Metal or wood mills?

[Sonic EscapeParticipant @sonicescape38234]

I got a bunch of 12mm mills of different shapes. They all brazed carbide type. But I’m not sure if they are for wood or soft metals? They look quite fragile for steel.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

They look like bits intended to go into a woodworking router. With care they can be used on aluminium but not ideal.

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

As Jason says they are router bits designed for wood. I have used them on aluminium but with only very light cuts.

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

They will do plastic

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

The guide bearing on the parallel cutter gives it away. Also they all look the same shank size.  May be too big for a portable router, more likely sized for a spindle moulder.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

yes 12mm is an odd size for a portable router

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Sonic is in Europe, they don’t find metric odd. Their routers are supplied with 6 and 12mm collets not 1/4″ and 1/2″

I have both metric and imperial collets  for my portable routers as 1/2″ is a very common size for router bits in the UK and US. The metric tend to get used for Canadian made jigs and their dedicated cutters. and the 6mm is also good for chinese carbide milling cutters.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Lots of half inch routers around, choice for professional carpenters.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Yes the 1/2″ router is what I use for work.

Here is a photo of some of my 1/2″ shank cutters, even the Vee groove on the left is larger than Sonics one. The two on the Right are really only safely used in a Router Table but the others are Ok for hand held use unless you are a bit weedy and unable to hold the router.

The two at the bottom are some of my most used, both having replacable carbide inserts. The left hand one takes two 12mm x 50mm inserts which are double edged and has top and bottom bearing guides for template work. the twin bearings allow you to cut “downgrain” all the way round  to get a better finish. The other is a general 1/2″ dia cut that would typically get used for kitchen worktops. As these are quite abbrasive you can get through two brazed cutters on a typical kitchen job which works out a lot more costly then a  5 x 50 double edged inserts so soon covers the additional cost of the holder.

[Mark EasingwoodParticipant @markeasingwood33578]

Yes they look very much like woodwork router cutters. I have machined Aluminium using them in a Milling machine, also on an overhead woodworking router. Due to the much faster speed of a woodworking router, and it’s abillity to spray chips at a greater velocity, a full face visor is required!!

As Jason said, they are mostly imperial size shanks in the UK/USA, but metric in other countries, metric cutters and collets are available in the UK, I use both types. You can also buy ER collet holders to fit into hand held routers, sometimes advertised as extenders.

The large industrial CNC Routers/Macining Centres use ER32 collet holders for the smaller size of cutters.

The Solid Carbide spiral flute, down-cut and up-cut router bits are great for machining veneered MDF, and for cutting comb joints in solid wood etc.

Mark.

[Sonic EscapeParticipant @sonicescape38234]

Thanks for the replies. I thought I had finally found some milling cutters for steel that are easy to sharpen.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I once unknowingly used one for cutting a long keyway in stainless-steel, without trouble; and discovered its real identity only when I subsequently tried finding more straight-flute slot drills…

Not something to use as a matter of course.

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