slot cutting in heavy bolt help

feralfreak

for a project im working on(cant give too many details, but its perfectly legal) i think i need to cut a slot in a really heavy bolt, i think it is off a big truck or a plane or something, not from the end to a certain point but about an inch in length right in the middle, maybe a quarter inch wide(the slot), what are my options for doing this if i dont go to a metal working/machine shop?

oh'mike

A bolt of that size may well be hardened and tempered----so a milling machine may be required-----

Do you have a drill press available to use?

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joecaption

Hmm, not willing to tell us what your planning on doing with this bolt.
Weaking it to the point it could fail if installed in the wrong place.
Simple job but I think I'll pass on this one.
I think it could be called aiding and abeting.

oh'mike

Joe---this member likes to invent things----He's been around long enough to give him the benefit of a doubt----

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Bondo

Ayuh,.... With so Few details, a 4" angle grinder, or a blue-tip wrench comes to mind...

feralfreak

there is nothing illegal about it, and oh'mike is right, i am trying to invent something, im not trying to sabotage anything, one thing about an inventor is not wanting to get down into details of the thing being invented, at least without a patent to protect it first. the thing this bolt going in is NEVER going into a place one would normally put it so weaking it isnt a concern. i can see where you are coming from but its nothing like that, my mamma raised me right.

feralfreak

yeah i have a small delta drill press


this is the bolt i want to cut a slot in, i found it when i was pulling weeds, a few years ago(when i was pullng them and soon after a tenant we had here moved out while we were out of town), i guess the tenant tossed it or lost it or something but i figured it could be usefull, for scale i put something in the pic for an idea of the size im working with

Thurman

Look at the head of the bolt to determine the class (strength) of the bolt. Most larger bolts are actually case hardened a few thousands of an inch deep, the rest of the bolt may have high tensile strenght but metal can be removed. Clean the bolt good to remove any residual greases/oils and such. If you don't have some toolmakers ink, use a magic marker to color the section of the bolt you want the slot in. Scribe lines along the area you want the slot, basically outlining the slot. Drill holes just a bit smaller than the width of the slot you want and as close to each other as possible along the length of the slot. Then use a round or square file to remove the rest of the metal from the slot. I have done this many times.

Hardway

So this is on a Trident sub?

feralfreak

haha yeah aquaman gets fussy when he cant get his trident youd think they would make this in atlantis

feralfreak

do i need to use any kind of a lubricant where the bit touches it?

jeffsw6

If you oil the drill bit it will help to cool it. If the bit overheats, you know what happens, it will break and debris will fly. I wear gloves and face protection when I do anything like that. Just imagine you're welding, because if the bit breaks, you will get those flying hunks of hot metal.

feralfreak

what oil should i use for this? and how do i keep the oil in place? do i need something to help guide the bit?

joecaption

Even if you had a milling machine there's no way your going to be drilling into that bolt on the side. The bits just going to bend.
Hold it in a vice and use a right angle grinder with whatever width blade you want the slot.
Should take about 1 min.

Fairview

We don't know at this point how precision this needs to be, nor width and length, so I'll suggest this. Clamp the bolt to the drill press table using the bolt head and nut flats to your advantage. File a flat in the area to be slotted that parallels the head and nut flats. If the nut is larger than the head, shim the head so the bolt shank is level. As mentioned, lay out the area with lay out blue ( Prussian Blue ) for a good reference. Center punch in a straight line the area for the holes to be drilled and clamp the bolt to the table for each hole to be drilled with a good quality sharp under sized bit. Finish rough cutting the slot with a Dremel and reinforced cut off wheel. If precision is needed, finish filing to the lay out lines. Any inventor should be able to to this with ease.