Proprietary end mill?

Brass being copper and zinc, even with other alloying material, a cutter making less than 100 cuts doesn't speak well for the quality of the cutter material. It seems reasonable that there are a number of milling cutters available. Even that you might make an adapter for 1/8" or 3mm dental drills or Dremel cutters. Sized to match the guide pin would be the only real consideration, an adapter is common enough.

Just a thought, I let go of my key machine years ago, after I retired.

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Bi11Hudson said:
Brass being copper and zinc, even with other alloying material, a cutter making less than 100 cuts doesn't speak well for the quality of the cutter material. It seems reasonable that there are a number of milling cutters available. Even that you might make an adapter for 1/8" or 3mm dental drills or Dremel cutters. Sized to match the guide pin would be the only real consideration, an adapter is common enough.

Just a thought, I let go of my key machine years ago, after I retired.

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Just looked through McMaster Carr's inventory of carbide end mills. There is not one listed with a 6mm shank with a 2.5mm cutter.
You are correct though. There is a 3mm mm shank. I could probably buy or carefully fabricate a spacer/shim/
 
Latinrascalrg1 said:
It looks as if the entire reason beyond making more money on the special cutter is to keep it inline with the corresponding tracer peg to the left which to me means, so long as the size and sickout is the same that "proprietary" crap is meaningless.....basically a way to "Idiot proof" their products operating process and setup.

Heck even a simple "spacer" collet cut to fit the proprietary on the od with a ID cut for smaller shaft endmill.
Click to expand...

When a new cutter is installed we put a spacer on the table and drop or lower the cutter to the specified spacer height so the relief area can be a mute point. As long as it fits in the 6mm shank and is not too long it should work.
 
I was speaking more along what Bill suggested with an adapter so you could run the smaller less expensive bits without worrying about the proprietary problem.
 
We have a key cutter with a saw type cutter that lasts for 1,000's of keys before needing replacement. The whole machine was less than $500. You'd be money ahead to make the switch unless that is cutting tubular keys or something.
 
On second thought, I could invest in a tool post grinder and crank out mills for half of what they are charging.
 
I think I would make a special holder that would hold a Harvey solid carbide
1/8 dia endmill .098 dia cutter that sells for about 15 bucks. Good old American
made endmill.
Jim
 
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