Tiny groove

Karl_T

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I need to make a bunch of groovesCapture.JPG for e clips in 3/16 rods. see pic. The groove is 30 thou wide by 20 thou deep.

Can you buy a groove tool for this???

Or, any suggestions on grinding my own? This narrow with reliefs on front and both sides sounds extremely difficult.
 
Grinding a tool like that is not so difficult, just sneak up on it, very little relief is required on the sides, given the shallow depth required. There is a company that sells grooving tools, I think "thinbit" is their trademark.
 
Kaiser Thinbit, excellent tools that I use often.
Internal, external and face grooving using modular insert holding, same tool body using different ends that fit the job at hand much like Manchester/Widia grooving tools.
Not a good tool for the faint of heart however.
http://www.thinbit.com/products/grooving/index.php
 
I have a few of these that I have ground. I just use a HSS blank and a bench grinder. The tool is really just a mini parting tool. Or as @benmychree says, Thinbit is an option.
 
I have a situation wherein I need a groove similar to what you want. It's thin, it's shallow, and it is a rare occasion when I need it. I use a cut down hacksaw blade in a small cutoff tool holder. The only stipulation here is that I do not use a hardware store blade, I use a Starrett HSS blade. There is a carbon steel blade by Starrett that I avoid like the plague. The HSS blade is shaped and sharpened just like a lathe tool, i.e. it's kept cool while it's ground.

I will concede the groove doesn't carry any load, the clip is there for a "just in case" application. But it works... ...
 
I did not wait for ideas, but instead made this this morning. Deadline was be done before the Viking packer game.

Its a hacksaw blade holder set at a 10:1 slope. I'll try a lennox blade first. Bill, where do you order the blade you like?




hacksaw holder.jpghacksaw holder backside.jpghacksaw holder inside.jpg
 
A thin Dremal grinding disc works well for this job. But you will need to make a bracket that screws on to the end of the Dremal and clamps into the tool post.
 
Quote:
Its a hacksaw blade holder set at a 10:1 slope. I'll try a lennox blade first. Bill, where do you order the blade you like?

That looks almost as good as what I do. The only debate is that you must remember the "set" of the teeth. It will make the cut a little wider than the blade thickness. I break the blade off, it's from a used blade. (Nothing gets thrown away in my shop) Then treat the blade as a very thin cut off tool. Model builders,, huh!

As to aqusition, I stole (literally) them from the maintenance shops at a steel mill I used to work at. I have no idea where they originated. Sorry I can't help more there. Looking to commercial supply houses is the best I can do. The Lennox would be a likely candidate, they make pretty good tools.

Bill Hudson​
 
Creeping elegance set in...

The blade loads with chips, not good. So I added a bracket to hold the entire hacksaw. Now saw back and forth until within a few thous. then advance the cross slide to get final dimension.

I will also use this as a cutoff tool for small diameter parts. print of holder and pic of final tool below


Capture 2.JPGhacksaw holder improved.jpg
 
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