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WTB: 50 NMTB drive lugs/keys

Dope

Cast Iron
Joined
Jan 16, 2016
For some reason, I can't find these anywhere. Does anyone have a pair for sale? Or know where I can get them?
 
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For some reason, I can't find these anywhere. Does anyone have a pair for sale? Or know where I can get them?

I cannot find them, either. Nor even 40-taper. Search-fu is coming up seriously empty.

My suspicion is because they are treated as spares/repair parts from the spindle/machine-tool MAKER?

EG: Not treated as broad-market 100% generic consumables.

If so, and your machine/spindle is an "orphan", the ones you need will be found hiberating inside a length of tool steel.

One presumes possession of a mill that needs them means you will know what to use as "bait" to tease them out and trap them?

:D
 
I cannot find them, either. Nor even 40-taper. Search-fu is coming up seriously empty.

My suspicion is because they are treated as spares/repair parts from the spindle/machine-tool MAKER?

EG: Not treated as broad-market 100% generic consumables.

If so, and your machine/spindle is an "orphan", the ones you need will be found hiberating inside a length of tool steel.

One presumes possession of a mill that needs them means you will know what to use as "bait" to tease them out and trap them?

:D

Yeah, fascinating huh, how there's not even a pair of them on ebay (even if they are spindle or machine specific). Fascinating.

I agree with your assessment, now if only I had some drive keys for my mill so I could make drive keys for my mill :D
 
Yeah, fascinating huh, how there's not even a pair of them on ebay (even if they are spindle or machine specific). Fascinating.

I agree with your assessment, now if only I had some drive keys for my mill so I could make drive keys for my mill :D

Well.. I'm figuring that one spindle-maker to the next has to hit the HOLDER specification where they protrude... but can make up his own mind how deeply to set them and how best to place the retention fastener.

As to milling? The FAR lesser 40-taper mills are run all the time with NO lugs at all. So are smaller-yet 35's and 30's.

The/a lug(s) be more important to CNC & auto-changers for a positioning reference than to transmitting driving torque.

A "naked" 50-taper, properly fitted and pulled-in, will transmit one HELL of a lot more torque that you will need to mill a few puny lugs.

Even #9 B&S will do that. And they don't own a lug at all.

50-taper at "full gallop" might load a lug? But 50-taper "at a combat speed" is serious metal removal! VERY!

Lugs won't load it much at all.

Could make those on an ignorant Are-ate BirdPort or even an ancient Burke mini-mill or a table-top Barker-micro mill.

Even with a damned Horror-Fright abrasive chop-saw or an angle-grinder if you are allergic to a MUSCLE powered HAND hacksaw and files!

:)

No joke, actually.

Folks do that sort of chit with cheap abrasive blades whenever need be. They can fake being a grinder.

Kinda NEAT when the work is harder than a politician's heart, too! Abrasives couldn't give the least damn about hardness, actually prefer hard to gummy.

The "precision" is - quite 'literally' "in your hands!"

Measuring and drilling might be a pain in the anatomy, but nobody dies if you have to make more than one go at it or dummy-it-up in plastic, real-wood, or shiney-wood so as not to risk "scarce and precious steel".. or time..

So ... "JFDI".

Not as if you need a thousand of 'em, is it?

:D
 
Well.. I'm figuring that one spindle-maker to the next has to hit the HOLDER specification where they protrude... but can make up his own mind how deeply to set them and how best to place the retention fastener.

As to milling? The FAR lesser 40-taper mills are run all the time with NO lugs at all. So are smaller-yet 35's and 30's.

The/a lug(s) be more important to CNC & auto-changers for a positioning reference than to transmitting driving torque.

A "naked" 50-taper, properly fitted and pulled-in, will transmit one HELL of a lot more torque that you will need to mill a few puny lugs.

Even #9 B&S will do that. And they don't own a lug at all.

50-taper at "full gallop" might load a lug? But 50-taper "at a combat speed" is serious metal removal! VERY!

Lugs won't load it much at all.

Could make those on an ignorant Are-ate BirdPort or even an ancient Burke mini-mill or a table-top Barker-micro mill.

Even with a damned Horror-Fright abrasive chop-saw if you are desperate.

No joke. Folks do that sort of chit when need be. It pretends to be a grinder.

The "precision" is - quite 'literally' "in your hands!"

Measuring and drilling might be a pain in the anatomy, but nobody dies if you have to make more than one go at it or dummy-it-up in plastic, real-wood, or shiney-wood so as not to risk scarce steel.. or time..

So ... "JFDI". Not as if you need a thousand of 'em, is it?

Oh, I get it, to be clear, I'll make them on the old bridgeport. I was trying to be light-hearted, apologies for the miscommunication. :)
 
I was trying to be light-hearted

So was I!

:)

But I recall the amazement when I fitted a hardened part that needed 30 thou off each side of a curved fork-shape to complete an engine-conversion I did about a thousand years ago.

"You can't USE the stock GMC S-15's throwout fork with a Dodge throwout bearing!" (on an Aisen AX5 transmission..in a Jeep.. with an S-15 bell-housing.. to a 4.3 V6.. with a Buick front cover.. to make room for a 4-row, all Copper, Mustang "desert" radiator..)

"Stock?"

"Not no more it ain't!"

My "machine tool"?

Abrasive blade in a 90-dollar el-cheapo-Taiwanese hobby sawdust-monger's alleged TABLE saw!

NOW I keep a chop saw around! And more'n one angle-grinder.

Hit the bigtime, I have!

Even got me a CDL for the wheelbarrow! "Dually" y'see.

Vicious unicycle wheelbarrows plot and scheme mischief against shakey-legged oldsters!

:D
 
So was I!

:)

But I recall the amazement when I fitted a hardened part that needed 30 thou off each side of a curved fork-shape to complete an engine-conversion I did about a thousand years ago.

"You can't USE the stock GMC S-15's throwout fork with a Dodge throwout bearing!" (on an Aisen AX5 transmission..in a Jeep.. with an S-15 bell-housing.. to a 4.3 V6.. with a Buick front cover.. to make room for a 4-row, all Copper, Mustang "desert" radiator..)

"Stock?"

"Not no more it ain't!"

My "machine tool"?

Abrasive blade in a 90-dollar el-cheapo-Taiwanese hobby sawdust-monger's alleged TABLE saw!

NOW I keep a chop saw around! And more'n one angle-grinder.

Hit the bigtime, I have!

Even got me a CDL for the wheelbarrow! "Dually" y'see.

Vicious unicycle wheelbarrows plot and scheme mischief against shakey-legged oldsters!

:D

Okay, fair enough :)

I will admit that I have probably used angle grinders more than any other tool in my shop, so I get it!
 
And you don't know what a lug for them looks like?

Seems yah would do if you also have either of loose "spares"... or "hundreds" of spindles to rob?

I do know what the THREE different types of lugs look like that go in my machines. However I have seen different counter/through hole sizes and I have had some with a step milled on them. If the OP can provide a sketch I might be able to send him a set on my dime to keep the Christmas cheer amongst us all here on PM.
 
I do know what the THREE different types of lugs look like that go in my machines. However I have seen different counter/through hole sizes and I have had some with a step milled on them. If the OP can provide a sketch I might be able to send him a set on my dime to keep the Christmas cheer amongst us all here on PM.

"Now we are progressing..." Thank you!

:)

My bet, however, is that his shape will be "other"!

It's just "the way of things" whenever they are needed, not surplus being tripped-over or taking up bin space!

Hopefully he's already made a set and moved-on. It isn't really an all-day tasking.

:D
 
I do know what the THREE different types of lugs look like that go in my machines. However I have seen different counter/through hole sizes and I have had some with a step milled on them. If the OP can provide a sketch I might be able to send him a set on my dime to keep the Christmas cheer amongst us all here on PM.

Unfortunately, I have no idea what the lugs look like as I do not have any. I only have the width needed for the lugs, as I obviously have the two gaps in the spindle lip where the lugs would go. I'll go measure in a bit. I've got a million things on my to-do list so it'd be a while before I'd have a chance to make new ones.
 
Unfortunately, I have no idea what the lugs look like as I do not have any. I only have the width needed for the lugs, as I obviously have the two gaps in the spindle lip where the lugs would go. I'll go measure in a bit. I've got a million things on my to-do list so it'd be a while before I'd have a chance to make new ones.

Ok, let us know the width and depth of slots on the spindle. Don't forget to see what the threads are also.
 
Ok, let us know the width and depth of slots on the spindle. Don't forget to see what the threads are also.

Okay so here it is. The width of the slot, the best I can measure it, is 1.0012. The height of the lug, based on the height of the spindle gap and the height of most of my toolholders, seems to be right at 1" too. The depth of the slot is right around 1.250" but given that I'd imagine you don't want the square lug points protruding past the round spindle, it probably needs to be right around 1" as well. I suppose that's pretty convenient, right around 1" square. The threads are 3/8-16.

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