Best tool for cutting your own slugs

[Zhangliqun]

Any ol' miter saw or something specialized?

[theboss]

I use this.
MINI MITER / CUT OFF SAW

[David King]

I have one of these but it would be mighty slow for steel slugs.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42307

If you are going to go the abrasives route, much better to go with one of these:
Amazon.com: Milwaukee 6176-20 15 Amp 14-Inch Abrasive Cutoff Machine: Home Improvement


Really what you need is a small turret lathe or Automatic screw machine like this:
http://www.ksmechinery.com/en/product.asp

[Possum]

......

The mini cut off saws are actually pretty good and fairly fast. The 14 inch doesn't cut clean enough, you have to clean up the cut, I have one of those too, actually never tried it for slugs, too innaccurate. You can get a perfect bull's eye patter by putting the slug in a Foredom and grinding the end into heavy big grit sandpaper, probably could do that in a drill press too.

I got a 7x10 lathe from Enco. Be prepared to spend some bucks though, they don't come with any useable cutters or a quick change tool post. Glad I got it and use it all the time to cut slugs, but the money added up fast.

[Joe Gwinn]

I got a 7x10 lathe from Enco. Be prepared to spend some bucks though, they don't come with any useable cutters or a quick change tool post. Glad I got it and use it all the time to cut slugs, but the money added up fast.

The standard rule of thumb is that the cost of tooling will equal the cost of the machine tool.

The other relevant rule of thumb is to buy the heaviest machine you can - size does matter.

[Bruce Johnson]

Here is another solution for accurately cutting off slugs, which is smaller and less expensive than a turret lathe. It's a benchtop horizontal milling machine called a Barker, which has been set up to function as a mini cold saw.

If you're not familiar with the term, a "cold saw" is a specialized metal cutoff machine that cuts bar stock with a relatively slow turning circular blade. It looks something like a woodworking miter saw, but is much heavier and more powerful. While a woodworking miter saw typically runs at 3600 rpm, a cold saw runs at something like 200 rpm. A cold saw is not the same thing as an abrasive cutoff saw. While an abrasive cutoff saw grinds through the metal, heating it up to nearly red hot, a cold saw cuts through with saw teeth and the metal stays cool. A cold saw cuts smoothly and accurately, and is the preferred method for cutting blanks to be machined. A standard size cold saw weighs 1500 lbs and costs a couple thousand bucks. That's obviously way more than you need for cutting small slugs.

The Barker is a small modular milling machine that's made to be set up to do secondary operations in a manufacturing environment. It's not a hobby machine; it's heavy duty, but made for small jobs. It weighs about 200 lbs and has a 1/3 HP motor. It's normally equipped with lever operation on all three axes (X, Y & Z), but any of the axes can be converted to leadscrews and micrometer dials with kits from Barker. There are several versions, but this one, the Barker PM, is the most common. The Barkers are made here in the US and have been in production since the early 1950's. It's a neat little niche-market machine. A brand new Barker PM costs about $2300. Used ones typically sell on ebay for $500 to $750.

My Barker is a very early one from 1952. I bought it about five years ago for $400 on ebay from a used machinery dealer here in the LA area. I cleaned it up and repainted it and set it up to be my little slug cutter. I made up an arbor for it that holds 3" dia x 0.020" slotting saw blades. The X and Y axes are locked, and I use the Z axis to make the cut downwards. On the table is a small vise fitted with special aluminum jaws and a sliding depth stop.

Note: I don't use steel slugs in any of my own pickups. The slugs that I cut are the blanks that I machine into all kinds of other musical instrument parts. I mostly use it for brass and aluminum, up to 1/2" dia and 2" long, but I've also cut steel and stainless in it. Once I set the depth stop, it will repeat the length to within 0.002". The cutoff face is smooth and square with very few burrs. The net speed is about like a turret lathe. It takes me about 3 seconds per part to cut 3/8" dia brass slugs.

Note also: This type of machine will not make a spiral "target" on the end of the slug. To get that, you need a turret lathe.

Here's the Barker web site page for the PM model: http://www.barkermill.com/pm.htm

[David Schwab]

I don't use slugs, but I cut my blades with one of these:

Harbor Freight Tools - 6" Cut-Off Saw

Goes through like butter. Then I clean up the edges on a belt sander.

[peskywinnets]

I don't use slugs, but I cut my blades with one of these:

Harbor Freight Tools - 6" Cut-Off Saw

I take it you don't radius your blades?

[David Schwab]

I take it you don't radius your blades?

I don't, but even if I did, I'd still need a way to cut them off the bar.

I have done some radiused blades back when I used a hack saw to cut the bar to length. I can radius them on the belt sander.

[David King]

David, I'd looking to finding a local water jet co and having your blades cut from 1/8" plate or whatever thickness you need. Stamping would probably be cheaper but each die would set you back whereas with water jet they can cnc every part on the sheet a different shape. I've seen sheet metal that's cut plasma torch and it's not that bad, just a little cleanup and you're there.

[belwar]

If you find any place that does good waterjet work for a decent price pleas let me know! I had a company try to sell me a water jet last week. I was quite impressed with the samples we brought by. They were able to cut 3/8" thick aluminum, though the edge was just OK. I prefer milling by a mile, but you cant get those nice tight corners with milling unless you get very creative with your end mills and fixturing.. I have some end mills that are 0.02 Diameter but with a 1/4" length of cut. You have to look really hard to see a 0.01" radius on a corner! :>

[Sheldon Dingwall]

I've gotten quotes on WJ cutting, but never pulled the trigger. Laser cutting is cheap and has a nicer edge finish than plasma. Would still need to clean up the edges on a belt though.