Got paid today...tool gloat!

[PixMan]

So if you remember back to Posts 2134 and 2476 in the "Today's Project" section, I had modified two brand new carbide insert milling cutters, two times (total of four) for a friend who is a commercial machine shop owner. What I wanted in return was not money, but a carbide insert 90º shoulder/facemill like the ones I'd sold to Ed and at least one other guy. Wrustle has a couple of these too, and they are the "dogs bollocks" for milling wider faces to shoulders (or not) as well as general purpose work.

Ed and Wrustle have the 2", 4-insert versions of the Walter F4041 cutter. The inserts have high axial shear and steep top rake angles, so lend themselves well to lower HP machines. There are six different grades, 5 different corner radii and two different rake angles available to cover machining virtually any material and/or part feature requiring flat or shoulders with a corner radius.

Today I received my pay for the work! It's a 2-1/2" (63mm), 4-insert cutter, so a little bigger than the other guys' 2" (50.8mm) cutters though same number of inserts.




While I've got a spare 1-1/4" R8 shell mill holder, I need a 1" diameter holder for this cutter. Given the value of this new cutter is almost $500, I want a quality US made one if I can find one for a reasonable price. I got 4 inserts with it, the LNGX130708R-L55 in grade WKP35S, for steels.

As time goes by and tool money replenishes (or good eBay deals come up), I'll add the proper grades for 300 series stainless steels (WSM35S) and the coated or uncoated extra sharp LNGX130708R-L88 for aluminum (WK10 or WXN15.) Might be good to also have the most general purpose grade WSP45S, in case a superalloy falls into my shop.

All told, those cutter modifications was the best paying job I've ever done in my shop!