I sharpened my first end mills in my grinder today. I had four of my favorite go to end mills that got dull on the ends. I ground the ends and now they cut great. The grinder performed flawlessly. I still have to get busy and make something to grind the flutes on end mills. I will probably start that next, now that the dividing head is finished. I used it yesterday and it worked just fine for the task it was needed for.
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Tool and cutter grinder build
- Thread starter Mark_f
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2013
- Messages
- 4,064
Just curious Mark, but how does sharpening just the bottom of the flutes bring a end mill back to life when in every cut that I'm aware of there is a requirement of some amount of side cutting with the flutes? Is it that the flutes don't need to be as sharp as the bottoms?
Just thinking out loud...
Just thinking out loud...
Just curious Mark, but how does sharpening just the bottom of the flutes bring a end mill back to life when in every cut that I'm aware of there is a requirement of some amount of side cutting with the flutes? Is it that the flutes don't need to be as sharp as the bottoms?
Just thinking out loud...
No, You are thinking correctly. Many times I am cutting with the face ( or end) of an end mill to surface a part or remove stock. each cut may be up to .020" or .030" per cut. The end mill will loose the "corners" and will no longer cut well. Grinding ten or twenty thousandths of the end will make it sharp again. If you cut with the side of an end mill, you must grind the flutes to sharpen it when it gets dull. If you let them get too far gone, it will take grinding the end and flutes. I hope this makes sense.
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2013
- Messages
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It does, thanks.
On my PM-25 I tend to take small cuts as well, but on my 12Z I will take whatever is required up to about 3/4" DOC. The deeper cuts are typically done with a rougher and I would be very surprised if you could sharpen those.
On my PM-25 I tend to take small cuts as well, but on my 12Z I will take whatever is required up to about 3/4" DOC. The deeper cuts are typically done with a rougher and I would be very surprised if you could sharpen those.
The roughers I have seen , some can be sharpened as they have a groove similar to what a tap has and grinding the groove puts a new cutting face on as the teeth taper back from the groove. Some tools can't be sharpened and some must have all faces ground including flutes. It depends on the type of cutter , how it is used and so on. Many times an end mill only needs the end dressed to work wel again. Other times it needs end and flutes ground.It does, thanks.
On my PM-25 I tend to take small cuts as well, but on my 12Z I will take whatever is required up to about 3/4" DOC. The deeper cuts are typically done with a rougher and I would be very surprised if you could sharpen those.
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2013
- Messages
- 321
Mark
It has been a while and finally got the spindle finished and I will never do it again. What a nightmare, every time I turned around I had to work out something overlooked. If it doesn't work out I will pull it apart and put the right guts into it. I will pickup the oil seals on Wednesday and give it a spin. My fingers are crossed.
Nelson Collar
It has been a while and finally got the spindle finished and I will never do it again. What a nightmare, every time I turned around I had to work out something overlooked. If it doesn't work out I will pull it apart and put the right guts into it. I will pickup the oil seals on Wednesday and give it a spin. My fingers are crossed.
Nelson Collar
Mark
It has been a while and finally got the spindle finished and I will never do it again. What a nightmare, every time I turned around I had to work out something overlooked. If it doesn't work out I will pull it apart and put the right guts into it. I will pickup the oil seals on Wednesday and give it a spin. My fingers are crossed.
Nelson Collar
I thought the spindle was the most difficult part of my build. Not because it was hard, but to hold the close tolerances I thought it should have. The design is fairly simple, but I found it worked great once it was done.
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2013
- Messages
- 321
When I put the pics up you will see. I made some parts two and three times because of over looking something. Working with a casting and making everything fit was a chore. It is finally done except the oil seals. It spins so sweet and smooth. The tolerances was not that bad but indicating parts, well I can say I have plenty of experience with my 4 jaw.
Pics coming soooon
Pics coming soooon
When I put the pics up you will see. I made some parts two and three times because of over looking something. Working with a casting and making everything fit was a chore. It is finally done except the oil seals. It spins so sweet and smooth. The tolerances was not that bad but indicating parts, well I can say I have plenty of experience with my 4 jaw.
Pics coming soooon
Yes, you will use the4 jaw a lot. I use mine so much it only takes a minute to get it trued up.
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2014
- Messages
- 44
Ok Mark, now you did it. I want to hear about this "precision drill sharpener" you built.
YES INDEED, as it has already been mentioned, I also may not be competent enough to make your tool sharpener, but through out your build, I have learned a great deal from you and others, which I can apply to other less complicated machining projects. I came to this forum to learn and I have never been disappointed.
BUT......as my colleague ( wrmiller19) says, " where are the details for this precision drill sharpener" ?