I just bought an indexable face mill from Shars and a set of MT-2 shell
mill holders from Tools-for-Cheap to fit my BP M-head machine. $43 and $66
including shipping, respectively.

Wow... I'm impressed with both of them. Excellent quality, good fit and
finish, minimal run-out. Chinese stuff, yeah, but well-executed.
Hmmmmm....

WDBA.

LLoyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in
. 3.70:

I just bought an indexable face mill from Shars and a set of MT-2
shell mill holders from Tools-for-Cheap to fit my BP M-head machine.
$43 and $66 including shipping, respectively.

Wow... I'm impressed with both of them. Excellent quality, good fit
and finish, minimal run-out. Chinese stuff, yeah, but well-executed.
Hmmmmm....

I've got a set of the MT-2 holders, but I've been avoiding the insert based
cutters on the theory that they require more horsepoweer than I've got in
my Clausing 8520 mill (similar in size to the BP M-Head).

What size & what inserts are you running? Have you had a chance to try
them yet?

Doug White

Doug White fired this volley in
:

What size & what inserts are you running? Have you had a chance to try
them yet?


Doug, it's a 4-insert 2" face mill. Uses RPMT 1204 inserts (round, 11-
degree positive rake).

My experience with the head is that it takes LESS HP to mill steel with
it than with HSS or the few brazed-tip carbides I have.

I was milling fresh edges on my mower blades (which work like, feel like
10-18), throwing smoking blue chips while taking 15-thou per pass, and
the little BP "M" wasn't even straining. (clattering a bit, yes, but the
splines are a little worn on the quill and drive pulley).

At about 18-thou, it started throwing burning chips, and still didn't
bog, nor discolor (not even sensibly heat) the work. But I stalled it and
hogged at 22-thou, chipping one insert and forcing me to spin it a few
degrees for a fresh edge. It might have worked on a more rigid machine,
but my old Cincy #2 has got a little lash in it here and there.

I don't have flood coolant on that machine, so I was oiling the work
before each pass with Tap Magic.

I haven't run it on anything but steel yet. My understanding is that the
particular insert I'm using isn't favored for aluminum.

LLoyd

On Sun, 30 May 2010 18:01:39 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:


I haven't run it on anything but steel yet. My understanding is that the
particular insert I'm using isn't favored for aluminum.

LLoyd


Indeed, they fill up rather badly with a big gob of aluminum, unless you
spin em really fast (5krpm) and flood coolant them.

Sigh...been there, done that years ago. Spent a couple hours with a
dental pick, prying gobbed up aluminum out of the cups.

Gunner

--


"First Law of Leftist Debate
The more you present a leftist with factual evidence
that is counter to his preconceived world view and the
more difficult it becomes for him to refute it without
losing face the chance of him calling you a racist, bigot,
homophobe approaches infinity.

This is despite the thread you are in having not mentioned
race or sexual preference in any way that is relevant to
the subject." Grey Ghost

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

I was milling fresh edges on my mower blades (which work like, feel like
10-18), throwing smoking blue chips while taking 15-thou per pass, and
the little BP "M" wasn't even straining. (clattering a bit, yes, but the
splines are a little worn on the quill and drive pulley).


What did you come up for as a clamping solution? There isn't much flat under your cutting
edge if they look like the blades in a part manual I downloaded.

Did you go with an angle vise and a tee shaped parallel?

Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

Wes fired this volley in
:

What did you come up for as a clamping solution? There isn't much
flat under your cutting edge if they look like the blades in a part
manual I downloaded.

Did you go with an angle vise and a tee shaped parallel?

I made an angle block to fit in my regular vise, and cut it so there's a
"back stop" (besides the vise jaw) on it, so as the blade is clamped down
from straight above, it forces it tight into that "fence". The vise jaw
would have worked, but ultimately I'm putting bolts and tee-nuts on the
thing so I don't need to hold it in the vise.

The wing end of the blade is held down by a narrow hold-down that fits
right into the valley of the wing bend. Soon (next week), I'll be making
dedicated clamps ON the jig, so I don't have to fiddle so much to clamp
the blade.

LLoyd