I just bought an indexable face mill from Shars and a set of MT-2 shell mill holders from Tools-for-Cheap to fit my BP M-head machine. $43 and $66 including shipping, respectively.
Wow... I'm impressed with both of them. Excellent quality, good fit and finish, minimal run-out. Chinese stuff, yeah, but well-executed. Hmmmmm....
WDBA.
LLoyd
"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote in news:Xns9D834C8BBE38Dlloydspmindspringcom@216.168.3.70:
I've got a set of the MT-2 holders, but I've been avoiding the insert based cutters on the theory that they require more horsepoweer than I've got in my Clausing 8520 mill (similar in size to the BP M-Head).
What size & what inserts are you running? Have you had a chance to try them yet?
Doug White
Doug White fired this volley in news:Xns9D885C06172EFgwhitealummitedu@69.16.186.7:
Doug, it's a 4-insert 2" face mill. Uses RPMT 1204 inserts (round, 11- degree positive rake).
My experience with the head is that it takes LESS HP to mill steel with it than with HSS or the few brazed-tip carbides I have.
I was milling fresh edges on my mower blades (which work like, feel like
10-18), throwing smoking blue chips while taking 15-thou per pass, and the little BP "M" wasn't even straining. (clattering a bit, yes, but the splines are a little worn on the quill and drive pulley).At about 18-thou, it started throwing burning chips, and still didn't bog, nor discolor (not even sensibly heat) the work. But I stalled it and hogged at 22-thou, chipping one insert and forcing me to spin it a few degrees for a fresh edge. It might have worked on a more rigid machine, but my old Cincy #2 has got a little lash in it here and there.
I don't have flood coolant on that machine, so I was oiling the work before each pass with Tap Magic.
I haven't run it on anything but steel yet. My understanding is that the particular insert I'm using isn't favored for aluminum.
LLoyd
Indeed, they fill up rather badly with a big gob of aluminum, unless you spin em really fast (5krpm) and flood coolant them.
Sigh...been there, done that years ago. Spent a couple hours with a dental pick, prying gobbed up aluminum out of the cups.
Gunner
What did you come up for as a clamping solution? There isn't much flat under your cutting edge if they look like the blades in a part manual I downloaded.
Did you go with an angle vise and a tee shaped parallel?
Wes
-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller
Wes fired this volley in news:f_XMn.331098$ snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-05.dc.easynews.com:
I made an angle block to fit in my regular vise, and cut it so there's a "back stop" (besides the vise jaw) on it, so as the blade is clamped down from straight above, it forces it tight into that "fence". The vise jaw would have worked, but ultimately I'm putting bolts and tee-nuts on the thing so I don't need to hold it in the vise.
The wing end of the blade is held down by a narrow hold-down that fits right into the valley of the wing bend. Soon (next week), I'll be making dedicated clamps ON the jig, so I don't have to fiddle so much to clamp the blade.
LLoyd
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