Had a neat idea for cutting a slot

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:36 am

I thought of a neat, quick way to make a slot in a stem last night. This process always takes forever for me. Namely because I just haven't got the hang of holding the dremel and cutting it by hand. Anyway, I was thinking about how some folks drill freehand on a lathe. The chuck the bit up in the headstick and use the tailstock to guide the drilling by holding the tailstock center on the ceneterline of the bowl on the underside of the head. Anyway, this could just as easily be done with the stem too. Chucking up a small drill bit, say 1 mm or 1.5 mm, in the headstock and then holding the tenon to the deadcenter in the tailstock. All you'd have to do is move the stem side to side to get a nice even slot.

What do you all think?

hazmat · Post by **hazmat** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:47 am

I think I'm still a-skeered of using the 1mm bit to cut out my slot

But I do know what you mean about freehanding it with the dremel. Parts of me suck up tight when I get to that point.

bvartist · Post by **bvartist** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:05 pm

A couple years ago I tried cutting a slot like you mention Nick. Didn't work well for me, however YMMV. I find a dremel to be much easier. On the lathe it was hard for me to tell exactly where the bit was in relation to the slot and I ended up with a slightly "U" shaped slot rather than nice and straight. A little practice might make it work better, but I'll stick to the dremel.

kbadkar · Post by **kbadkar** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:09 pm

I think my 1mm drill bit would snap. But even if it wouldn't, I don't think you'd have enough control to keep a nice straight slot and you wouldn't have a decent view of the slot to make sure you are keeping "on line".

I put the stem blank in a vise after drilling through. Holding the dremel with the slot cutting bit, I brace my arms and hands using part of the vise, similar in concept to how one holds a camera to prevent shake. I slowly plunge the dremel slot cutting bit centering on the hole. It's not that hard once you get the hang of it. I think it helps too to use a deadman's foot pedal switch for your dremel. Once you get the slot cut, smearing out the slot for the V shape is a breeze.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:08 pm

kbadkar wrote:I put the stem blank in a vise after drilling through. Holding the dremel with the slot cutting bit, I brace my arms and hands using part of the vise, similar in concept to how one holds a camera to prevent shake. I slowly plunge the dremel slot cutting bit centering on the hole. It's not that hard once you get the hang of it. I think it helps too to use a deadman's foot pedal switch for your dremel. Once you get the slot cut, smearing out the slot for the V shape is a breeze.

Here's an idea if you have shakey hands, arms, feet &/or legs.
If your drill press has a quill lock & you have a cross slide vice, move the workpiece into the slot cutter bit.
I think I'll try that with my mill.

JSPipes · Post by **JSPipes** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:34 pm

Only problem is that drill bits don't cut well sideways.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:22 am

JSPipes wrote:Only problem is that drill bits don't cut well sideways.

It's not a drill bit, it's a slot cutter, i.e. a mini circular saw, about 10mm diameter, about 1mm thick, as I recall.

Something like this:

JSPipes · Post by **JSPipes** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:49 am

Frank, I was responding to the idea of using a drill bit. That little dremel cutter is exactly what I use to start the slot.

kbadkar · Post by **kbadkar** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:55 am

Only problem is that drill bits don't cut well sideways.

I think JSPipes was refering to the using the lathe and little drill bits as Nick suggested for a slot cutting possibility. JSP is right. Wiggling the stem back and forth against the drill bit doesn't cut it, more likely, it'll bend or snap the drill bit and the bit will wander in the direction of the spin, creating that "U" or "S" shape mentioned earlier.

Once the slot is cut with the slot cutting bit (as Frank illustrated), the drill bit needs to be plunged (ie, drillled) into the slot and to the draught hole, to make the V-shape. Heinz D illustrated this in his slot cutting method post. You need to avoid too much side cutting for the reasons mentioned above. The bits of material left between the slot drillings can be removed with slight sideways pressure of the bit or preferably mini files or I use a little broach.

kbadkar · Post by **kbadkar** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:58 am

Jeez, JSP beat me to the post. It seems everytime I'm drafting a response, another post sneaks in first.

hazmat · Post by **hazmat** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:56 pm

kbadkar wrote:Jeez, JSP beat me to the post. It seems everytime I'm drafting a response, another post sneaks in first.

Type with more than two fingers

JSPipes · Post by **JSPipes** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:27 pm

I've taken to using a broach after the slot is cut, then cleaning that up with a 1mm drill bit, followed by some files to square up the sides. Works real well and doesn't take long at all.

Just don't drink coffee first!

Joel

bluesmk · Post by **bluesmk** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:38 am

I do it exactly the same way Joel, broach and various jewelers files. The dremel wheel I gave up almost 5 years ago....one slip and your done!
Dan
Gabrieli Pipes

geigerpipes · Post by **geigerpipes** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 6:08 pm

I used to use the dremel saw but got fed of the times i would place it slightly higher than the drilled hole having to enlarge the hole slot in height..

Now I use a 1,5 mm bit in a cordless power drill at lowest speed wich is looow
compared to a dremel. after i've drilled a 1,7mm hole at the lip end in the lathe, i use the cordless to cut a V, after that i only need to do very minor filwork to smothen it out about 10 min of work all in all and i seldom break a drillbit or dischard a stem because of bad drilling

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:37 pm

I mark center on the button end of the rod stock at the same time I'm drilling the airway in it - I just turn it around in the chuck and tap it with the drill bit, just enough to leave a slight mark. Then I can use that mark as a target when cutting the slot with the dremel cutter bit. That way I always hit the airway dead center.

ckr · Post by **ckr** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:11 am

I drill the 1/16 hole on the lathe right after the 5/32 so they meet, like Love a little high or low with a dremel can ruin it. It has two speeds to me fast and too fast, so I gave up and got a foredom. It offers excellent control of the speed, from a very slow crawl to fast as hell. I cut the slot while the stock is in a vise and brace my hands with the vice. I seldom hit high or low anymore, once lined up with the hole I just press down slowly and once into the material I advance the speed with the foot control and pay attention to the left/right marks.