Folks, I stumbled on this really easy approach to cutting the bending groove on a stainless steel axle. I think this will help a lot of people. I know this is something I struggled with until I found this.
Here's what you need for this:
1. Some scrap wood - about 1/4" thick or less.
2. A dremel thin cutoff wheel (or similar)
3. A dremel and dremel workstation (preferred) OR a drill press
The first thing you need to do is build this simple jig. It should take just a few minutes:
What you see here is a 1/4" basswood plank on top with a hole drilled for the axle. The hole should be big enough that the axle fits securely but loose enough to spin easily (spinning is important). Underneath is another small 1/4" wood piece attached to the top piece with a wood screw. The purpose of this is to support the axle from underneath so it doesn't fall out. This piece can be adjusted up and down by turning it on the wood screw.
Now mark an axle where you want to cut the bending groove, and place it in the jig. Adjust the height of the axle using the bottom wood piece.
Chuck the thin cutoff wheel into your dremel / dremel workstation (or drill press) Support the jig using two equal sized blocks and adjust the height of the cutoff wheel to cut at the mark. See picture below:
Now turn on the dremel and push the axle slowly into the cutoff wheel. The wheel will cut AND spin the axle making a nice even cut all around the axle. Keep cutting to the desired depth - it won't take long so careful you don't go too far. Here's the result:
You can also smooth the cut a bit by chucking the axle into the dremel/drill press and using a round file in the groove.
That's it! For me, this technique has changed what was once a nerve racking, risky affair into a nearly foolproof job that just takes a couple minutes. I hope this helps others too.
Here's what you need for this:
1. Some scrap wood - about 1/4" thick or less.
2. A dremel thin cutoff wheel (or similar)
3. A dremel and dremel workstation (preferred) OR a drill press
The first thing you need to do is build this simple jig. It should take just a few minutes:
What you see here is a 1/4" basswood plank on top with a hole drilled for the axle. The hole should be big enough that the axle fits securely but loose enough to spin easily (spinning is important). Underneath is another small 1/4" wood piece attached to the top piece with a wood screw. The purpose of this is to support the axle from underneath so it doesn't fall out. This piece can be adjusted up and down by turning it on the wood screw.
Now mark an axle where you want to cut the bending groove, and place it in the jig. Adjust the height of the axle using the bottom wood piece.
Chuck the thin cutoff wheel into your dremel / dremel workstation (or drill press) Support the jig using two equal sized blocks and adjust the height of the cutoff wheel to cut at the mark. See picture below:
Now turn on the dremel and push the axle slowly into the cutoff wheel. The wheel will cut AND spin the axle making a nice even cut all around the axle. Keep cutting to the desired depth - it won't take long so careful you don't go too far. Here's the result:
You can also smooth the cut a bit by chucking the axle into the dremel/drill press and using a round file in the groove.
That's it! For me, this technique has changed what was once a nerve racking, risky affair into a nearly foolproof job that just takes a couple minutes. I hope this helps others too.
