Modifying A Ball Nut

[Baithog]

I have an Asian made 1605 ball nut. I need to remove part of the mounting flange. It is way too hard for HSS tooling. Has anybody machined one of these nuts before? Can I do it with a carbide end mill or do I have to grind it?

 

[JimDawson]

You might do a file test on it, if you can file it then carbide should work. If you just need to remove material for clearance, then a bench grinder or other abrasive tool might be the best.