Carbide and small milling machines…….

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

I used to be able to get my HSS milling cutters sharpened quite cheaply but things have changed. My local cutter grinding service are now asking £15 to touch up a 3/4" end mill which I am not prepared to pay so it looks like I will have to go down the carbide route. Before I do though may I pick a brain or two?

My WARCO WM16 is quite a titch so would using an indexable end mill – say 16mm diameter on MS – be putting to much of a strain on the machine?

One more question, have you used a carbide rippa to rough out on a machine this small? Again, around 16mm diameter and cutting MS.

Rik

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Rik,

I made my own carbide tipped cutter (single tooth), se here. I have used it on a Sieg X2 Mini Mill on steel. The cutter has worked well for several years, especially when encountering material with hard spots.

Thor

[Mark CParticipant @markc]

Rik, i have just made the transition into solid carbide tooling – had a quick look at your machine spec and it says 1 hp 16 mm capacity. You should find a 16 mm ripper works wonders, I did and I am a confirmed HSS cutter mutilator! I would swear HSS simply goes blunt the second I get hold of it (seems to happen even before I put it in the machine???).

I have been using the 20 mm ripper out of a set from Cromwell and have produced a bucket full of swarf without it showing any visible sign of use. I also use the tipped "shell" cutters now and these are also very effective – I have a 20 mm and 40 mm cutter and the 40 mm will plough a slot 3 mm deep at near full tilt (2500 rpm) . The only thing that happens is the motor gets annoyed and starts to slow down if I get too much feed on. The tips are the ubiquitous APKT1003 inserts and fair very well under abuse.

My machines are a little larger than the Warco – Elliot Omnimil's – but you should be fine flat out at 16 mm.

Mark

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Rik

Might be worth you having a word with the chap who advertises on Homeworkshop.org. His prices for cutter grinding a very much less than your local service.

Others on here may be in a position to comment first hand on his work and service, but I've read good reports.

Keith

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