Slitting saw for Gorton collet

[Clunker1]

I am attempting to make a 1/2 inch collet for my Gorton mill. The Gorton collets are rare and special in design. They have 3 flats on the draw bar end and have a 10 degree taper. I have already made an arbor for end mill and now working on a collet. The slit in the collet is .040 inch and I am using 1144 stress proof. I'll graduate to a heat treated spring steel material later.
I'll have to slit the collet after machined to size and am wondering what slitting saw blade to use. The big end of the collet taper is 1 inch so the section to cut through in 1/4 inch maximum. Once I get an appropriate blade, I'll make the blade arbor to fit.
The other issue I have is how to locate the slitting saw so it cuts exactly perpendicular to the circumference.
Any thoughts on this?

 

[Liljoebrshooter]

You tube is your friend here. Several of the big names have videos about building arbors and using them.
Those collets show up on e bay often.
I also own a Gorton mill, a 1-22.
Joe

 

[Clunker1]

My mill is a Gorton 8 which uses collets very different than the 1-22. Have read posts by others with this mill that have made their own collets since they are so rare.

 

[Liljoebrshooter]

Yeah Gorton used a bunch of different collets on their machines. Those oddball ones still show up quite often. Just another good reason to make some.
Here is one I just found doing a quick search.
Joe

 

[Radials]

The other issue I have is how to locate the slitting saw so it cuts exactly perpendicular to the circumference.
Any thoughts on this?

Start by touching off the slitting saw on the top of the OD. Obviously there might be a little bit of a setup involved to hold the collet so the bore axis is parallel to the mill table. Drop the slitting saw down half its thickness (.02" in your case). Then drop it down the radius of the collet to get it on center. I've got a few collets I need to make for a machine at work and my plan wasn't to slit them all the way through initially but to leave a small tab to hold the collet together for subsequent cuts. Then after heat treat go in with a skinny wheel on a dremel and finish the cut.

 

[markba633csi]

Yes, leave a small extra ring of material at the mouth of the collet during machining to hold it together while you make the cuts
then turn it off later
I'm guessing industry does it that way

 

[Clunker1]

Joe, I snatched up the 7/16 collet you found. Saw a 5/16 collet but they wanted 30 plus 15 shipping. Thanks for pointing me to the 7/16 collet.