Anyone use indexable mills on thier benchtop machines?

[cjdavis618]

I am considering putting the cash into a 1/2" indexable endmills for my SX3. I am wondering if anyone else uses these and what results you have with them. I would like a standard endmill and a ball nose type.

Mainly, I will be doing roughing cuts and then following up with a sharp HSS or Carbide endmill, but I would like to be able to be able to plunge and ramp into material as well.

I will be cutting mostly 1018 and 12l14 steel and lots of 6061. So I would probably need different inserts and rake angles.

Any thoughts?

[Teyber12]

I have a 1/2" shank 5/8" indexable end mill. picked up a lot of carbide cutters for cheap. i got this one as it incorporates greatly into the tormach tooling system.

I use it mostly for removing large amounts of material. the finish is just decent with it.

Interested to see what others say.

cheers

[cjdavis618]

Thanks for the info teyber12,

I plan on using a finishing pass on all of the parts if needed. So finish is not critical on the roughing but speed will be.

I made another pulley for my SX3 that is running it at around 7200-7300 rpm at present so I finally have the sfm for most material where I want it. I have noticed that when doing drilling and deep cuts with larger bits that the motor wants to start bogging down and not run as strong as it did. I will loose a couple hundred rpm using larger bits but no stalling, so I am looking into a modular pulley mod for it now to get my torque back for steel.

After seeing the 7k range, I don't want to go back to 3600rpm, much less 1800 from the factory.

I'm ready for the speed controller that Quazar is working on. Then I will really have a Mini VMC in most respects.

[kawazuki]

Its my understanding is that indexable carbide likes / suits being driven hard and fast! If you're finding the motor slowing then you may have the speed/rpm but not the power/torque to maintain the feed rate. Re-gearing to regain the torque reduces the rpm! They will cut well outside the optimum speed and feed just not really better than the alternatives. Only one advantage - ease of maintaining a keen cutting edge without tool removal from spindle?

[cjdavis618]

I will be switching back to my old 1:1 pulleys for steel work. So the 3600rpm should be plenty for most steels that my mill can run. I mainly want to use them on AL to get a good removal rate. I know I can do this as well with 3 flute high helix mills also and have been using them.

I have had some slotting problems though where the chips welded and broke the tool. I can't see indexing tools doing that. Again though, that was before the updated pulleys and the higher rpm.

[cornbinder23]

I will be switching back to my old 1:1 pulleys for steel work. So the 3600rpm should be plenty for most steels that my mill can run. I mainly want to use them on AL to get a good removal rate. I know I can do this as well with 3 flute high helix mills also and have been using them.

I have had some slotting problems though where the ships welded and broke the tool. I can't see indexing tools doing that. Again though, that was before the updated pulleys and the higher rpm.

what were the tooth counts for the pulleys, and did you make a new one to fit where the 6007z bearing sits at the top of the spindle?

trying to source all of these parts as I am ALMOST ready to start flingin chips

[cjdavis618]

I basically copied the original pulleys and then reversed the location. So the really small 1.331 diameter pulley that use to be on the main motor shaft was copied, but made to fit on the quill shaft. Then made a copy of the original quill shaft pulley and put it on the motor. So I kept the same ratio, just reversed it and gave myself 4 times the original speed.

But it does kill my low speed, my minimum is 480rpm at the moment.

Mine is an SX3 though, so I think the pulleys are different on the x3.

[knudsen]

Its my understanding is that indexable carbide likes / suits being driven hard and fast! If you're finding the motor slowing then you may have the speed/rpm but not the power/torque to maintain the feed rate. Re-gearing to regain the torque reduces the rpm! They will cut well outside the optimum speed and feed just not really better than the alternatives. Only one advantage - ease of maintaining a keen cutting edge without tool removal from spindle?

Carbides also last a long, long, long, long time ran at slower speeds. I get a slightly better finish with HSS, but it's not night and day. There are also HSS inserts available for some holders. I have some triangle HSS ones, dunno about other shapes.

[asuratman]

Hello,
Where is the best price to buy indexable mill. Thanks.

[cornbinder23]

I basically copied the original pulleys and then reversed the location. So the really small 1.331 diameter pulley that use to be on the main motor shaft was copied, but made to fit on the quill shaft. Then made a copy of the original quill shaft pulley and put it on the motor. So I kept the same ratio, just reversed it and gave myself 4 times the original speed.

But it does kill my low speed, my minimum is 480rpm at the moment.

Mine is an SX3 though, so I think the pulleys are different on the x3.

mine is also an SX3, do you have any issues with tq in alum?
I have a bridgeport for the hard stuff and will use this mill for mainly alum and plastic, where is a good place to source the pulleys? Or would you be willing to make another set $$$

[arizonavideo]

The low cost r-8 inset tools sold on Ebay work good and take low cost inserts. the nice thing is the low stick out from the spindle which prevents flex.

I did a video of a fairly heavy cut with the 2" 3 tip insert cutter.

The cut was .20" at 25 IPM 1750 RPM in CRS.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMPjfdkN0vo"]YouTube- IH-facemill-bluechips115.MP4[/nomedia]

This is a IH mill so you might want to go a little easier.

EDIT 25 IPM

[amyers]

I did a video of a fairly heavy cut with the 2" 3 tip insert cutter.

The cut was .20" at 50 IPM 1750 RPM in CRS.

looks like the 1.5" cutter only traveled about 15-18 inches in that 1 minute video not 50.
pretty cool anyway.
am