Willie (Highpower),
Those 2" Walter F4041 cutters are very expensive at list price, somewhere around $440! However, I got an unbelievable price for what was supposed to be 4 of them on eBay. When they arrived I found that the seller had shipped only 3 of them, one was obviously used. I complained and he sent me a 4th cutter but it was an F4042.UB.051.Z04.12, a 2" 4-insert cutter that takes ADMT/ADGT1204xx 2-edged inserts rather than those LNGX130708R-L55 inserts shown in Jack's photos. Keep an eye on eBay as I did and you just might score a deal.
I sold them for very nearly what I paid, so Ed, Jack and a couple other guys got a GREAT deal.
Ed,
I believe you bought inserts from eBay, the LNGX130708R-L55 grade WSP45. That WSP45 is Walter's best all-around grade because it works on steels, stainless steels, and superalloys (such as Inconel.) If that is the grade you have, then the recommended cutting speed in 1018 is 750sfm if cutting 1" to 2" width of cut, and up to 950sfm if 20% of the cutter diameter or less. Of course you can use lower speeds to preserve tool life even more, but if you drop much below 350 to 400 surface feet per minute you might risk chipping the inserts. Yes, those a FAST cutting speeds in 1018, but it'll do it. I strongly suggest you set up chip guards so you don't throw hot chips around too far. Chip load is given in "inches per tooth" to be .006" to .010" ipt. Use lower rates at full cutting width, and increasingly higher at less width of cut. ALWAYS climb mill if your machine has no backlash in the feed screws. Chip-thinning is a result of climb milling, and you get thinner chips as the width of cut decreases so you can feed even faster.
If you are milling only carbon steels and want the fastest running, longest-lasting inserts then look for a set of grade WKP35S or harder WKP25S. Those can be used on steels and cast irons and give great results. In steels, bump up the cutting speed by 15% over the WSP45 rates when using WKP35S, and 25% higher the WSP45 when using WKP25S. Those speeds are so fast that you might run out of torque, as you'd be spinning the cutter at 1900 to 2250 rpm!
For aluminum and light cutting on austenitic stainless steels, there's a coated grade WXN15 which is what Wrustle uses on his. Those and the uncoated grade WK1 (for aluminum only) are extra-sharp. The coated WXN15 does last longer. I think Wrustle had used his nearly every day for 3 months (or more?) before indexing the inserts. No speed limits on typical 6061 aluminum, but do be more careful with 7075.
Those 2" Walter F4041 cutters are very expensive at list price, somewhere around $440! However, I got an unbelievable price for what was supposed to be 4 of them on eBay. When they arrived I found that the seller had shipped only 3 of them, one was obviously used. I complained and he sent me a 4th cutter but it was an F4042.UB.051.Z04.12, a 2" 4-insert cutter that takes ADMT/ADGT1204xx 2-edged inserts rather than those LNGX130708R-L55 inserts shown in Jack's photos. Keep an eye on eBay as I did and you just might score a deal.
I sold them for very nearly what I paid, so Ed, Jack and a couple other guys got a GREAT deal.
Ed,
I believe you bought inserts from eBay, the LNGX130708R-L55 grade WSP45. That WSP45 is Walter's best all-around grade because it works on steels, stainless steels, and superalloys (such as Inconel.) If that is the grade you have, then the recommended cutting speed in 1018 is 750sfm if cutting 1" to 2" width of cut, and up to 950sfm if 20% of the cutter diameter or less. Of course you can use lower speeds to preserve tool life even more, but if you drop much below 350 to 400 surface feet per minute you might risk chipping the inserts. Yes, those a FAST cutting speeds in 1018, but it'll do it. I strongly suggest you set up chip guards so you don't throw hot chips around too far. Chip load is given in "inches per tooth" to be .006" to .010" ipt. Use lower rates at full cutting width, and increasingly higher at less width of cut. ALWAYS climb mill if your machine has no backlash in the feed screws. Chip-thinning is a result of climb milling, and you get thinner chips as the width of cut decreases so you can feed even faster.
If you are milling only carbon steels and want the fastest running, longest-lasting inserts then look for a set of grade WKP35S or harder WKP25S. Those can be used on steels and cast irons and give great results. In steels, bump up the cutting speed by 15% over the WSP45 rates when using WKP35S, and 25% higher the WSP45 when using WKP25S. Those speeds are so fast that you might run out of torque, as you'd be spinning the cutter at 1900 to 2250 rpm!
For aluminum and light cutting on austenitic stainless steels, there's a coated grade WXN15 which is what Wrustle uses on his. Those and the uncoated grade WK1 (for aluminum only) are extra-sharp. The coated WXN15 does last longer. I think Wrustle had used his nearly every day for 3 months (or more?) before indexing the inserts. No speed limits on typical 6061 aluminum, but do be more careful with 7075.