06-08-2015, 06:46 PM
Start with:
What kind of milling is it you wish to do, face milling or shoulder milling? Or, both? You can face mill with a shoulder mill but the width of cut would be less because they use more spindle power. A true face mill would have a lead angle (45º most common) and that thins the chips, allowing higher material removal rates per HP.
What materials will you be cutting? If "all" materials, you need a general purpose grade. If mostly steels, a tough grade with a honed edge is best. If mostly aluminum, a hard grade with sharp edges.
When shopping on eBay I again encourage you to ping me with the link so I can tell you if inserts are available and how much they might cost. There's a LOT of obsolete cutters on eBay that aren't worth $2 if you can't get inserts. Others may be discontinued though there's a lot of inserts around. The thing about indexable insert milling cutters is that very few use "standard" inserts, and those that do generally don't work well. I have cutters with inserts which have plowed through many different applications and get indexed once or twice a year. Quality tools don't cost, they PAY.
Let me help you.
What kind of milling is it you wish to do, face milling or shoulder milling? Or, both? You can face mill with a shoulder mill but the width of cut would be less because they use more spindle power. A true face mill would have a lead angle (45º most common) and that thins the chips, allowing higher material removal rates per HP.
What materials will you be cutting? If "all" materials, you need a general purpose grade. If mostly steels, a tough grade with a honed edge is best. If mostly aluminum, a hard grade with sharp edges.
When shopping on eBay I again encourage you to ping me with the link so I can tell you if inserts are available and how much they might cost. There's a LOT of obsolete cutters on eBay that aren't worth $2 if you can't get inserts. Others may be discontinued though there's a lot of inserts around. The thing about indexable insert milling cutters is that very few use "standard" inserts, and those that do generally don't work well. I have cutters with inserts which have plowed through many different applications and get indexed once or twice a year. Quality tools don't cost, they PAY.
Let me help you.