Making a fly cutter

[Sonic EscapeParticipant @sonicescape38234]

I was thinking on a small project that doesn’t require too much time and I decided to make a fly cutter. I saw a few videos with disc style fly cutters and I liked them. With this in mind I started to gather materials. I want to have a disc up to 20cm in diameter and 2-3cm thickness. This is what I found so far:

The one on the right is stainless steel. My mill has an MT5 spindle. I could try to make and MT5 shank. Or I could use that MT5 live center. I have two and I don’t think I’ll ever have a lathe for them. So far I couldn’t open the live center to see how to attach it to the disc. I avoided the simple option of using the angle grinder. But I suppose it is hardened so it might be difficult to make a thread for the draw bar.

Another detail is how to connect the disc to the shank. A thread would be the obvious choice. Especially for the stainless steel disc. For the other discs maybe welding could be an option? I’m not sure how reliable would be welding of unknown steel. I don’t want it to fly to far 🙂

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Sell live centre and buy blank arbor. That way you get a nice clean surface.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Can you thread a disc to fit a standard 1.5″ x 18 boring head arbor?

[Sonic EscapeParticipant @sonicescape38234]

By blank arbor you mean something like this?

In theory I should be able to thread a disc with 18 TPI. My lathe has a set of imperial gears. And a set of jaws for the chuck to hold large workpieces. Only that I never made a thread with the lathe so far. But since a 1.5″ 18 TPI tap costs more than 80$ I might give it a try.

But is it so difficult to make an MT5 arbor? I think it is only a matter of setting the correct angle. And if I made one then I can make the thread with a tap and a die. I already have a M24 pair.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

I made flycutter for my Mill/Drill, which has a 3MT spindle.

I made up a right hand Tangential turning tool and mounted it on a block on the end of a 3MT soft arbor.

Flycutters tend to be slow, since it is effectively a milling cutter with just one tooth, so that although the fed might be 0.05 mm per rev per tooth, that is the rate at which it can be fed

Howard

[Sonic EscapeParticipant @sonicescape38234]

This must be the simplest way to make a fly cutter. A thick chuck flange with an MT5 arbor already attached to it. Unfortunately is also the most expensive option…

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001785063165.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.seoads.1.62542ac0racKtM&p4p_pvid=202404111355332570551103187900000829136_1&s=p

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