# Best Homemade Tools >  Keyway Cutter

## LMMasterMariner

Made keyway cutter which I needed to cut keyways in 14 gears and 2 pulleys for my present project (external lathe headstock gearbox - still in progress, but I can see the end).

Made from 16 mm dia stainless steel round bar. Very simple to make but some elbow grease was used when filling the square hole for 6 x 6 mm square HSS bit. It can be used in lathe and drill.

Cheers
LMMasterMariner

----------

aphilipmarcou (Mar 12, 2018),

Canobi (Mar 12, 2018),

Captainleeward (Mar 12, 2018),

clydeman (May 28, 2020),

darkoford (Mar 16, 2018),

Home-PC (May 29, 2020),

jjr2001 (Mar 13, 2018),

Jon (Mar 12, 2018),

JRock (Mar 12, 2018),

Metallurg33 (Mar 16, 2018),

mwmkravchenko (Mar 12, 2018),

NickP (Mar 14, 2018),

Okapi (May 29, 2020),

Paul Jones (Mar 12, 2018),

philipUsesWood&Brass (Jul 12, 2018),

PJs (Mar 13, 2018),

redearthbonsai (Jul 12, 2018),

rossbotics (Mar 12, 2018),

Seedtick (Mar 12, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Mar 13, 2018),

VegeKev (Mar 13, 2018),

yves78 (Mar 13, 2018)

----------


## rossbotics

Looks great, cant' wait to see the finished product

----------

LMMasterMariner (Mar 18, 2018)

----------


## Paul Jones

LM Master Mariner,

That is lot of special work steps and the finished broaches look very precise. I like the way you created the special rings for protecting the gear teeth during the boring and broaching operation.

Looking forward to seeing the lathe headstock gearbox when it is finished.

Thank you for the posting.

Regards,
Paul Jones

----------

LMMasterMariner (Mar 18, 2018),

PJs (Mar 13, 2018)

----------


## Captainleeward

Hello, LMMasterMariner , nice piece of work there my friend...Cap. I was just getting ready to make one you beat me to the punch 
ha ha.. :ROFL:

----------

LMMasterMariner (Mar 18, 2018),

Paul Jones (Mar 12, 2018),

PJs (Mar 13, 2018)

----------


## petertha

So in the lathe environment, do you set the tool, traverse across the keyway shaving a bit off, retract the tool using cross slide, rinse & repeat until final depth? If so, about how much per slice?

----------

Tuomas (Mar 16, 2018)

----------


## aphilipmarcou

Thanks for that- lots to observe there with good pictures too.. I like your brake caliper on the lathe!

----------

Paul Jones (Mar 13, 2018)

----------


## LMMasterMariner

> So in the lathe environment, do you set the tool, traverse across the keyway shaving a bit off, retract the tool using cross slide, rinse & repeat until final depth? If so, about how much per slice?



I was broaching keyways by moving the carriage (elbow grease again) back and forth and for the first cuts where I already had the hole, I could increase 0.06 mm for each pass and near the end I was able to increase 0.01 mm per pass. Also from time to time made several passes without increments due to elasticity of gear material. It took me about 5 minutes to make keyway in a gear (#45 steel, thickness 15 mm, hole I.D. 20mm, key 6 x 6 mm; little bit more than 3 mm in gear keyway)

Cheers
LMMasterMariner

----------

NickP (Mar 14, 2018),

Paul Jones (Mar 13, 2018),

PJs (Mar 13, 2018),

Tuomas (Mar 16, 2018)

----------


## DIYer

Thanks LMMasterMariner! We've added your Keyway Cutter to our Machining category,
as well as to your builder page: LMMasterMariner's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:















Keyway Cutter
 by LMMasterMariner

tags:
keyway, cutter

----------

LMMasterMariner (Mar 14, 2018)

----------


## Jon

Congratulations LMMasterMariner - your Keyway Cutter is the Homemade Tool of the Week!

Large week, with many excellent builds, but this one really stood out. Some other nice picks from this week:

Hydraulic Metal Bender by Vyacheslav.Nevolya
Edge Clamps by thehomeengineer
Shaft and Hole Fitment Program by mklotz
Long Reach Scribe by baskarz
Slitting Saw Arbor by Canobi
Planer Table Mount by Tuomas
Cutting Torch Bevel Mount by oldtimer
Spray Can Puncturing Tool by Texf1
Lathe Bed Stop Handle by thehomeengineer
Square by Toolmaker51
Drill Extension by olderdan
Knurling Tool by editor@glue-it.com
Lathe Tool Height Gauge by Rorschach
Boring Bar Rack by Paul Jones
Marking Knife by Rorschach
File Handle by Captainleeward
Machete by Turboconqueringmegaeagle
Dump Truck Rebuild by Frank S
Load Spreader Bar by xynudu
Roller Handwheel by thehomeengineer
Dividing Head Refurbishing by thehomeengineer
Angle Grinder Box by Workshopshed


LMMasterMariner - you'll be receiving a $25 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and gift card choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

This is your 4th Homemade Tool of the Week win. One more win, and you'll join these other 5-Time Homemade Tool of the Week winners: rossbotics, Christophe Mineau, Brendon, mklotz, Vyacheslav.Nevolya, brianhw, Tuomas, olderdan, tonyfoale.

Here are all of your Homemade Tool of the Week winning tools:















Lathe Reverse Tumbler
 by LMMasterMariner

tags:
lathe, modification, gears 















Lathe Chuck Brake
 by LMMasterMariner

tags:
brake, chuck 















Anvil
 by LMMasterMariner

tags:
anvil, exhaust, valve 















Keyway Cutter
 by LMMasterMariner

tags:
keyway, cutter

----------

LMMasterMariner (Mar 16, 2018),

PJs (Jul 15, 2018),

rossbotics (Mar 18, 2018),

Tuomas (Mar 16, 2018)

----------


## rossbotics

Congratulations on your win, well deserved

----------

HobieDave (Apr 5, 2020),

LMMasterMariner (Mar 18, 2018)

----------


## Okapi

> I was broaching keyways by moving the carriage (elbow grease again) back and forth and for the first cuts where I already had the hole, I could increase 0.06 mm for each pass and near the end I was able to increase 0.01 mm per pass. Also from time to time made several passes without increments due to elasticity of gear material. It took me about 5 minutes to make keyway in a gear (#45 steel, thickness 15 mm, hole I.D. 20mm, key 6 x 6 mm; little bit more than 3 mm in gear keyway)
> 
> Cheers
> LMMasterMariner



Hi LM,
If you have no more elbow grease, which is one of my problems, on the lathe you can use the mechanical advance if you can separate it from the lathe rotation, it's possible on old lathes and if you have a separate motor for the screw.
A very nice work for your finished gearbox, as I'm very lazy, I use graduated belts in place of mechanical transmission and be always very admired on such work!!!
Have a nice day.
Pierre

----------

