Using horizontal cutters without keyway

[Tom Kitta]

So I had in the past few of these and now I got few more and there is a guy on FB that has like 20 more for cheap.

But how do I use horizontal cutters that are missing keyway that transfers power? Side pressure may be enough for a saw but not a carbide tipped 1" 5" diameter cutter. See image. No keyway. What to do? Maybe that is why these don't seem to have any wear.

 

[PeterT]

Good question. Maybe left without key so the shop could adapt to whatever spindle they had?
You'll need something for those paddles haha

 

[Johnwa]

When I had my Burke horizontal mill the spindle did not have a key way. I had some 4 or 5”x1/2” cutters that worked fine without using a key.

 

[Tom Kitta]

OK, so you suggest this thing will not spin with just side pressure? Well, I guess I can test that in the mill - I guess end mills are held in there with just collet pressure - OTOH there is a weldon shank in there to prevent spin for larger end mills.

I guess I could try it and see what happens. With a small depth of cut it may not spin. But then, why is there keyway cut into most cutters if it would not be needed? For 1" I think it is 1/4" and for 1 1/4 it is 5/16th so the keyway grows in size.

Also it seems carbide tipped cutters don't have a keyway, HSS does.

 

[RobinHood]

I wonder if the original use of these cutters was in wood - as opposed to metal? Just looking at the sections that hold the carbide tips, they look thin for heavy metal cuts. However, if they were used in a wood shaper/jointer at high speed/low torque, there would be lots of flute space for wood chips and the driving torque would not be that great and a clamping drive would suffice.

 

[Dabbler]

+1 to what @RobinHood said. For sure they are intended for wood, but I'd not hesitate to use them in aluminum.

 

[Tom Kitta]

I did see some wood dust on them so you guys may be onto something. Looks like they could have been used on a massive wood shaper.

 

[Janger]

How can you guys tell those are for wood?

 

[Dabbler]

The cutter disk is 1/3 the thickness of the cutters - that implies very low force on the teeth, hence high speed cutting, i.e. for wood.

-- by running at low chip loading per tooth, they can be used in aluminum with no problem.

 

[RobinHood]

I looked at the amount of unsupported carbide on each tooth: that is typical of wood cutters.

Agree with @Dabbler - there should be no issues in aluminum if care is taken.