Drilling a keyway in a motor shaft : advice needed

Dear e-friends.

Ich have bought a couple of 6364 motors I'd like to use for my skateboard.
They don't have any keyway for the pully and I'd like to make one.

Could any of you give me some explanation what is the better way to do it ?
I have access to a CNC machine.
Do I need to remove the shaft from the motor ?
If possible I would prefer not to ...

thanks for your help

Hi, Usually, you could get along this step by protecting the motor (tape and/or bag) to have only the part to be machined protrubing outside. Then, a vice high enought that you can grab the axle w. the rest of the motor outside the vice.

bear in mind that axle can be hardened steel : grinding might be more appropriate than any other kind of machining.
(I don't claim this way to be the "best" so Watch for other suggestions )

Wrapping the motor to protect it from dust is definately a good idea. You can also just stick the axcle through a piece of cardboard to separate the place of operation from the rest. Machining the shaft i also think is risky, i was always afraid to ruin my good milling head. An angle grinder or even a dremel did the trick for me, since it doesn't have to be really precise. But please do it slowly and make several breaks because the shaft gets hot and can damage your motor.

A short carbide endmill did the trick for me. It took me a couple passes but just go slow and it's pretty simple.

Gives you a much nicer finish than a dremel, haha. Not that that really matters...

You can take the whole axle out if needed, but it's better not to as they can be a pain to get back in and it's pretty easy to seal the motor up so the shards of metal from the shaft don't stick onto the magnets in the rotor. Just take the rotor off the coils, and use a mill with a vice.

Although, if the pulley has grub screws, I would definitely just do a flat spot with the grinder instead. This will hold the pulley just as well, and be much easier/faster. An angle grinder with a flappy disk will do the trick, or even a solid disk if you are careful.

Can someone share some pictures (or links), how to do this milling using a dremel on the motor shaft?

What dremel 'bits' do you use? Do you hold motor and/or dremel by hand?

Yes, a very steady hand. I recommend anchoring your forearm on your desk and pivoting it (or leg/knee if you are crouched on an apartment balcony like I was. lol). Same with your other hand, which holds the motor. I marked off the shaft with a Sharpie and flattened it to that point. If you haven't bought a Dremel already, get at least the 3000 kit. These things are so useful for so many applications, I guarantee it will pay you back in a very short amount of time (especially if you're into DIY).

+1 to all the other advice on this topic. Helped me a lot when I did mine. Mind the bit though - they get hot fast and will shatter under high temps. Also, cover your mouth from the filings to keep from breathing them in. The motor should suck most of them in (which is why you need to keep it covered with a bag and tape).
AND ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR!!!

Thanks for all you helpful advices, guys !!

I got shards in my motor. Pain in my ass to clean it out. No joke seal it good.

Please allow me to follow this thread Hummina Shadeeba got me plugged on the hub motors stuff :lol:

I took a dremel to my shaft.. i mean it worked, but i got a little dermel happy and my keyway got a little too deep.. and now i have the problem of the motor pulley sliding..

so if you go dremel route, plan it out and dont just go for it. :lol: :lol: