Needed a new face mill. When I sold my small mill a few months ago, I gave the new owner most of my MT2 tooling. New mill is MT3 spindle, and came with an oddball face mill. Picture 1. Uses 1/2" cemented carbide bits, and the bits are all chipped to ratpoop, and any new bits need to be ground for clearance behind the carbide cutter. PITA.
Looked all over for new 1/2" bits, couldn't find any 1/2" lathe bits that weren't more than I wanted to spend. $20 each, and needed to be cut down and machined for clearance.
So off to Amazon I go. $63 for an 80mm 6-flute face mill and MT3 arbor. Took a gamble. Pleasantly surprised. Honking solid chunk of steel, nicely finished arbor, complete with ten double-ended inserts. Only snag is M12 drawbar thread, so I need to make a drawbar. No biggie, drawbars are a consumable and I have lots of 1/2" round bar in the storage rack.
Looked all over for new 1/2" bits, couldn't find any 1/2" lathe bits that weren't more than I wanted to spend. $20 each, and needed to be cut down and machined for clearance.
So off to Amazon I go. $63 for an 80mm 6-flute face mill and MT3 arbor. Took a gamble. Pleasantly surprised. Honking solid chunk of steel, nicely finished arbor, complete with ten double-ended inserts. Only snag is M12 drawbar thread, so I need to make a drawbar. No biggie, drawbars are a consumable and I have lots of 1/2" round bar in the storage rack.
