Where to buy decent D16 - 25 mm slot drills/end mills in EU?

[PekkaNF]

Hello,

I'm running out of my stock of russian D 20-23 mm MT3 HSS end mills.

I have a DIN collet chuck for 16, 20, and 25 mm plain shanks. I could get a weldon shank holder, but I rather not (the dog recess is a bit unorhodox on my milling machine, I have to mill down new arbors, almost allways).

I see a lot of tools up to 12 mm shank. Larger ones are usually carbide tipped and rather specialized. I like HSS and because rpm of the old milling machine is somewhat limited, I like multiple flute design.

I would love to buy from EU, that would avaoid customs hassles (they hit like a hawk anything that looks over 40€ and then demand ransom, forwarding, customs and tax over everything).

Thus wish list:
* slot drills and end mills of 16-20mm plain shank
* HSS, end mills with multiple flutes
* Mostly for aluminimum and normal steel
* Decent quality, not the worst of the worst of the worst


Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Pekka

[Jasonb]

Have a look at J&L their larger metric end mills & slotdrills have 16,20 & 25mm shanks, both screwed and plain. Its best to look at the "virtual catalogue"

http://www.mscjlindustrial.co.uk/cgi/insrhm

J

[PekkaNF]

Thanks.

Seems to have many familiar brands. I tried to trundel trough the big virtual catalog, but IE7 and Firefox 3.5.5 had trouble showing the pages. I'll have a look.

Thank you again,
Pekka

[PekkaNF]

There really are some serious amount of endmills.

I have pretty low rpm on my old klunker mill, I'm thinkking to:

* Plain HSS, more standard it is better it suits my needs, doesn't cobalt (>5%) make it only more heat resistant?
* No coatting, I can cut ALI when new and then steel and maybe later I might even learn to sharpen

Now I have also a 16 mm Weldon shank holder, but I need to mill dogs to it. I still prefer plain shank for collets. However I could not find really plain shank cutters are all either screw or weldon?

Any recommendations?

Probably would be prudent to get short two flute slot drill and long end mill.

How does Hertel compare with Dormer or other brands? I have this feeling that although Dormer is pretty well known brand, new tools do just what spesified and no more? I'm paying with my hard earned money, don't want to go too low quality, but I just hate even more braking new perfecly good and expensive cutter...has happened.

Trusty russian MT3 milling cutters + some others and DIN collet chuck
Borrowed 25mm slot drill and a 25 mm Collet - biggest I want to get

Pekka

[Jasonb]

I use the small Hertel FC-3type cutters and you would be hard pushed to tell the difference from the Dormers that I have.

Jason

[PekkaNF]

Thank you,

I used Osbourne FC3 and they were pretty damn good years ago, I got some more resently and while they do the trick tehy don't look quite that finished and it sohows on aluminium.

I'll give a go, when I have enough time to sit down and choose most promissing ones.

BTW, which FC3:s you use and what do you cut with them. Just how "universal" are they?

Thanks,
Pekka

[Jasonb]

I use the Hertel ones on page 231. They get used on steel, brass, bronze, cast iron and occasionally aluminium as I don't work with that very often.

Anything below 1/4" thats what I tend to use except the odd long reach dormer, so thats basically all the small cuts on this to give an idea of what they do.

J

[PekkaNF]

INCREDIBLE

That calls something that rhymes with clackking bell!

What is your mill?

I normaly aim bigger that 12 mm dia...because anything over 500 rpm sounds alarming with flat belt and hard gearbox. I have put picture of that mill somewhere and people start wondering why I don't use carbon steel cutters.....

Pekka

[Jasonb]

Its only an X3 but it does the job in the space I have available.

J

[PekkaNF]

Thanks Jasonb,

UPS brought in a parcel yesterday from J&L. I considered familiar brands, but then on the last moment desided to try my luck mainly with "Hertel" slot drills and end mills. Different sizes and lengts. Mainly 10-16 mm dia. Haven't tried them yet, but they look fine.

Now I only have to find out which 12, 16 and 20 mm roughing end mill would be right. Is here a generic name or expression for a endmill that has rounded or angled (like 45 decrees) camfer at the business end? Small radious/camfer will do.

 I also need something to camfer (break edges), maybe just a 16mm spotting drill?

Pekka

[Jasonb]

The ones with rounded (convex) corners are known as "corner radius end mills" have a look at J&L pages 256,283,298 & 301.

For chamfering an edge you would be better off using an angled cutter like the one top of page 225

[PekkaNF]

Thank you,

I finally know the proper names: Radius end mill and chamfering end mill! Page 256 had many interesting end mills.

The one in page 283 is what I was most after "corner radius" + end mill. Those better be good, they cost a lot.

I wonder how roughing end mills on page 246 compare to older ones. I had some "rippa" and SKF! They tolerated pretty well manual feed, Often I have no clear idea what is the feed and such. I just aim certain chip size and listen if something is complaining.

Pekka

[udimet]

You should try either Guhring or Clarkson,  both make first class cutters.
                                                                                                    Udimet.

[jiihoo]

Hi,

The Radius endmill is also known as Corner rounding endmill. You may get some more hits if you try that term too.

If you want to test some cheap ones, CTCTools is selling them for $10 a piece here http://www.ctctools.biz/servlet/the-636/HSS-AL-CORNER-ROUNDING/Detail . I have three of theirs, I believe the R1, R3 and R5. I have only used the middle one and only on aluminum, but it did produce a pleasing corner radius once I got the Y and Z set just right.

I thought they will not get that much use so I decided the CTC ones are ok for me.

Alternatively, I was toying with the idea of grabbing a rod of silver steel and trying to make one. That could have been an interesting project and the required form does not seem too hard to achieve (says the one who hasn't made a simple D-bit yet...). But I am not there yet skillwise so left that exercise for later. You, on the other hand, might want to try that .

Cheers,


Jari

[Jasonb]

Jari its not that type of milling cutter Pekka wants, he's after ones with a convex corner not concave



Jason

[jiihoo]

Sorry my bad...

Thanks for the correction Jasonb