I'm looking for a big fly cutter. I'm going to be doing a lot of finishing/surfacing on 6061 aluminum bar stock. The largest I see at Enco with an R8 shank is 2.5".

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=947667&PMAKA=225-3010

In the Tormach video they use a bigger one. Does anyone have any experience running bigger fly cutters in their Tormach and if so, where did you buy the tool?

I have seen and used big flycutters that were a rectangular bar welded to a shaft. Usually holding 2 cutter bits at opposite ends of rectangular bar. On mills using a R8 collet large flycutters beat up the key / keyway holding the R8 collet. Also the pounding of the flycutter can shake and loosen bolts (also can loosen a part in a vise).

With CNC sometimes a small Carbide Insert mill like (or a Face Mill with APKT Inserts) at a high rpm and high feed but light depth of cut can work very well. When feeds are over 20 inches per minute chips are flying, many times faster that a flycutter at a lower feed.

Only real advantage of flycutters is tooling is cheap and cost to resharpen is cheaper if labor cost is low.

Making your own flycutter has got to be about as simple as it gets.

Phil:)

I'm looking for a big fly cutter. I'm going to be doing a lot of finishing/surfacing on 6061 aluminum bar stock. The largest I see at Enco with an R8 shank is 2.5".

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=947667&PMAKA=225-3010

In the Tormach video they use a bigger one. Does anyone have any experience running bigger fly cutters in their Tormach and if so, where did you buy the tool?