Trying something different

[bigsteel15]

I've been eyeing what we in the machining business call an endmill wondering how it would work in a router as a grooving bit.
The shop foreman gave me a 1/2" one to try out. He thinks it will work very well, being that it is shaped similar to an upcut spiral bit. I agree, but will see.
My only concern is the little notch in the middle of the shaft part way up. Should still be enough meat there to hold in the collet though.

[dick541]

I've been eyeing what we in the machining business call an endmill wondering how it would work in a router as a grooving bit.
The shop foreman gave me a 1/2" one to try out. He thinks it will work very well, being that it is shaped similar to an upcut spiral bit. I agree, but will see.
My only concern is the little notch in the middle of the shaft part way up. Should still be enough meat there to hold in the collet though.

That flat on the shank of that mill is used on many mills and is for holding the mill with a setscrew in a holder. It will not hurt to put the mill in a collet of a router to use it, BUT the router speed is too fast for these bits unless it is carbide. If you have a varible speed router slow it down. I have used 1/2 high spiral alummium mills on my routers many times.
dick541

[bigsteel15]

BUT the router speed is too fast for these bits unless it is carbide. If you have a varible speed router slow it down.
dick541

Thanks for the heads up. Never thought of that actually.
Probably lowest speed (5000 RPM) for HSS bit?
I'll have to try it out starting at lowest and see how it cuts.

[LCHIEN]

While cruising and googling, this article popped up, regarding use of a CNC router (turns at wood router speeds) and at one point discusses using metalworking or machining end mills and says they are not recommended since the router runs at 5000-9000 RPM and the machining end mills are meant to run at 2000. Text of article below.



http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/cou...ral%20info.pdf

[bigsteel15]

I should qualify my use of this mill by stating that the one I'm using is designed for use on our high speed CNC milling machine. They are used for milling 1/2" wide x 3/16" deep grooves in steels. We usually take 2 passes to make that 3/16" deep groove and move the machine laterally at about 18" per minute

[kwgeorge]

I started my working life in a machine shop and never real got out of it. As a matter of fact at this time I do quite a bit of machining for myself. What I would offer on this subject is to carefully look at the End mill bit and then at one designed for woodworking. One thing that will become obvious to you right away is how the flutes on the woodworking bit are much longer. Another words they have much less twist in them than the ones used for metal. You are taking a chance of having that metal bit blow apart while using it since they are not normally designed for such speeds.

Something to think about.

Ken

[bigsteel15]

I think I'll take the free bit back and stick with router bits that are properly designed for routers.
Point taken on having a bit break from both Loring and Ken. Hadn't really thought about the geometry issue.
Not something I want to experience. I've seen it happen in our shop and there is a reason we use shields and guards.

[Imadunatic]

I too was convinced this was a wonderful idea when cutting some mortises. I attempted it with a TIN coated carbide end mill only to have it snap into 2 pieces after all of less then an inch of cutting. I have cut several mortises in my pre mortiser days on a Bridgeport, and they cut fantastic at 2000 rpm.

I know a guy at work gets all of the regrinds that we use to cut alluminum he can get his hands on. He claims they are fantastic for wood, I just buy router bits and dont look back.