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Tips/Techniques Fly Cutter with indexable carbide cutter

Tips/Techniques
T

Tom Fitzpatrick

Active Member
Checking in with the Think Tank. Looking for a reasonably priced fly cutter with an indexable carbide cutter for my Bridgeport Vertical Milling machine which takes an R8 shank. Suburban Tool had one (not reasonably priced - over $1100) and Amazon has some but no carbide cutter/inserts. KMS tools was a wash as well. So far I've just looked on line a bit, but haven't tapped the wellspring of availability out there in CHMW land. Looking forward to any suggestions. I also have 9 sizes of R8 collets in various sizes if this is an alternative to fitment. Thanks in advance.
 
Lots of inexpensive face mills out there that use carbide inserts. You can use them as designed or remove any number of inserts. You can even use them with just one insert like a fly cutter.
Just one R8 example:

LWWL-Milling cutter R8 FMB22 Face Mill Shell Arbor+ 400R End Milling Cutter with 4PC APMT1604 Insert https://a.co/d/c4mAV2p

I prefer a fly cutter when cutting with HSS, and a face mill with carbide inserts. The part hardly knows the difference.
 
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You can take a look at Accusize Facemills - they have them in a few sizes (1" - 2" - 3") using triangular inserts: https://www.amazon.ca/Accusize-Carb...c8f7a1a3e218cb9742da885d0b6&gad_source=1&th=1
1731458230337.png
 
ChazzC said:
Almost any fly cutter head can be used with an appropriate left hand lathe insert holder:

https://www.shars.com/2-1-2-r8-shank-fly-cutter

https://www.shars.com/micro100-3-8-...k-positive-insert-turning-tool-holder-10-3236
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Yep.
20221114_133700.jpg
kstrauss said:
My experience is of a much better finish with SEHT than with the triangular inserts. Also, SEHT have four cutting edges so they last longer (and cost more!).
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I really like my 2 in. facemill that uses the SEHT/SEKT inserts. It will really move some metal and leaves a very good finish. It will take .100 DOC, but if I'm looking for an excellent finish, I still use a fly-cutter.

20220622_115337.jpg
 
You can have the best of both at zero additional cost. Use your facemill with four inserts when MRR is more important than finish. Remove 3 of the 4 inserts to convert it into a fly cutter. With a heavy facemill removing some inserts results in minimal out-of-balance vibration. I sold my Tormach SuperFly after accidentally starting it at 10000 rpm -- that is real out-of-balance!
 
kstrauss said:
You can have the best of both at zero additional cost. Use your facemill with four inserts when MRR is more important than finish. Remove 3 of the 4 inserts to convert it into a fly cutter. With a heavy facemill removing some inserts results in minimal out-of-balance vibration. I sold my Tormach SuperFly after accidentally starting it at 10000 rpm -- that is real out-of-balance!
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I meant above. You don't actually have to remove all of them except one. You can also remove every other one or half. So for a six insert face mill, I can run 6 inserts, 3 inserts, 2 inserts, or just one. Works great.

I'm glad to hear that you are happy with SEHT/SEKT inserts. I've been quite happy with APTK even though I only get 2 working points on them. I like the wider cut and finish but the real reason I have them is that they were standard on the majority of face mills I looked at. I standardized on them and even have them on insert drills. I've bought some with different tips and material targets and it's nice to be able to use them on all my mill insert tooling.
 
Susquatch said:
Yes, that's what I meant above. You don't actually have to remove all of them except one. You can also remove every other one or half. So for a six insert face mill, I can run 6 inserts, 3 inserts, 2 inserts, or just one. Works great.

I'm glad to hear that you are happy with SEHT/SEKT inserts. I've been quite happy with APTK even though I only get 2 working points on them. I like the wider cut and finish but the real reason I have them is that they were standard on the majority of face mills I looked at. I standardized on them and even have them on insert drills. I've bought some with different tips and material targets and it's nice to be able to use them on all my mill insert tooling.
Click to expand...
Sadly I didn't have as much foresight as you! I have tooling using APKT1103, SEHT1604 and Shear-Hog inserts. The Chinese APKT inserts are very cheap and work OK; SEHT are slightly more expensive. The Shear-Hogs rip off aluminum beautifully but are rather expensive and insofar as I know unavailable from Ali or other low cost suppliers.
 
kstrauss said:
Sadly I didn't have as much foresight as you!
Click to expand...

Trust me, I learned that the hard way with other stuff. My first carbide inserts came in a tool set from Grizzly. Nothing fit anything else and all but one tool was useless.

Today, I tell others "Don't buy tool sets!!!! No matter how beautiful and convincing it is to believe you can get started with one gorgeous set in a nice box, it just ain't so!"

Today I use 4 inserts for just about everything and HSS for all the odd stuff.

WNMG - Trigon on the Lathe
My personal favorite insert
RCMT - Round is very adaptable
Mostly On Lathe but Mill too
GTN-3 - Parting
APTK - Milling

Lots of different sizes and types of Solid Carbide and HSS End mills for the mill and HSS for the lathe too.
 
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