Face Mill
- Thread starter Goldigger
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Help Support Home Model Engine Machinist Forum:
I use a homemade 1 1/2" 2 insert facemill on mine now and then and get good results in steel if I keep the cuts light, .020-.030 or so. For aluminum I use a homemade carbide insert flycutter and can get a nice finish, if I want a mirror finish I swap the carbide for HSS.
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The diameter could be OK as long as the DOC was kept small enough. As for finish, you will always get witness marks when the tool is narrower than the part. A flycutter gives a better look since it can be adjusted to full width.
A 45 degree face mill such as Glacern sells will cut better on a low horsepower mill than a 90 degree face mill.
http://www.glacern.com/fm45
From their website description:
"The R8-FM45-200 is ideal for low horsepower and benchtop machines. Two of the insert pockets can be left empty for minimal power consumption."
I use a 2 and 1/2 inch, 5 insert model on my Grizzly G0704 and it leaves a beautiful finish. Similar face mills are available from Shars for less money.
http://www.glacern.com/fm45
From their website description:
"The R8-FM45-200 is ideal for low horsepower and benchtop machines. Two of the insert pockets can be left empty for minimal power consumption."
I use a 2 and 1/2 inch, 5 insert model on my Grizzly G0704 and it leaves a beautiful finish. Similar face mills are available from Shars for less money.
There a bit more expensive than i was plannning to fork out on one 
I was thinking more along the lines of this..
http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Glanze-3MT-Indexable-Endmill-40mm-Head-XC286.html
I was thinking more along the lines of this..
http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Glanze-3MT-Indexable-Endmill-40mm-Head-XC286.html
It's more expensive because it's better. Note that the one you posted is not positive rake so it takes more HP, also doesn't have a chip breaker relief so it takes more HP. In general the one you posted is the least efficient face mill possible (although I guess it could try and use the flat part of that insert and then it'd be worse).
Goldigger said:Looking at all the cheaper face mills from chronos rdg tools and arc euro trade, none of them appear to have positive rake.
This is positive yes?
I suppose You could buy milling inserts with different rakes, specific for the materials You're cutting.
Marcello
Goldigger - that is positive - yes.
Someone obviously posted a snarky reply and Steamer vetoed it - we don't go for that sort of thing on HMEM
Regards,
Ken
Someone obviously posted a snarky reply and Steamer vetoed it - we don't go for that sort of thing on HMEM
Regards,
Ken
I think it's possible to have positive rake inserts in a shell not necessarily designed for positive rake but I don't think it's likely. Sorry if I was being snarkey, I wasn't trying to be (by worse I meant that it would be worse in efficiency). It just frustrates me sometimes when tool makers make something that is clearly not ideal and then try to sell it. A lot of us (myself especially) assume that if a tool is sold that it's designed well but that is not really true. I really like Glacern, their tools are made in the USA from Import castings/raw blanks and built in California. They are good people who are very willing to talk to you about their hardware and while their stuff is more expensive than a lot of the import tools they are way below the cost of the high quality industrial tools like Seco and they are nearly as good (if not as good). I think with insert tools you don't want to "invest" in something that will take poor quality inserts and isn't designed right. It's not really a tool that will go dull and get replaced, it could easily be amortized over your entire machining hobby so it's worth spending good money up front.
Well...this happens a lot
People type something....meaning it one way.
Other people read it and take it another.....
It would appear I've committed this misunderstanding today :-[...it'll be someone else tomorrow :
No worries ;D
Dave
People type something....meaning it one way.
Other people read it and take it another.....
It would appear I've committed this misunderstanding today :-[...it'll be someone else tomorrow :
No worries ;D
Dave
Don't think we don't all appreciate the constant nudges towards being cordial with each other. It's a good attitude to cultivate and I appreciate your earlier warning in the spirit it was delivered which is why I clarified my statement. Apologies for not being as clear initially and thank you for your understanding.
Milo,
What an outstanding thing to say...Thank you ! and your welcome. The team here trys very hard to keep it good spirited. I don't know about you, but there's enough of the other stuff in this world, that I don't need it here! ;D
Goldigger.
I can understand your position. I would suggest the flycutter route also. If your limited on stiffness to two inserts in a multi insert holder...your not really any better than a flycutter anyway.
As for grinding steel....oh please learn, you'll be so glad you did. There is a whole world of opportunities to those who can grind a tool for their lathe and or mill.
Dave
What an outstanding thing to say...Thank you ! and your welcome. The team here trys very hard to keep it good spirited. I don't know about you, but there's enough of the other stuff in this world, that I don't need it here! ;D
Goldigger.
I can understand your position. I would suggest the flycutter route also. If your limited on stiffness to two inserts in a multi insert holder...your not really any better than a flycutter anyway.
As for grinding steel....oh please learn, you'll be so glad you did. There is a whole world of opportunities to those who can grind a tool for their lathe and or mill.
Dave
Goldigger, Facemill geometry is a tricky subject, there's more to it than just the rake. To make matters worse you get positive rake negative inserts - by way of cutting edge geometry - at least thats what the makers claim - I have my doubts - because of the small edge lands it is still negative for light cuts - so for a minimill I doubt this approach is effective.
Suggest you contact a rep for a reputable company like Sandvik - I'm sure they will provide useful advice.
Milotrain - sorry about the snarky comment if it was just a misinterpretation - just trying to explain to Goldigger the apparent gap in the post that was confusing him.
Ken
Suggest you contact a rep for a reputable company like Sandvik - I'm sure they will provide useful advice.
Milotrain - sorry about the snarky comment if it was just a misinterpretation - just trying to explain to Goldigger the apparent gap in the post that was confusing him.
Ken
Tin Falcon
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There are import face mills I have not tried any. One of the problems with this hobby is we want bigger and better tools. Not necessarily a bad thing. But the problem comes in when we try to use these bigger and better tools that are designed for bigger and better multi horsepower production machines on our fractional horsepower relatively light table top hobby prototype machines.
you just cant pull a large 20 gang plow with a lawn tractor. You need to size the tool to the machine. and because of the limits of the hobby machines HSS steel cutters are the way to go in most cases. You can get HSS inserts here in the states. That is an option if you realy want an insert face mill
My suggestion is make or buy a fly cutter or set.
Tin
you just cant pull a large 20 gang plow with a lawn tractor. You need to size the tool to the machine. and because of the limits of the hobby machines HSS steel cutters are the way to go in most cases. You can get HSS inserts here in the states. That is an option if you realy want an insert face mill
My suggestion is make or buy a fly cutter or set.
Tin
