Carbide end mills

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Just been given a bunch of carbide end mills. Hints and tips for using them please. Speeds, coolant, materials etc.
BobH

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

how to use them

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Plain or coated, sizes and number of flutes?

[John ReeseParticipant @johnreese12848]

Find the web site for a maker of carbide end mills. There should be speed and feed information there.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

For an ordinary ME without CNC etc, would I keep the end mills for harder steels, S Steel and use the HSS for mild steel and softer materials.

A typical reference number is EZI Diaroc 22302F-06.5 Then a small triangle and 28. I found the site, but it didn't give me much info.
**LINK** but then my Chec and German aren't up to much. Its seems like they are Swiss tools intended for the watch making industry – I may be wrong !!

Another end mill reference only gives me 6 05330 FRASIA (Fraisage= End mill in French)

BobH

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The catalogue does have English in it and there are various charts that give speeds,depth of cut, material etc. They have larger mills further on which would be overkill on a watch/clock

 

What sort of sizes do you have as you may need very high speeds espacially if they are the miniature ones

Edited By JasonB on 27/03/2016 08:24:04

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Hi Jason, maybe because I have a French IP, that even if I select English, the only catalogue seems to be in CH (although the first screen is in English). The first cutter is 06.5 which is 6.5mm , 3 flute and dark grey in colour. My top speed is only 1570 RPM so its likely I could never achieve the benefits of high removal rates, but if they are run too slowly, will they still out perform HSS on tough material ? Should I use coolants or run dry. Also a dumb question, they are not the threaded end mills for an Autolock chuck, just plain with a notch on the shank – what sort of chuck for them? Bob

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

ER type collets will be OK but you may need to have an internal back stop for plunge cuts with low spindle rpm.

Emgee

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I'd just use them as fast as you can and as you say keep them for difficult material. I rarely use them but if I have a hard spot in an iron casting may get them out. ER Collet works for me

I can't see your exact ref number but if you look at the pdf blue circle page 24 & 25 that shows a 3 flute 6.5 cutter on the right and on the left are feeds and speeds. At the start of the blue section that gives you what the 1a to 13b means – each colour is a material and the letters are different hardnesses of that material.

So taking the top purple for steel and 1a for the softest which would be free cutting MS that gives a speed of 140 m/min (don't think you have the Alpha) That means the edge of the tool needs to be moving at 140,000mm per min which on a 6.5mm dia come out at around 7000rpm. The other columns are how fast you should feed for different types of cut

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

The big variable is your machine and how rigid it is.

Neil

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

With cutters of 6.5 you will be OK for speed. My Bridgeport varidrive rattles a bit above that speed so it is a self imposed limit and I have no problems running carbide cutters. For ME work think of them more as posh ridged cutters for a nice finish rather than high metal removal rates.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Hi Neil, its an older Warco Major Mill/Drill, so not so rigid now. As others have said, perhaps keep for those special occasions. One bit is 0.2mm dia. OK for milling gnats whisker supports, but I will probably never need to use it.
Thanks for info all. Bob

[Roger HeadParticipant @rogerhead16992]

Chris, have you ever investigated the cause of the rattle? Mine is becoming more pronounced within the last 12 months or so, and I'm wondering if I should be doing something about sooner, rather than later. I recall seeing a note a long time ago in one of the BP manuals about curing a rattle by readjusting the HI/LO gear lever stop, but I haven't investigated to see if it applies to my machine. Manually moving the lever a bit further past the detent doesn't seem to make any difference.

Roger

[David ColwillParticipant @davidcolwill19261]

Steffan Gotteswinter did a video of carbide versus HSS and made some interesting points. Here's a link.

**LINK**

Regards.

David

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Bridgeport rattles seem to be spline chatter on the quill and also the varidrive pulley problems. Perhaps JS can help out here?

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Roger/KWIL I am sure my rattle is pulley bush and belt wear. One of those must do one day jobs, I am part way through making a new cross slide for my lathe to cure some issues but there is never a right time to have a machine out of action. I did see an American Bridgeport spares site that gave good how to do it instructions so when the lathe is done may be the mill next.

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