Broaches

[evjenkins]

I am planning to buy a new set of broaches and want to get some that are made well and will last. Wondered if anyone has recent experience with the German broaches from Merrits or the Swiss ones from Timekeepers. I do clock work entirely. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[evjenkins]

I'm open to input on other quality broaches also. Reading of some of the crooked ones showing up I'm just trying to get a good set and really would appreciate any thoughts.

 

[Kevin W.]

Evjenkins, i dont use mine alot and they were made in India.I likely do 5 clocks a year.These India made broaches have worked well for me.
I am sure Swiss made or other makes will work as well too.

 

[eskmill]

An interesting subject: "broaches" for clock and watchmakers.

I don't think I pay much attention to the brand name so I took a look at them. The set I have that are very large are marked on the tang, "W.T. Johnson;" I suppose from England. Too big for most mantel clocks and not big enough for spring barrel and barrel cover.

A small set, I guess that came from Timesavers years ago, just says, "HR - France." Another small card with tiny broaches has the PR logo. (Mereminski)

Finally, the set I've had a while came wrapped in wax paper and stuffed inside cigar tubes labeled "Vigor." They're not handy to select out of a cigar tube. The best storage I've found is to stuff them in the end of a piece of corrigated (sp?) cardboard.

All except the round smoothing broaches are five sided but I've read that some had four sides.

Occasionally, I see used sets mixed with old files on chapter mart tables and they look like they're well used but they can be made sharp if they're of good steel. I've never tried but I think they could be sharpened with a good flat stone or better with carborundum (wet-or-dry) paper on a flat piece of marble or hardwood.

Frankly, I'd think if a broach is good, then it will break before bending or twisting and I've seen plenty of them with broken tips.

 

[Dave B]

Occasionally, I see used sets mixed with old files on chapter mart tables and they look like they're well used but they can be made sharp if they're of good steel. I've never tried but I think they could be sharpened with a good flat stone or better with carborundum (wet-or-dry) paper on a flat piece of marble or hardwood.

I have seen these at marts also, but never "bit" on any; the amount of time it would take to sharpen a set, compared to the $30 to $50 bucks to buy a new set just is not worth it to me. As one of the frequent posters to these boards, Al Taka, is wont to say, "Time is money."

 

[Mike Phelan]

Mine that I've had for years, have no ID at all on them, and I think the material dealer I got them from is long gone.

They are still fine, but I use them at about the same rate as Kevin does.

Time is only money if you repair clocks for a living; many folk on here, like me, don't!

The larger ones I have sometimes dressed with an Arkansas slip.

 

[Curtis Jackson]

I've bought the Swiss broaches and burnishers from timesavers recently. They do the job well and seem to be made well. Came in a rather anti-climactic PVC .. "sleeve."

My only complaint is that the plastic handles on the tangs are not able to provide the kind of torque I need. I'd like to be able to remove the handles and use a pin vise instead, but they don't want to come off.

I bought the Swiss ones because I needed them to last and allow me to do all the bushing work I need to do without any issues. There's sets of six that come in the sleeves with plastic handles and apparently a set of 12 that come in a tube without the handles. In retrospect, I'd probably have bought the tube sets but that's only because I don't like the handles.

 

[berntd]

Hello,

Make sure you get straight ones. I got a set from A*F Switzerland that is bowed (see my thread on that). The replacement set was only very little better. I never got a reply to my last email to them either.

Also, Swiss or Switzerland doe not mean "Swiss Made".

It needs to state "Swiss Made" to be made in Switzerland.

Kind regards
Bernt

 

[MShaw]

I purchased mine from Timesavers starting with a set and then slowly expanding to a full range with individual broaches. The individual cutting broaches seemed to be much better than the ones in the set.

I recently dropped one in a large pin vise and broke the tang. Much to my dismay Timesavers no longer sells individual broaches. Neither Merritts nor Mile Hi can offer a replacement. One of them sells some but not the one I need.

It does not seem reasonable to purchase one broach from overseas.

I guess I will just suffer with one very short tang!

Malkin Shaw
York, Pa.

 

[Dave B]

Malkin - Save the broken tang, in case you ever need to make a spring from it.

I have two with short tangs that I broke off the same way. I just ground a couple of flats on tthe rounded portion of the broach, and continued on my merry way. The shorter tang is not a problem, and it makes it easy to spot the ones I use most, standing in the block where I keep them. I keep all my broaches and files in holes drilled in a length of 1" square oak. That way, they don't get banged against each other and dulled. It also makes it easy to quickly sot and pick out the one I want. If I am unsure about diameter, it is easy to hold the bushing or part over the tip of each broach in the row, until I find the one that I want to start with.

 

[tom427cid]

Hi all,
FWIW Empire used to sell individual broaches.
Might be worth a call.
I am not associated/Empire
tom

 

[Curtis Jackson]

I could have sworn Timesavers was selling those english pattern broaches individually.

Bent the tip of my smallest broach last night. Slight, but annoying nonetheless.

 

[MShaw]

Timesavers did until very recently. I ordered a #42 about 3 weeks ago and it would not come up in the part number search so I added a note to the order requesting one. They E-Mailed back that they were no longer carrying them.

I have had very poor luck ordering from Empire so I have given up on them.

Malkin Shaw
York, Pa.

 

[Curtis Jackson]

I ordered a #42 about 3 weeks ago and it would not come up in the part number search so I added a note to the order requesting one. They E-Mailed back that they were no longer carrying them.

Seems to show up now: http://www.timesavers.com/catalogmain2.asp?ProductID=23189

 

[MShaw]

I'll be darned.

I'll try to order one again.

Malkin Shaw

York, Pa.

 

[MARK A. BUTTERWORTH]

FWIW R&M Imports does sell individual cutting broaches. They also carry sets from economy to Swiss.

 

[outatime]

I just bought a set of broaches from Ronell Clock.
They are Grobet USA and are the same sets that were used in the FSW course F101.

Both sets, cutting and rounding, were $35.95 each and included 12 broaches size 15 to 70