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Shaft keyway depth calculator

I was taught that the keyway depth was 1/2 the key height in the shaft and 1/2 the height in the gear hub or mating part.

What am I missing?

- Leigh
 
Leigh,
All this does, is calculate the radius height that is added to the ½ dim. of the key. That dimension changes with the diameter of the shaft and width of the key. Just did a 7/8'' key in 3.4375 shaft. .4375 + .057 = .4945. That's how far you go down after touch off.
 
My favorite Uncle gave me the formula : Endmill squared divided by 4 X Shaft = radius segment height of key-way.


I have not seen it else where but it works for me. Hope it makes sense to

someone else.
 
The depth of the keyseat is measured where the width intersects the shaft diameter measured from a theoretically sharp corner. That's the theory. You have to go deeper from first contact where the cutter first brushes the diameter then sink by what geekspeak calls: "Chordal height of the arc subtended by the keyseat width" Machinery's Handbook gives clear directions for calculating this. It's worked for me for 50 years by gum hee hee (thigh slap)

If someone went to the trouble to cook up a nice little app fine. I'm all for it. A slick algorithm like Ray posted is cool too. A table, a spreadsheet in your laptop, there's tons of ways to do what was one of the first problems posed in my trade apprentice math class - and that was before pocket caalculators. We had to calculate long hand or with logarithms..

Whenever I had to end mill or side mill a keyseat I usually got lazy and sunk the cutter 'til the corners intersected the shaft diameter then I dialed into the shaft 1/2 the key height (remembering the clearance goes in the keyway of the mating bore.)
 
Thats a cool find Ray. Thanks for sharing. I might use it to make a simple chart to keep in my shop book. I cut keyways all the time and always use the feel method of finding when the cut is completly flat. Someone needs to make this a phone app.
 
keyway chordial distance calculator and speed and feed

added keyway distance from top calculator to free Excel file. Excel is easily able to do mathematical equations in milliseconds. it is my belief all 21st century machinist should be taught the basics of using Excel or the free Open Office Calc program
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also update speed and feed calculator with plastic data. i find horsepower required to cut plastic compared to steel is roughly 1/12. this vastly changes depth of cut and feed when cutting plastic like uhmwpe. heat buildup data still suggests vastly higher cutting rates end milling by periodically pulling cutter to allow cutter and workpiece to cool. even at 75% cooling time 1/4 at 10x rate is still 250% faster machining rate than normal.
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i find my machining times are vastly faster by scientifically calculating the optimum parameters based on conditions which Excel can calculate in milliseconds. Remember calculator adjust speeds and feeds based on conditions. For example chip thickness is vastly different with aluminum compared to stainless steel. feed and depth of cut is adjusted by cutter length, coolant, length of time cutter is in how deep a slot, etc. i also increased horsepower a Bridgeport Series 1 mill has to 1.5hp. all horsepower calculations are tested by stalling the motor on a Bridgeport type mill. I find machining at 1.5 hp rate requires an extremely good vise or clamping setup or workpiece will move causing damage.
 

Attachments

  • KeywayCalculator.jpg
    KeywayCalculator.jpg
    78.3 KB · Views: 34,620
  • SpeedAndFeedCalculator.zip
    42.5 KB · Views: 1,303
  • CalculatorMay28.jpg
    CalculatorMay28.jpg
    107.3 KB · Views: 21,477
What is handier is a measurement of from the bottom of key to the backside of shaft. (Easy to measure with a mike). I always put this measurement on my drawings. You can take a cut measure the remainder , do the math ,set the dro and here we go. Just one more step from your chart. Neat calculater faster than the formula in machinery handbook. Thanks
 
Quote: "Excel is easily able to do mathematical equations in milliseconds. it is my belief all 21st century machinist should be taught the basics of using Excel or the free Open Office Calc program."

I'm very supportive of using spreadsheet programs also, and appreciate folks like yourself who share their work. However I would suggest that you provide a little documentation on each of the sheets. It makes it easier to see what you've done and how you did it. Maybe even the formulas since there usually are several ways to calculate any given number.
 
Keyway Calculator *tweaked* - just enter diameter of shaft (or bore)!

DMF_TomB,

I took your calculator you posted, added some more graphical info and tweaked a bit, so it automatically looks up the standard keyway for any given diameter shaft or bore and adds everything (again, automatically) to the graphic. You can print out and take right to your machine with you. The ONLY input I allow in this one is the diameter of the shaft (or bore). The rest is all taken care of. :D Enjoy! --atomicbear

View attachment Keyway Depth Calculator.zip
 
DMF_TomB,

I took your calculator you posted, added some more graphical info and tweaked a bit, so it automatically looks up the standard keyway for any given diameter shaft or bore and adds everything (again, automatically) to the graphic. You can print out and take right to your machine with you. The ONLY input I allow in this one is the diameter of the shaft (or bore). The rest is all taken care of. :D Enjoy! --atomicbear

View attachment 116551

I don't seem to be able to input anything, the spreadsheet seems to be entirely protected? I'm an Excel noob.
 
excel

I don't seem to be able to input anything, the spreadsheet seems to be entirely protected? I'm an Excel noob.
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the excel file is in a zip file when you double click it, usually windows opens a folder and shows the excel file, you then right click it and from menu, select copy, then go to windows desktop, right click and from menu select paste
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by making a copy from the zip file to desktop now the desktop version can be edited or changed. when it is in a zip file it cannot be changed.
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you do not have to put on desktop, any folder out of the zip file which windows shows as a compressed folder will do.
 
@ HuFlungDung:

The spreadsheet is entirely protected EXCEPT FOR THE DIAMETER INPUT FIELD - the very first number in the upper left that says "Enter Diameter of Bore ID or Shaft OD". You don't even need to click anywhere. Just open the excel file and type your diameter and hit enter. Everything else is automatically done for you. Thanks for trying it! Let me know if you still have problems and I can send you an "unprotected" version...
--atomicbear
 








 
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