Machinist's Minutes: The Davis Keyseater

A very handy machine for cutting keyways, if you do a lot of that.

[@rexmundi8154]

That’s a cool machine. I like that you can admit that something intimidated you. I’ve had some projects that about 1/2 the time it took me to do it was getting over my fear of the process.

[@henrinaths1]

I second that. I have to see someone else run it a couple of times. In working alone, there’s no room for errors .

[@kmcwhq]

Good to see this vid on the Davis Keyseater. I bought one of these machines in May of 2023. It is used and neglected but not abused or worn much. I went thru it, cleaned it up, removed built up chips and cast iron 'dust' under the table. New pieces of fire hose inside to protect the sliding ram from chips. I've adjusted the V belts so they drive, but not too tight, so they can slip if there's a jamb up. Learned a lot about operation and am developing the 'feel' for applying the right amount of feed pressure on the down stroke, and just ease off pressure on the up stroke. You don't have to 'back off' very far, just ease off. In fact when I've backed off too much, chips have caught on the upstroke and tried to lift the workpiece. Much faster than 'Minuteman' style broaches. And eliminates the broach cocking in the bore and cutting a tapered keyway, or teeth digging in, broach flexes, pucker factor goes thru the roof, etc. I've collected a good variety of sizes of broaches for the machine. I lack guide bushings, and they are not fun to cut the slot in when made in house. Much less fun to buy new ones when you hear the price. I have an idea for modifications to the 'reaction arm' that will include an adjustable guide to support the broach, and limit side-to-side movement. And might eliminate the need for the many sized and 'difficult to produce' bushings. I've found minimal coolant mixed a bit rich, and sprayed on works fine. No need to flood on the cutting oil. I'm not seeing any wear or problems with tooling from coolant use. My next step is to build a clamp arm, as my machine didn't come with one. And also get set up to minimally sharpen and 'tune up' some of the more worn used broaches I've acquired over this summer.

[@theangelshomestead4132]

Always nice to see someone takes gis time to share bis knowledge with others

[@davegottler8978]

That machine was made in rochester ny for 100 years..company sold line and went out of bussiness...new ones have variable speed motor..automatic feed...cuts from 1/8 to 1.5..repeatability is great..Mach is a money maker..have mine since the 80s..the cross arm is cast and used to hold part down..bushing are held in with a work plate..u have an antique there

[@funone8716]

Hansford Precision in Macedon, NY sold the Davis keyseater line to a company in Rockford, ill in the last couple years. New owners seem confused if not clueless.

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

Lube , it's what separates us from the animals ! 👍

[@louiel8711]

Absolutely love the old manual machines keeps the mind busy while working, With CNC just push the button and play on the phone.

[@ShainAndrews]

I wasn't prepared to broach this subject yet.

[@donniceblakely1075]

I have a 75 ton hydraulic press in the style of the one you have. Now that's 2 I've seen in my life! Mine was made in 1941, just changed piston seals and she still works like a champ.

[@earleclemans4836]

Just found your channel and really like it 👍🏻

[@tonyjones9715]

Thanks for another great video. I really injoy watching your videos. Marry Christmas and a Happy new year to you and your family and Employees.

[@SteelSurgeon]

We have a similar machine at the shop I work at. It is a DC Morrison keyseater. it works much the same way however, it is a single point tool. Ours also has the V guide on the table and a height adjustable clamp bar to hold the part down. We have multiple size bars and dozens of cutters for ours. We use it often and it is a very accurate and repeatable machine. Ours has an automatic feed mechanism, and you can set a depth stop. It is much faster than broaching once it is set up. The table on ours moves in on the down stroke to make the cut. Then on the up stroke, when no cut is being made, the table backs off roughly .030” so that the single point cutter does not drag. Also ours only has about .625” of travel or so. You have to be careful setting it up and having your part in the correct location so that you don’t run out of travel and bind up the mechanism while keying the part. Have had a couple employees do that over the years and it’s no fun to fix. Overall a great and handy machine to have if you do a lot of keyways.

[@RichieRichOverdrive]

The DC Morrison is a good machine and much fancier than the Davis, I believe the DC is made here in Kentucky.

[@SteelSurgeon]

@@RichieRichOverdriveI believe you are correct. My shop is in Indiana.

[@jd3497]

A drip oil pot would be a good addition.

[@Blazefork]

I've never seen a machine like that, I've only seen keyways broached with the broach, bushing, shims and a hydraulic press.

[@dutchgray86]

There are also horizontal pull broaches, vertical slotters, shapers, slotting heads for milling machines, fixing a tool into a mill spindle and using the quill to cut manually, fixing a tool into a boring bar holder on a lathe and doing it manually or if you get really desperate a file.

[@dmscheidtify]

@@dutchgray86 cape chisel. The old guy at my college's machine shop said he'd had to cut new keyways on the middle of a shaft, while it was still installed in the machine. he and another guy took turns hanging into the machine and hitting a chisel with a hammer for 12 hours.

[@dutchgray86]

@@dmscheidtify I wouldn't want to try a cape chisel on an internal keyway though.

[@AlexisRestless281]

Awesome, I’ve rebuild one of these!

[@YoSoyElQuesoGrande]

I have never seen another press like that one, other than the one in the shop I work in. Dated 1943 on the one I have here. That hydraulic press is a tank.

[@charleskutrufis9612]

Have been around these but have never seen one in use. Not every shop has a one.. At the price of broaches see why. You would need to do a lot of internal keys to pay for one. I made a cutter and broached by hand this week with the lathe and carriage. Won't do that again. I have a good friend with a keyseater, Probably will go see him or use my shaper next time. I have hand broaches but not the right one. Thank You for showing this operation. Do you need to measure the depth or is there a reference? I appreciate you doing and taking the time and effort to show.

[@HOWEES]

Yes, you need to measure as you go.

[@RichieRichOverdrive]

We have a Davis keyseater here at my job. I’ve never seen one used with a guide like that in the bore. I think it’s unnecessary, but then again maybe yours doesn’t hold the broach as tight as ours. I think the speed on ours is just a bit faster than yours. Super simple machine to set up and run, just don’t let the broach fall forward when you back off or else bad things happen!

[@donniev8181]

Did you watch the video at all?

[@HOWEES]

Mine came with about a hundred guides, so I used it both ways, while not essential they grew on me & I made this one for 2" x 1/2" last year. I have used it several times also with no bushing 3/4" gives no deflection, the smaller widths is where it helps.

[@RichieRichOverdrive]

@@HOWEESI can definitely see the advantage of the guide. May as well use them if you have them.

[@johncollins719]

When you consider the cost of making new cutters - material and labor the prices they're asking don't seem unreasonable.

[@funone8716]

Agreed.....large chunks of HSS with lots of metal removal needed.

[@HOWEES]

Not at all unreasonable, just a larger portion of the price than the machine it's self, and while I understand why, it just feels a little off, even though I know it is what it needs to be.

[@heathhill7802]

I can see how the cast piece got replaced , the workpiece possibly care loose and the broach slammed forward onto to it on a down stroke

[@timnizle1]

What is that piece sitting on. The forklift?

[@HOWEES]

A quick coupler for a large excavator bucket/ripper shank. I will be changing the main mounting hole for it to fit a different machine, they will be picking it up in the spring.

[@timnizle1]

@@HOWEES ah🙂 right on man 👍👌

[@GS-zv3qn]

Wire edm could do simple key way plus all kinds of other jobs but that machine is really good and no computer headaches

[@HOWEES]

I have a Agie-cut wire EDM, but don't have the room to set it up, splines would be most of it's work, We use a slotter for those instead.@@GS-zv3qn

[@jaygraham5407]

I have a hydraulic press just like yours. 40 ton

[@HOWEES]

They made several sizes of them, KR Wilson 1930s-1980s, mine was hand pump, the pump went bad & now is electric, it is 75 ton. I thought it was a 50 ton, until I found the correct information. They are all 5,000 PSI, as opposed to the 10,000 that other brands use, so We stop the pump before we break it. The ram had a weep hole travel stop, that also will not work with the power pump. The built in arbor function is nice for light work.

[@kmcwhq]

I have a 50 ton, manual 2 speed pump and electric pump. Built in 1947.

[@jaygraham5407]

@HOWEES The one I have is hand pump. Dad and I bought it from the Joint Vocational School for $100 in 1972. We were told it hand a broken hydraulic line on it. The School even furnished a truck with lift gate to deliver it to us. We dumped hydraulic jack oil in the system to fill it, and it has worked ever since.

[@jaygraham5407]

@HOWEES YES, the built in arbor function is great for light work. The pump has two speeds, but we never figured out what was missing to control the higher speed.

[@HOWEES]

The smaller rod is the slow speed, a knob/screw thing is attached to the pump linkage, it connects to the larger rod, or disconnects it, if turned 180 degrees. If after rotating, it it stays down, then the connector is not grabbing or broken (or missing), try turning the selector 180, then push the lever all the way down, then turn while it is down. It needs to be in the correct direction before pressing against the rod, and then turned to lock it in. If it will not stay down when disengaged, then it has a leaking output check ball. I used the hand pump for 15 years before I changed it to electric. Best would have been to have both manual and electric. @@jaygraham5407

[@jasonhall3729]

Couple of things: the fixed stroke is bullshit as well as having to manually back it off every stroke. Secondly, the back side of that cutter needs lubed as well as the teeth. Thrice, forgot what 3 was but 3 (revision B) I would look around for a M&M or Morrison. I really enjoy your vidjyas being a job shop guy myself, but you're wrong about length you can broach with the push broach. The only thing restricting the length of cut is the length of the broach and the length of the guide. I do multiple pieces by making a longer bushing/guide and stacking the pieces. Does the table on that unit tilt to do tapered keyseats??

[@HOWEES]

Only length limitation with this, is the length of the cutter. With the dumont push broaches, that have stepped teeth, I have found (when greatly exceeding the recommended cut length) that the gullet between the teeth gets packed full, and then breaks the broach tooth, before I saw that, I had thought, that no limit existed. We do oil the back, and yes the table tilts. I would like a better version, but it has served me well.

[@Caseman91291]

We buy new broaches easily enough.

[@melgross]

Y Dumont set goes to 3/8” I can’t imagine needing more than that for what I do, and 3/8” is unusual.

[@HOWEES]

My most common keyway cutting, for Me has been 5/8" just depend on what the peeps in Your area need.

[@moltedo37]

Your dog doesn't seems to be interested.