On Oct 29, 1:00 am, F. George McDuffee gmcduf...@mcduffee-
associates.us wrote:
On Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:41:49 -0700, "Michael Koblic"

wrote:
Also, Morse taper shanks with a soft and unmachined ends cost less
than $10 each and are suitable for making special cutter holders for
boring heads and fly cutters.

seehttp://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2393...
{also available in #2MT}

also seehttp://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2231...

http://littlemachineshop.com/product...ProductID=1608...
{other fractional/metric sizes available but 3/8 and 1/2 will
cover almost all the endmills you will ever use}

Unka' George [George McDuffee]
-------------------------------------------
He that will not apply new remedies,
must expect new evils:
for Time is the greatest innovator: and
if Time, of course, alter things to the worse,
and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better,
what shall be the end?

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman.
Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).



Michael wrote:

"...I had a look at the costs of end-mill holders for MT3 and they are
double
that of R8. I surmise I would need at least two - 3/8 and 1/2? The
collets
as well as the drill chuck, however, would give additional
versatility?... "

If you get a M3 spindle nose I would not bother with the set screw
type endmill holders.
The M3 collet holds the cutter securely.

The size range of M3 collets is up to 3/4" dia... same as R8. Just
buy a 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", & 3/4" capacity collets. Heck, CDCO
Machinery has an ad in the current issue of HSM listing 7 x M3 collets
(1/8" to 3/4" inclusive) for $53 US! To hold drill chucks I simply
fitted them with a parallel shank and hold them in an appropriate
collet. M3 blank end stub arbors are $6.50 US by a different
advertiser in HSM, who also has threaded M3 arbors suitable for
threaded drill chucks, $6.90 for 3/8"-24UNF and $7.50 for 1/2-20UNF /
5/8-16UNF. Less than $100 for this stuff and you are good to go!
Unca George pointed out a source of M3 blanks with a 1.5" dia.x 1.5"
long soft end, large enough to adapt for any tooling one is likely to
use in a mini-mill.

On a small mill you are unlikely to use any large face mills or
similar tools. In any case a cutter with a 3/4" shank held in a M3
collet is a pretty robust set-up.

All I am saying here is don't discount a good deal simply because the
spindle nose is M3. Personally I would pick M3 over R8 any day; of
course I am prejudiced... I have used both tapers in a milling
machine and own one with a M3 spindle nose.

Wolfgang