Need Help!- WHATS THE LARGEST SIZED FACE MILL BEING PUSHED ON TOOLROOMS???

[PROGRAMERDAVE]

I HAVE A REPEAT JOB COMING UP THAT INVOLVES FACING THE TOP OF A 3" WIDE BLOCK OF O-1 TOOLSTEEL. THE LAST TIME I RAN THIS I USED A 5/8 ENDMILL TAKING MULTIPLE PASSES (WHICH TOOK FOREVER). THAT WAS FINE AT THE TIME, BUT NOW I'M TWICE AS BUSY AND NEED THIS MACHINE FREE.

I'M PLANNING ON BUYING A FACEMILL, BUT WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHAT OTHER USERS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH.

IM ONLY TAKING A .030 DOC ON THIS JOB, BUT WOULD ALSO BE USING THIS TO HOG DOWN GUMMY, COPPER CASTINGS. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

[CJH]

I use a 2" dia. face mill in our TM-1. Mailnly facing aluminum. We got ours as part of the Kenemetal start up package. Haven't machined any tool steel with it. If you are planning on using any type of coolant though it makes a heck of a mess.

CJH.

[PROGRAMERDAVE]

TELL ME ABOUT IT! FORTUNATELY I RIGGED UP A SHOWER CURTAIN (LITERALLY) THAT DRAPES IN FRONT OF THE WORK AREA AND OVER THE TOP OF THE CONTROL. MAKES ME LAUGH EVERY TIME I WALK UP TO IT, BUT HEY WHATEVER GETS THE JOB DONE RIGHT. IVE ACTUALLY DESIGNED UP A FULL ENCLOSURE TO PUT AROUND IT, JUST LIKE HOW THEY OFFER ON THE NEW MACHINES, BUT JUST HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO START THE PROJECT.

[christinandavid]

Use 3" or 80mm Face Mill with 45deg approach if your machine can take it.

I have run an Interact 4 that had a perspex guard on a hinged frame that slid into the T-slots. Don't know if it was home-made or not, but it worked very well.

DP

[KevinWilkins]

ABOUT THE LARGEST FACEMILL YOU WANT TO TRY – wait a minute, why am I shouting?? – Let's try again: About the largest facemill you want to try would be 63mm and 50mm is more like it. You will only be able to take a very light cut in toolsteel and will need to be sure and use a facemill with appropriate inserts that cut and don't rub.

[behindpropeller]

Foe some reason I have 1200RPM as the peak torque for the TM series. Can anybody confirm this?

Thanks

Tim

[Haas__man]

Here is the Torque chart for TM series.

[behindpropeller]

Originally Posted by Haas__man Here is the Torque chart for TM series. Attachment 107056

HAASman.... Thanks but I can't open it???

Tim

[Haas__man]

I had problems uploading - try this zipped file instead.
TMtorc.zip

[pit202]

I use 63mm face mill for steels at 1.5-2.5mm max depth , and 80mm for alu

[PROGRAMERDAVE]

THANKS FOR THE FEED BACK! N SORRY FOR THE CAPS (BASTARD KEYBOARD).

IVE GOT MY EYE ON AN INGERSOLL CUTTER THATS IN THEIR SALE PROCHURE. IF YOU BY 50 INSERTS, YOU GET THE BODY FREE. I FIGURED THIS WOULD END UP BEING THE SAME PRICE AS JUST BUYING THE BODY WITH JUST A COUPLE OF INSERTS.

http://www.ingersoll-imc.com/en/prod...08-1_S-MAX.pdf

ITS A 4.00 IN, 45 DEGREE, TANGENTIAL STYLE CUTTER WITH 6 INSERTS. I KNOW 4.00 IN IS PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PUSH AT FULL CONTACT ON THE TM, BUT WITH IT BEING 45 DEGREES, THE CUTTING DIA FOR SKIMMING THE FACE OF A PART WILL DROP DOWN TO ABOUT 3.25 INCH.

DO YOU GUYS THINK IM GUNNA BE SITTING ON A 4.00 PAPER WEIGHT IN THE END, OR SHOULD THIS MACHINE BE ABLE TO ACCOMODATE TO MY APPLICATION.

[KevinWilkins]

I went to one of Ingersoll's day-long machining seminars here in Germany recently and it was very informative. Ingersoll makes excellent tooling AND they have excellent customer service. Why don't you call their applications engineers and ask them before you buy? I'm sure they can also suggest a facemill from their catalog that will be ideal for your job.

Personally, I think trying to use a 200mm face mill on a machine with a direct drive spindle with only 7.5 Kw is asking for trouble – and disappointment.