Fly cutter

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

Never used one before. Bought one from Arc and a cutting tool

not sure which way the tool should be in the cutter

this is how it is atm

 

Edited By petro1head on 08/06/2023 11:45:13

Edited By petro1head on 08/06/2023 11:54:45

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

[Anonymous]

Tool needs to be turned through 90 degrees.

I never got on with flycutters for producing "flat" surfaces: I prefer face mills. I use a homemade flycutter only for creating curved surfaces:

Andrew

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

roatate it 90 degrees clockwise looking at your last image

Edited By JasonB on 08/06/2023 12:01:28

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

Cheers guys, felt silly even asking

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

If you don't know then it's not a silly question!

Like Andrew J I never had much success with flycutters, and now always tend to use indexable carbide end mills. I'm sure many folk get on fine with them, just personal experience.

Regards Mike

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

If you don't ask, you never learn. And don't feel silly asking.

Roy

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I used to use them quite a lot mainly smaller ones but like the others now use indexable shell/face mills.

Remember you will need to run at quite a low rpm to suit the HSS at the diameter being swung and also a slow feed rate a sit is a single point tool.

Carbide can be run around 3 times faster and depending on how many insert fed 6 or so times faster. so a cut may only tale 1/18th the time it would with a flycutter. The FC does work out quite cheap though as you can sharpen the tool many times provided you don't go near chilled cast iron with it. Compromise is to put a left hand lathe tool into the flycutter so you can at least spin it faster and feed accordingly.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

As others have said, it is Not a silly question !

A silly question is when you already know the answer, but waste other peoples time answering it.

You dont know the answer, it,s Not a silly question.

Seldom use flycutters myself, like Andrew, I find a face mill works better.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

I have never used a fly cutter ! Far from being silly it has told you what you needed to know. As for speed I would use standard cutting speeds for the material being cut. Tables or others on here will give you the figures. Multiply the dia of the cut in inches/12 by Pi (3.1416 ) and then by the revs ! if using imperial it will be Ft/Min. If you want the calc done give me the dia. Noel.

[VicParticipant @vic]

I use a fly cutter quite a lot. You can sweep a fairly large part and the finish I get is really good, better than a face mill. They are also incredibly cheap to use with a piece of HSS. There are of course commercial ones with inserts like this.

**LINK**

Lots of good info here Petro.

**LINK**

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

I have a fly cutter I made when I was an apprentice. It has a 1 inch body with a 1/2" shank with a 1/4" round solid carbide cutter. I use it regularly and now it is roughly 55 years old and still going strong.

David

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

You set it up so the toolbit cuts just like a lathe tool, except in this case the tool is moving and the job is staying still. But the basic cutting action is the same.

[Author]

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