Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work.

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E. Walter Le Roy
 
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Default face mill vs fly cutter

I'm sure it's been discussed here before but I missed it. What is the
advantage of using a face mill rather than a fly cutter?
Thanks
Walt


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Grant Erwin
 
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Default face mill vs fly cutter

E. Walter Le Roy wrote:

I'm sure it's been discussed here before but I missed it. What is the
advantage of using a face mill rather than a fly cutter?
Thanks


Normally a face mill has multiple cutters, so if it e.g. has 8 cutters it can be
fed into the workpiece 8 times as fast as a single-point flycutter. The point is
time which is money ..

GWE
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F. George McDuffee
 
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Default face mill vs fly cutter

On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 17:27:24 GMT, "E. Walter Le Roy"
wrote:
I'm sure it's been discussed here before but I missed it. What is the
advantage of using a face mill rather than a fly cutter?
Thanks
Walt

==================
Keep in mind this is a reply to rec.crafts.metalworking and I am
assuming you are a home shop machinist with light duty machines
and a limited budget.

In this circumstance you are *MUCH* getter off with a fly cutter.
A flycutter uses a lathe bit that you can resharpen and custom
grind with your desired clearance and rake angles and you can use
either HSS or carbide.

A face mill is much more expensive and will require a special
arbor. While it may machine slightly faster, generally the
lighter home shop machines won't have either the power or
regidity to remove much more [if any metal] than a fly cutter per
unit time. If the facemill is HSS/brazed insert you will have to
send it out for sharpening [unless you have a survace grinder and
fixturing] and if it is replaceable insert, the inserts are very
expensive for hobby use.

The import fly cutters typically sell for 10-20$ a set and the
HSS [M2] lathe tool blanks are generally on sale for 1$ or less
each. [FWIW -- I find tungsten tooling is of little value in the
home shop and is much harder to grind.] You can use carbide lathe
tools, again 1-2$ each import c.3-5$ domestic -- use the C2 as it
is more shock resistant.

It is easy to make your own two tool rough/finish fly cutter.
The single tool cutters are so cheap it is not worthwhile from a
cost;benefit viewpoint.

Unka George



The art of leadership . . . consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention. . . . The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category.
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), German dictator. Mein Kampf, vol. 1, ch. 3 (1925).
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Richard W.
 
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Default face mill vs fly cutter


"E. Walter Le Roy" wrote in message
news:0MDQf.1071$o41.293@trnddc06...
I'm sure it's been discussed here before but I missed it. What is the
advantage of using a face mill rather than a fly cutter?
Thanks
Walt


As it was said you can feed faster with the face mill. I just got a used
mill/drill. and I can take some pretty healthy cuts with a 1 1/2" inserted
cutter which uses 3 of the TPG322 inserts. I can justify a face mill because
the cost of each corner on an insert is less than having a cutter sent out
for sharpening. Last time I bought inserts I paid about $3.00 each for them.
If I use one corner on 3 inserts every time I index the insert costs me
$3.00. Also when I can afford to upgrade my mill to either a Bridgeport type
or a number 2 horizontal mill with a vertical attachment my 1 1/2" face mill
will work just fine there.

If I want a real nice finish and my machine isn't very ridged then a light
cut with a fly cutter is the way to go.


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David Anderson
 
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Default face mill vs fly cutter

Amen to the single fly-cutter with a 5/16 inch HSS lathe bit. With a
slow steady feed you can get a near-mirror finished surface, and regrinding
is a snap.

"F. George McDuffee" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 17:27:24 GMT, "E. Walter Le Roy"
wrote:
I'm sure it's been discussed here before but I missed it. What is the
advantage of using a face mill rather than a fly cutter?
Thanks
Walt

==================
Keep in mind this is a reply to rec.crafts.metalworking and I am
assuming you are a home shop machinist with light duty machines
and a limited budget.

In this circumstance you are *MUCH* getter off with a fly cutter.
A flycutter uses a lathe bit that you can resharpen and custom
grind with your desired clearance and rake angles and you can use
either HSS or carbide.

A face mill is much more expensive and will require a special
arbor. While it may machine slightly faster, generally the
lighter home shop machines won't have either the power or
regidity to remove much more [if any metal] than a fly cutter per
unit time. If the facemill is HSS/brazed insert you will have to
send it out for sharpening [unless you have a survace grinder and
fixturing] and if it is replaceable insert, the inserts are very
expensive for hobby use.

The import fly cutters typically sell for 10-20$ a set and the
HSS [M2] lathe tool blanks are generally on sale for 1$ or less
each. [FWIW -- I find tungsten tooling is of little value in the
home shop and is much harder to grind.] You can use carbide lathe
tools, again 1-2$ each import c.3-5$ domestic -- use the C2 as it
is more shock resistant.

It is easy to make your own two tool rough/finish fly cutter.
The single tool cutters are so cheap it is not worthwhile from a
cost;benefit viewpoint.

Unka George



The art of leadership . . . consists in consolidating the attention of

the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will
split up that attention. . . . The leader of genius must have the ability to
make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category.
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), German dictator. Mein Kampf, vol. 1, ch. 3

(1925).




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Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
E. Walter Le Roy
 
Posts: n/a
Default face mill vs fly cutter

Thanks to all w ho replied. You completely cleared up my questions.
Walt
"David Anderson" wrote in message
. com...
Amen to the single fly-cutter with a 5/16 inch HSS lathe bit. With a
slow steady feed you can get a near-mirror finished surface, and
regrinding is a snap.

"F. George McDuffee" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 17:27:24 GMT, "E. Walter Le Roy"
wrote:
I'm sure it's been discussed here before but I missed it. What is the
advantage of using a face mill rather than a fly cutter?
Thanks
Walt

==================
Keep in mind this is a reply to rec.crafts.metalworking and I am
assuming you are a home shop machinist with light duty machines
and a limited budget.

In this circumstance you are *MUCH* getter off with a fly cutter.
A flycutter uses a lathe bit that you can resharpen and custom
grind with your desired clearance and rake angles and you can use
either HSS or carbide.

A face mill is much more expensive and will require a special
arbor. While it may machine slightly faster, generally the
lighter home shop machines won't have either the power or
regidity to remove much more [if any metal] than a fly cutter per
unit time. If the facemill is HSS/brazed insert you will have to
send it out for sharpening [unless you have a survace grinder and
fixturing] and if it is replaceable insert, the inserts are very
expensive for hobby use.

The import fly cutters typically sell for 10-20$ a set and the
HSS [M2] lathe tool blanks are generally on sale for 1$ or less
each. [FWIW -- I find tungsten tooling is of little value in the
home shop and is much harder to grind.] You can use carbide lathe
tools, again 1-2$ each import c.3-5$ domestic -- use the C2 as it
is more shock resistant.

It is easy to make your own two tool rough/finish fly cutter.
The single tool cutters are so cheap it is not worthwhile from a
cost;benefit viewpoint.

Unka George



The art of leadership . . . consists in consolidating the attention of

the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will
split up that attention. . . . The leader of genius must have the ability
to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category.
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), German dictator. Mein Kampf, vol. 1, ch. 3

(1925).



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spaco
 
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Default face mill vs fly cutter

My mill won't go any slower than 350 rpm, so I figure that I couldn't
use a very large diameter fly cutter, so I use a 1 1/2" face mill with 3
TPG 322 inserts and it works just fine. Sometimes I look longingly at
those who have flycutters with a 4" diameter swing, but I cant' go as
slow as that 12 + inches per rev would require.

Pete Stanaitis

E. Walter Le Roy wrote:

I'm sure it's been discussed here before but I missed it. What is the
advantage of using a face mill rather than a fly cutter?
Thanks
Walt


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Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
John
 
Posts: n/a
Default face mill vs fly cutter

"F. George McDuffee" wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 17:27:24 GMT, "E. Walter Le Roy"
wrote:
I'm sure it's been discussed here before but I missed it. What is the
advantage of using a face mill rather than a fly cutter?
Thanks
Walt

==================
Keep in mind this is a reply to rec.crafts.metalworking and I am
assuming you are a home shop machinist with light duty machines
and a limited budget.

In this circumstance you are *MUCH* getter off with a fly cutter.
A flycutter uses a lathe bit that you can resharpen and custom
grind with your desired clearance and rake angles and you can use
either HSS or carbide.

A face mill is much more expensive and will require a special
arbor. While it may machine slightly faster, generally the
lighter home shop machines won't have either the power or
regidity to remove much more [if any metal] than a fly cutter per
unit time. If the facemill is HSS/brazed insert you will have to
send it out for sharpening [unless you have a survace grinder and
fixturing] and if it is replaceable insert, the inserts are very
expensive for hobby use.

The import fly cutters typically sell for 10-20$ a set and the
HSS [M2] lathe tool blanks are generally on sale for 1$ or less
each. [FWIW -- I find tungsten tooling is of little value in the
home shop and is much harder to grind.] You can use carbide lathe
tools, again 1-2$ each import c.3-5$ domestic -- use the C2 as it
is more shock resistant.

It is easy to make your own two tool rough/finish fly cutter.
The single tool cutters are so cheap it is not worthwhile from a
cost;benefit viewpoint.

Unka George



The art of leadership . . . consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention. . . . The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category.
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), German dictator. Mein Kampf, vol. 1, ch. 3 (1925).


If you want to use carbide in your home shop, go to a commercial shop
and ask them for some of their old carbide inserts. You can resharpen
them and braze them on a tool blank for practically no cost.

John
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