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Key cutter
- Thread starter 007Airman
- Start date
No I was thinking using the machine as a basis for patterning since it already has a mirror image patterning design feature. obviously the wheel would need to be changed and other mods but who knows it may have a use in knifemaking.
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2007
- Messages
- 4,273
I don't see it being very effective/efficient, even with mods. A wheel small enough to have any definition would likely not last very long. I imagine you'd want to rough most of the material off of the blank before hand, at which point it's just as fast or easy to free hand the pattern with a bandsaw and/or belt grinder.
If you're looking for repeatability and precision for a moderate number of blanks, I'd just have them waterjet cut and be done with it.
If you're looking for repeatability and precision for a moderate number of blanks, I'd just have them waterjet cut and be done with it.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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- Aug 20, 2004
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- 38,332
Short answer - it won't work.
Longer answer:
Duplicators for cutting steel are ten to twenty times sturdier and heavier than a key cutter. The motors that turn the cutters are also 10 to twenty times the power of a key cutter.
You would need carbide cutters and a large coolant flow.
Waterjet, laser, and CNC plasma are also twenty times faster than using a key cutter to make profiles.
Just the cost of trying to convert a key cutter ( which wouldn't work well when done) would be enough to cut a lot of waterjet blades.
I have an old key cutter somewhere out in the storage building that I tried to use to make serrations. Even for that simple task, it didn't work. I had better luck converting a powered chain saw sharpener to get serrations … and it didn't really do a good job.
Longer answer:
Duplicators for cutting steel are ten to twenty times sturdier and heavier than a key cutter. The motors that turn the cutters are also 10 to twenty times the power of a key cutter.
You would need carbide cutters and a large coolant flow.
Waterjet, laser, and CNC plasma are also twenty times faster than using a key cutter to make profiles.
Just the cost of trying to convert a key cutter ( which wouldn't work well when done) would be enough to cut a lot of waterjet blades.
I have an old key cutter somewhere out in the storage building that I tried to use to make serrations. Even for that simple task, it didn't work. I had better luck converting a powered chain saw sharpener to get serrations … and it didn't really do a good job.