On 2 Jan 2011 05:00:32 GMT, "DoN. Nichols" wrote:

Hmm ... conventional (horizontal) milling cutters -- 7/8" or 1"
diameter holes, with a keyway to lock to a key milled in the arbor. OD
is about 3", though much larger are available.

Stack the blades alternating with spacer rings. If you get
bowing in the middle under cutting loads, make one of the middle spacers
a bearing ring instead. A shoulder on one end of the arbor and a thread
for a nut to compress the stack on the other end is common with
horizontal milling machine arbors. Support the arbor at both ends, of
course.

Those cutters are more expensive -- but you can probably get
them in carbide to last nearly forever if this turns into a long term
project.

They are available in thicknesses from 1/32" up to several
inches, so the odds are that you can find something which works for you

Have not used a horizontal mill since 1977! Come to think of it I can not
recall even seeing a (manual) horizontal any where in the past 20 years. Big
CNC one I saw at an auction a few years back lacked the long arbor I remember
from school though one was probably available.

But another idea to consider for the future. Will start keeping my eye out for
a cheap horizontal mill.
--
William