Framon #2 Questions

[Raymond]

I am hoping someone with great experience cutting a Best WH key on a Framon will contact me. I am very confused how to space this crazy key blank. hanks in advance.

[demux]

I've cut W series PKS keys on my #2, like any other SFIC key it's tip stopped, so you'll want to gauge from there. But if you don't have one of these, you'll want to get one, it makes all the difference. Not to mention that those blanks are so paracentric that if you try them in the regular vise they'll get tipped at such an angle that your cuts will be way off on depth from side to side.

https://www.hawleylocksupply.com/Mercha ... de=F-Parts

[Raymond]

Thanks Demux, That replacement vise looks promising. My biggest problem has been the spacing. Whether I gauge from the tip or the bow something just is not right. I have resorted to removing the plug, inserting a blank, marking it with a red sharpie, and drawing a line down the side. I can eyeball the relative location and widen the cut to eliminate spacing problems. Then I insert the blank with the jaws loose, pull the cutting handle, and move the blank to line up with the cutter. Tighten the jaws and begin cutting with .150 spacings. This is good for 6 spaces but I cant hit #7 because the jaws hit the right frame.

After moving the blank, I nearly cut a good key but the blank rolled under on the 7th space, and the cut was only a #6. I'm using an almost exactly correctly sized spring wire in the bottom groove. This combination survived two #8 cuts in spaces 1 and 3 but jumped on 7 with a #6! (I cursed)

Does anyone back the depth dial out, pull and hold the handle, and turn the depth dial down to the correct cut depth to make the cut?

Thanks
I like this machine and have successfully made several Medecos as well as normal keys.

[RedStagKiller]

I will often just set my depth to a 4 and pre cut the deeper depths first. Widening them out a little too. It really does help.

I Second Demux's suggestion on the replacement vice. It really did make a world of difference for cutting Best keys. With the built in tip stop it makes it a faster job as well.


As far as the original vise that comes on a Framon 2 you should have had a loose ninja star looking piece of metal that is supposed to be used as a tip stop.


In this link its the 4th photo down.

https://www.framon.com/index.php/projec ... cessories/

[Raymond]

Thanks Red...
I normally use the "cut halfway deep" trick. I also have the tip gauge. I am very interested in the replacement vise. I see that it is listed in Framon's catalog but with no price.

You both have given me some insights. I will continue to muddle along and make things work some how.

Ray

[demux]

With that replacement vice I posted that includes the tip stop, I do not have any problem with the carriage hitting the side of the machine. It comes pretty close, but I can cut 7 positions no problem. The trick is to adjust the tip stop on that replacement vice (or the external one that comes with the standard vice, as RedStag said) to register on the little indent at the very bottom of the blank - e.g. the place where the key registers against the circlip at the back of the plug during actual operation. This will position it relative to the carriage so you have full freedom for all 7 positions.

Regarding deep cuts, the other suggestion I'll make there would to spend the money for a high quality cutting wheel, and go slow. I use a name brand Framon wheel on mine for SFIC key work, and have had no problems. I have some off-brand wheels for other key types, but always stick to the name brand for SFIC.

But seriously, get that replacement vice. You won't regret it.

[demux]

But seriously, get that replacement vice. You won't regret it.

Oh, and one other thing I forgot to mention: if you do (or for others who may have it and be curious), there's a slight disclaimer they don't tell you. When I got mine, I noticed some minor depth discrepancies across the length of the key from tip to bow (e.g. it was cutting deeper at one end), and wrote in about it. I actually talked to Phil Agius about this, and learned that the vices are calibrated to the machine at manufacture time, and so any replacement vices (e.g. if for some reason you had to get a new standard vice) may exhibit these errors if not similarly calibrated. Just an interesting data point about #2 machines for those that may see this in the future. Phil gave me instructions how to do that process, but I didn't trust myself enough as a machinist to give it a go, so I just worked around the errors on mine in software.