broach that size sounds like you could break it just looking at it. Another reason to use a rotary broach.

I have rotary broached 1/16” hex in 1144 with no problems.
 
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I will offer an alternative that doesn't cost much.

I repair old clocks. Often people use the wrong size key for years and it eventually rounds over the square winding arbor. When I finally dress the winding square back to square it can be too small for a standard key. So here is how I make a square winding key.

I have a selection of square brass tubing that is sold in hobby stores.. it comes in telescoping sections. I will select one that is close..usually too small. Then we make a square punch the size of the winding arbour square. Place some anti seize on the punch and drive it through the square tubing to size it.

Next make a round arbor on the lathe and drill a hole in it to accept the diagonal dimensions of the resized square tube..Solder it in with 100% tin solder. Trim and face and all done.

Not know exactly what the OP's part looks like, I am not sure if this would work or not.

David
 
I can vouch for clickspring's approach to using boric acid to protect parts during heat treating.

This 4mm broach sounds fragile, how will you be pressing that through the workpiece may I ask? I've thought about making broaches before but always get stuck when I realise I don't have a press and am never going to buy one for that experiment.
 
intjonmiller said:
excellent videos by This Old Tony (two of the best channels on all of YouTube). I think Tony's was part of another project, so it might not be titled that. I'll see if I can find it.
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ThisOldTony is a great channel . His dry sense of humor is hilarious too . You know anything about the guy ? I don't think he's located in the US .
 
Seems like he said he's Australian living in Norway?? But he sure sounds American to me. I'll have to see if I can find which video that was in.

Edited: He bought a Valex drill press for one video. That appears to be exclusive to Italy.

Clickspring has the highest production values, and I love the long-format project he's been doing. I have been watching since like the 4th video of his clock, reading his blog, etc. I have been anxious to see it complete. But now that it's nearing the end I'm almost sad and I don't want it to end, except that he will surely do more great things in the future. In the video where he first assembled the whole clock, but not yet all polished, and tested the movement, I commented that I was really surprised by the level of emotion I felt seeing it work, after all these videos, so I can't even imagine what that's like for him. Last I checked it had like 200 upvotes, which is seriously a lot for a comment on a metalworking video. He has succeeded in a very interesting way, and I'm starting to see others picking up on his style (and as I prepare to put up a few videos myself I'm taking cues from him as well). Most recently I noticed a new one called Centurial that was clearly inspired by him.

Meanwhile Tony is absolutely, side-splittingly hilarious, to me. My wife enjoys maybe 1/3 of his jokes, and can't sit through a whole video with me because she has no interest. But I find them overwhelmingly funny. The way he references other video creators in ways that only their own fans will recognize (what a BRILLIANT way to get people to notice your channel!!), the way he's subtly self-deprecating (when he's not overtly so), the way he emulates other video and even cinematic styles, and even throws in pop culture references. I enjoy every minute of it. When my phone notifies me that one of his videos (or Clickspring's) has been published it's all I can do to finish working before watching it.
 
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Tersti said:
I can vouch for clickspring's approach to using boric acid to protect parts during heat treating.
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It makes perfect sense, as boric acid is an excellent flux for nearly all metals (but, while it does flux aluminum effectively, it shouldn't be used there as it weakens the aluminum considerably). He learned all his stuff the same way I am, reading books and forums and watching YouTube. He's only been machining for a few years, and his shop makes my single car garage shop look palatial.
 
Chris at Clickspring just uploaded the final video of his clock series, and it features the square broach making the drive section of the winding key. He also polishes up the entire clock to an unbelievable shine and shows it complete and working. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get a time lapse of the hands moving around the chapter ring as the camera circles the clock, but I've learned so much and enjoyed the series tremendously, so I really can't complain.

 
Tersti said:
I can vouch for clickspring's approach to using boric acid to protect parts during heat treating.

This 4mm broach sounds fragile, how will you be pressing that through the workpiece may I ask? I've thought about making broaches before but always get stuck when I realise I don't have a press and am never going to buy one for that experiment.
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Can I get some details on the use of boric acid to eliminate scale during HT? I scored a NICE Paragon heat treating oven and use it often pn O-1, A-2 and D-2, but would like to not have to deal with the scale as much as possible.
 
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