I need a 13mm hex broach, I’ve looked every ware
All I can find is 10 and 12’s.
I know I can have one ground they get big$ for custom
broach’s, sorely a 13mm is common item.

i can quote you one if you like. send me a print with lengths and such.
cbaas@rmepvd.com

13mm is a standard for Rotary Broaching Tools (probably same day delivery). Do you have a Rotary Broach Holder, if not could you push a Rotary Broach into your part??
Check out the Slater Tools catalog:
http://www.slatertools.com/rotary8.htm

This type of broach can be used in a mill?

Rotary Boaching is an excellent option for broaching if you have a mill. Here's a little history: RB was first used in screw machines, using a spindle which rotates free in the tool holder. The spindle and the broach are offset at a 1 degree angle, so that it makes contact with the workpiece only 1 corner at a time. As the broach is turning and is fed into the workpiece, it creates sharp corners one at a time. (see the video) (http://www.slatertools.com/video.htm)
Today: As it turns out, the principle works when the workpiece is turning (screw machines & lathe), OR when the toolholder is turning (mill).
It also works clockwise and counterclockwise directions. So all you need to get started with Rotary Broaching is a toolholder and a broach. There are dozens of styles of toolholders available for internal and external forms, and 1000's of broaches.
http://www.slatertools.com/images/products.jpg (http://www.slatertools.com/rotary_broaching.htm)

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

and Made in the U.S.A. (http://www.slatertools.com/about_us.htm) too!

Peter,i heard the podcast from jay pierson and the interview about your rotary broaching,i have also been to your website.

i am very impressed with the tooling and i hope to be able to incorporate your tooling into some of our designs one day.

great product.

won't apply if its commercial for thousands of parts, but otherwise they're not too hard to make

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b201/michael0100/broaching/homemadebroaches.jpg

Timmy, thanks for listening to the podcast. I'm curious how you found it? I hadn't heard of CNC-today (http://www.cnc-today.com/cnc-todaycom-weekend-podcast-episode-6/) until they called us. I listened to it after the recording and was suprised how much we had talked about in 15 minutes. I fill in for the sales team doing customer support from time to time, so that's where I learned alot of the info from.

TT350, One nice thing about rotary broaching (I forgot to mention) is that you can use a rotary broach in a blind hole, unlike a conventional broach, which requires a thru hole. The trade-off is that you cannot rotary broach a deep hole using a standard tool holder, rotary broaching deep holes requires a machine attachment and sometimes still can't be done.

Hi tt350, a lot depends on how deep you want to go, what material and most important the volume required.

If you only want a few hundred, with a depth of say 3/4" in brass, for a hex key drive in a plug with a blind bore, then have a punch made from toolsteel and put the part in a "nest" in a press and just push the punch into the hole with the press.

I made this set-up with a mill and dividing head, to put the key drive hex cavities in some plugs for picnic cooler boxes.
Took me about 2 or 3 hours all up to make the tool and nest, and cost next to nix.

I've got a few spares left over if you want to see a photo of the end result, and the tool as well.
Ian.