Making Spline Shafts For a GEARBOX (Internal Splines too)

[@edwardhugus2772]

A great straightforward approach to the problem. As soon as you cut the keyway my brain went "Of course! The answer is NOW obvious!"

[@bsppirate]

As a someone who is a machinist and gear cutting specialist I always love watching how people come up with their methods of making their desired gear(s) in their home shop. You're bang on by the way, majority off the time spline shafts are hobbed/shaped and internal splines are pretty much always shaped unless it has a non standard pitch which will lead to it being wire cut

[@thepagan5432]

Nicely done. We built industrial gearboxes and supplied gears to customers specification, mostly automotive. We broached, hobbled and shaped splines, but when doing single piece for gearboxes we used the same method as you have shown. We did, at least once, have a special single cut broach made so we were able to cut 6 splines with a rounded root. Your way works great so kudos to you. Thanks for posting ✔️👍

[@dougmorgan6616]

You keep coming up with solutions to problems I didn't know I had. Thank you.

[@ourtube4266]

The problem solving and creativity always amazes me. You do a great job of reducing things into the simplest operations and tackling them one at a time.

[@HexenzirkelZuluhed]

You're doing the hackiest yet coolest DIY machining anywhere!

[@Hallacairion]

As a trained machinist, we make splineshafts pretty much in the same was, just that we use a flat cutter on the side so the splines are in a horizontal position when being cut and we use a formtool specifically ground for the job to make a round profile at the foot of the splines.

[@LittleAussieRockets]

That was a great result. Not only was your method straightforward It is also very repeatable. Good stuff 👍

[@thomasstone1363]

For a "hobby" workshop that is a superb result. Nice one!

[@ZappyOh]

I'm so looking forward to hobby-shop-affordable metal 3D-printing :)

[@DD-DD-DD]

Iro3D has a DIY metal powder printer for cast parts

[@ericmueller6836]

The well placed gear box pun was superb.

[@billmacfarlane4083]

Wow! Timely! I'm just been trying to figure out how to cut an internal spline in the clutch hub of a speedway mororbike. Your broaching method should do the trick!

[@artisanmakes]

Glad I could help, just as long as that is the type of spline you need

[@belatoth3763]

Being AM and CEE my two favorite channels I consider learning Australian language :)

[@TheRecreationalMachinist]

Brilliant. Thanks for sharing 👍 🇬🇧

[@bulletproofpepper2]

That is amazing! I’m a hobby machinist and I also love 3D printing. This will solve so many problems with trying to print 3D parts to use in the machinist shop made tooling. Herringbone 3D printed gear teeth are reasonably strong the weak point was always the one or two key way(s). I like the simplified profile of your 6 way shaft. I had over complicated the ways of my design for years and turned it into unitanium with to many stress risers. Thanks for sharing.

[@Anon_Omis]

This is a brilliant solution I doubt I'd ever think of.

[@Festivejelly]

Very nice! Looked like a great fit there.

[@gregc1775]

Hi I just followed your instructions, no on and off settings But the beeps are ON So happy for your advice. Thankyou so much 👍👍👍 Stay safe Regards Greg

[@ovalwingnut]

"A thing of beauty and a joy that will last forever"....

[@kioliex]

Great work. Before seing this video I was think of doing something similar for a restoration project. Now I am possitive that it is the way to go.

[@user-fy2tm2jg6c]

It seems you will have accumulated error with that indexing technique, but for only 6 splines probably good enough. I made an indexing plate that attached to the end of the shaft. It has the same number of holes as splines, and uses pins in the holes resting on an adjustable parallel. I learned that from JoePie, he has a great old video on it.

[@keinschwein8467]

Thought pretty much the same, first "Uh, that'll add up" and then "Oh well, probably still fine" :D

[@ronin9804]

love looking forward to your Saturday vid. keep up the good work

[@ThyerHazard]

Love your videos man huge inspiration, just got my first mill home today!

[@lawriealush-jaggs1473]

Really? Fantastic! You will have lots of fun and frustration. The frustration is part of the fun. What size did you get?

[@ThyerHazard]

@@lawriealush-jaggs1473 I'm not sure how to "size" it but the table is roughly 850x250mm and it weighs enough to be terrifying when swinging on an engine crane.

[@lawriealush-jaggs1473]

Nice one mate. Now you just have to buy ALL the tooling😁.

[@todayintheshopbanksy5904]

Love what you do with the tools you have. Great work

[@joewhitney4097]

Great video, really liked this project and tutorial. Thanks for sharing.

[@swamppifi6186]

A simple solution to a complex problem......well done....

[@curtisroberts9137]

genius thought process. impressed.

[@Lone-Wolf87]

Thinking outside the box. Well done.

[@aaronfritz7234]

Simple but genius. I have never seen this method before.

[@DavidR8]

Very clever approach.

[@metalshopwithtroy5755]

Great video hadnt actually consider this as an option thank you for your insight on this problem

[@JohnForce92]

Loving the upload schedule! Keep it up! Been really enjoying your channel

[@artisanmakes]

Thankyou, I'm glad you enjoy them

[@scaler1179]

Excellent job. Those splines look very professionally made. Might be a hobby shop, but you do very good work.

[@boltonky]

Great video and i am definitely in need of broaching tools they are so handy.....also another method is to use a boring bar on a lathe or mill (painfully slow tho but if you have nothing else) you could also use tool steel with the right profile (i have also seen people make tiny tools similar to the end of a shaper an use a spring so when puling it out it does cut)

[@mikegregory460]

thats a good idea. I will certainly steal it the next time i do a simple spline

[@a-k-jun-1]

Awesome workaround for hobby shops indeed

[@f.g.hammer6814]

I love your videos. The limits is always our imagination.

[@philippboetcher9959]

Brilliant!

[@mikepettengill2706]

Clever work there!

[@jimlaxdal9023]

Absolutely brilliant 👍

[@markfryer9880]

Amazing results.

[@garysgarage101]

That’s pretty awesome! My biggest challenge would be figuring out all the angles on the dividing head to get it right. Then there’s all the setup work multiple times to do the shaft. Talk about all the places you can make a mistake and scrap your shaft! Wow!

[@garabillorobertv.3053]

Time stamps, always a nice bonus in a vid

[@NicksStuff]

Beautiful!

[@ydonl]

Nicely done.

[@cdnbluesdriver]

Great timing on this video!

[@warrengalliano6103]

Cool idea!

[@lyon666]

Cheeky devil! The indexibg bushing is heaving genius!

[@frogandspanner]

On my old 1966 Norton the keys are used to set the correct phase relationship, and the main load is taken by a tapered shaft.

[@jrkorman]

Excellent. I think that's a win!

[@MattysWorkshop]

Gday, great job as always mate, cheers

[@Rustinox]

Lol, I just posted a video on my channel where I cut splines on the shaper using more or less the same indexing metode.

[@Andrew_Fernie]

Well that worked out very well indeed 👏👏

[@Ififitzisitz]

Through the gee and into the kee

[@SimlpeT4718]

Wow, thank you for showing this to me

[@asharma9345]

Excellent Video. Keeo it up Sir.

[@jamescopeland5358]

Great video

[@VanFlausch]

Nice Method!

[@jasongarland3165]

Great job!

[@gregc1775]

Hi again Well just went to the shed, switched on and no beeping. Not to worry. Regards

[@chrishayes5755]

very impressive!

[@robertlong9029]

You are a very capable person

[@jscancella]

Internal splines always made me think of a shaper. You probably could make the gingery shaper pretty easily

[@SentinalhMC]

There's nothing easy about that thing

[@MF175mp]

A hand operated vertical slotter would be pretty cool. And relatively simple to make.

[@y2ksw1]

Genius!

[@allanpowell7208]

Nice one.

[@seansysig]

I believe you’ll want to harden the spline shaft and mating hub spline surface or use a stronger steel like shaft material.

[@howardosborne8647]

Neither the change gears or the keyed or splined shafts are hardened on my L6 Harrison lathe and it was made in 1964 and there is no slop/wear in any of them. For this sort of application the shafts and splined outer components will be fine without hardening.

[@artisanmakes]

Given the scope of what I need it for, I don't think a hardening process is necessary. I think it could possibly cause me issues to due to the part warping or shrinking as a I heat treat it, and I really don't know if you can grind internal splines. So atleast for the moment moment will leave it unhardened.

[@dougplant1655]

Hardening might be counter productive. If you want contact simultaneously on multiple splines, you'll need a little wear. I think.

[@dollywarrior]

Very good insight, I have very limited tool on my machine shop, this will help me

[@TalRohan]

Well that wasw ridiculously easy once you made the flypress and the broach and the broach sleeve and then had the chuck indexed in just right ...and of course the end mill you needed....yup very easy indeed 🤣🤔 Quite the journey thankyou for sharing....very cool

[@Highstranger951]

Can you show the fly portion of the press in action?

[@daveys]

Nice job!

[@be007]

nice job ! cheers ben.

[@ianday38]

Could you not get a closer fit if you started with a hexagon in the female part and then broached each corner? The internal and external flats would then fit much closer. Just a thought.

[@artisanmakes]

This is a flank centred spline shaft so we are not wanting there to be contact between the outside flats, only contact on the sides. Cheers

[@lukeamato2348]

Nice technique

[@MASI_forging]

Nice work dude ☺☺

[@itsaposcj5]

Awesome video and work. Can you explain the math behind knowing where to cut the external splines on the shaft? How to figure out how far to move the table off center and such?

[@dekutree64]

No fancy math needed. Tooth width = broach width. Center the cutter over the workpiece and then move half the cutter diameter plus half the tooth width.

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

Nice job

[@kbye5323]

Nice!

[@JoeBlack-j7e]

Tama ka dyan.. Hindi kayang imaintain ng spring ang initial na bilis ng flywheel.. Gaya ng laruan. Titigil at titigil din ang pag-ikot ng flywheel.. Number 1 na kalaban ng perpetual motion is friction a bearing

[@skyfreakwi]

Ever consider laying a trapper behind the outer edge of your spine shaft? You could theoretically use it as a rotary broach. You could then theoretically cut your internal spline part with much closer tolerances and produce more aesthetic parts.

[@rickpalechuk4411]

Smart Thanks for sharing Cheers

[@mrdebug6581]

respect 🙌🏻

[@ntwadumela_]

Well done. Never be told, no!

[@gregc1775]

Hi Like all of your videos especially the one on the fly press build👍👍👍 I was hoping you could help me out. My lathe is from hare and Forbes AL 336D. How can I turn on the beeps on on the DRO. I know it can be done as I saw a Utube video some time ago, the tones or beeps where on but have some how turned off. I am retired having been in a noisy trade,so I like to hear the sound when I press the DRO buttons. Hare and Forbes just brush me off. Very rude in Sydney Nothing in the instructions Look forward to your reply Regards Greg NSW

[@artisanmakes]

Hi mate. I dont know the specifics on the DROs that hafco uses, but if they are anything like mine (and it wouldn't surprise me if they were similar) there is a menu mode that you can activate as you turn the DRO on. For me I have to hold the enter button as I turn on the DRO to get into the menu. There should be quite a few setting including one on turning the sounds on or off. Then you enter the quit menu to save the settings. Hope that helps. Cheers

[@donavinnezar]

ive made some internal splines before , we have a old vertical shaper with a rotary bed that works like a standard dividing head , we have a 4 jaw chuck mounted on it so we can dial up jobs that require splines or multiple keys however the downfall of the machine is the tooling we have for it , all self made even before i started working there so theyre not perfectly square as well as when i need to grind HSS tools for the odd internal gear here and there

[@jimsvideos7201]

Nailed it.

[@tonomoto]

awesome video. How would you make an internal ring gear like for a planetary gearbox?

[@artisanmakes]

gear skiving is common. There are also gear broaching machines

[@richardwhitfield1078]

You clever bugger!👍👍👍

[@lukeamato2348]

Nice work, im considering trying to make a gearbox for my lathe so i dont have to keep changing gears out when i want to cut a thread

[@howardosborne8647]

Or simpler than making a screwcutting gearbox is to fit an electronic leadscrew kit.....cut any screw pitch you fancy with that set up.

[@rcjbvermilion]

​@@howardosborne8647 I've been curious to know how well they work. I've recently acquired an old Atlas lathe, and it requires change gears for cutting metric threads. Ideally I'd like to be able to switch between metric and imperial without having to change gears.

[@OWSNubbles]

​@@rcjbvermilionthe default answer is check out Clough42's electronic leadscrew project. They work very well

[@billshiff2060]

Great idea! It would not occur to me since I have a shaper.

[@artisanmakes]

I could go for a shaper one of these days.

[@mike9500]

nice!!!

[@944LS]

What lathe/mill were you using in this video?

[@jsincoherency]

How can you tell that the quill part is die cast? At scale, would it make sense to make that part out of a custom aluminium extrusion, with finish machining? Excellent and creative work as usual, by the way.

[@artisanmakes]

The inside spline, as well as the keyway has that classic die cast texture. Extruded looks different

[@union310]

I wrote an article in Engineering in miniature around ten years ago on this subject. The error here is that you should have taken multiple cuts between the keys to create a faceted curved surface for increased contact.

[@artisanmakes]

You think so? Im just going off machinery handbook to replicate the spline pattern and method that they hand laid out. Do you think it would make a big difference to the final result? Not doubting juat curious Cheers

[@union310]

@@artisanmakes There are multiple types of splines used in industry. I do not disrespect your efforts, I like them. That said, splines threads have a percentage of fit rating. The method I wrote up used the same principle as yours but between four splines was around six hundred divisions each. This was then blued and hand scraped in, a lot of work you may think but the end result is an extremely positive drive with very little movement.

[@artisanmakes]

Blimey. I've done a bit of hand scraping before but I could not imagine doing that to a spline shaft. That's fantastic. Cheers

[@jimurrata6785]

Teaming up with Rustinox this week?

[@SimlpeT4718]

Male spline: what would have be the results had you start the cut in the center of the material?

[@Gin-toki]

That's a nice red gearbox. Is it manual or automatic?

[@martinchabot_FR]

Straight splines surface contacts are the sides and the smaller diameter. That's why you need a spline shaft cutter, which is around 50$ in china. You can buy spline shaft by the meter, as they are used a lot in agricultural world.

[@artisanmakes]

I know some are, but the splines in the mill and drill press are purely side fitting, and it will be the same profile that I replicate in the gearbox. I did look at getting some off the shelf spline stock, but it was more than I really needed. Cheers

[@stevenpleasant5834]

Hi, I like how you did this set up I wish I could have a set made like this in the spline size I need I can not find a shop that will do it for me could you maybe build me a set?

[@nightraidone9768]

Nice Work , especially on the inside Splines and It definitely seems usable. But on the splines i know, the inside of the bore and the "valleys" on the shaft are the locating Features, and not the splines themselves, they are Just for transmitting the Torque. But machining the inside Diameter of the splines to a preise measurement is quite Tricky i think.

[@bengrogan9710]

This is part of why most are hobbed in production, cutting with a rotary tool like and end mill can only give flat valleys

[@howardosborne8647]

@@bengrogan9710 A profiled side and face cutter mounted on an arbor in a horizontal mill will produce the curved profile in the root of the spline very easily.

[@artisanmakes]

It will depend on what type of spline type it is. Some use both the root and the sides for contact, but some use the side flanks only. My mill and drill press spindle for example use only the side flats and neither the inside or outside flats make contact. How much of a difference it makes, I am not sure but for the project I have in the works the spline I made here will work.

[@dekutree64]

Seems like a perfect excuse to build a 4th axis for the CNC mill :) Rotate the shaft while moving the cutter horizontally to create a cylindrical profile between the spline teeth. Either that or make the hole match the flat root profile. Mill a hexagonal hole into the gear before broaching the internal teeth, and make a hexagonal broach guide to go with it. That would also index the cut without any accumulated error.

[@ahfreebird]

Technically, your mill isn't too far from being a hobber as is. You would just need to make an arbor for the hob, a lot of change gears, and a way to adjust the shaft center distances for the helical milling attachment, and extremely precise control over both your feedrate and spindle speed (ideally the table leadscrew and spindle are mechanically linked, but CNC works on the aforementioned method). So yeah, basically a hobber already!

[@bengrogan9710]

arguably if you have an accurate rotary vice you can use an arbor saw to give a psuedo hobbing solution with a profile cutting saw

[@howardosborne8647]

@@bengrogan9710 I have seen involute gear teeth cut in a similar way to how you describe using only a slitting saw as the cutting tool. It requires a lot of indexes of the dividing head and the correct offset up and down on the Z axis but it does work.