Rotary broachin' for fun and profit
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Making a rotary broach

Rotary broaching is a process by which you can make certain types of non-round holes in parts,
the classic example being the hex-shaped holes in allen-head bolts or Torx screws.
The process is fairly straightforward, but the broach holders tend to be rather expensive, often selling,
even used, for $300 to $700. As of this writing, I'd been tooling up a small turret lathe, and decided I'd
make my own broach and holder for it, in anticipation of a few projects I have in the pipeline.

I started with a bar of "mystery metal" mild steel from the scrap bin that started out about 7/8" in diameter.
I turned two .500" steps on either side of a boss that was about .275" wide.

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Information contained in these pages is for reference and entertainment purposes only.  Our methods are not always the best,
quickest, safest, or even the correct ones. It's up to you to know how to use your own machines and tools.
Keep your fingers away from the spinny blades o' death and you should be all right.