"Bill Schwab" wrote in message
...
Harold, Gary,
snip----



It is generally accepted that end mills should not be run from chucks,
due
in part to the hardened shanks, which do not hold well by that method,
nor
are they supported properly for the serious forces generated in the cut.
It's far different from a twist drill, which has a soft shank and
typically
does all its cutting on the end, so there are no side forces. While
you
can, and probably do, achieve a level of success, such a setup is prone
to
eccentricity, chatter and hogging, which is reduced by the use of a
proper
collet setup. These words I say in the hopes of helping a
newbie.
I realize you folks know it. :-)

Harold, to clarify, are you saying the ER32 is a poor choice because it
does not adequately grip endmills, or are you simply telling me not to
put endmills in my shiny new Jacobs chuck (which I would not do)?

Sorry for the confusion. I'm not familiar with the ER32, which may or may
not be a good accessory. My only comment regards any kind of quick change
device is that they often extend the spindle, to accommodate the larger
devices that permit the quick change. That tends to diminish rigidity, but
that can be a good tradeoff, depending on the situation at hand. If the
ER32 doesn't function that way, and holds similarly to the typical collet,
I'd heartily endorse it.

My comments were strictly for the use of end mills in a drill chuck. That
is a real poor choice and should be avoided like the plague. Having said
that, on rare occasion I've used an end mill in a drill chuck, but not for
milling as such. More like a spot face, but even that is not a good idea.


Elsewhere in the news, my edge center/finder arrived today. It's a
Starrett, which seemed to be the most heartily recommended of such
gizmos. How long is it likely to last?

Not long. I bought my first edge finder back in the late 50's and it's
starting to show some wear! g (I ran a commercial shop for 16 of those
years).

Edge finders tend to be speed sensitive. Play with yours and make a
determination where it works best, then run it there. My 1/2" edge finder
(some ******* brand, not Starrett) likes about 2,100 RPM. YMMV.

Harold.