Newbie - end mill holder?

P

pfarber

Cast Iron

Joined

Jun 11, 2006

Location

Gordon, PA

• Jan 29, 2007

• #1

I've completed some small projects on my 3-in-1 using 1/2inch end mills directly into a 1/2 R-8 collet.

Then I learn about end mill holders.

For the light cutting I Need to do am I harming the mill or collet by NOT using a dedicated end mill holder?

BTW none of the intro books I read refernce an end mill holder.

Thanks in advance.

 

M

metronorth

Hot Rolled

Joined

Jun 30, 2004

Location

Brampton Ontario Canada

• Jan 29, 2007

• #2

The collet will only be harmed if the tool spins in it. As long as you tighten it sufficiently there is little chance of that happening. The shorter overhang of the tool that you get by using the R8 collet will increase the rigidity of your set-up. Keep doing what you are doing.
Glenn @ Metro North.

 

Toms Wheels

Titanium

Joined

Dec 30, 2005

Location

Jersey Shore

• Jan 29, 2007

• #3

An end mill holder sucks up alot of Z travel. It increase's the load on the lower spindle bearings. It does allow deeper milling into recess's, more clearance around the quill. I've not found a need for one yet, someday maybe.

 

P

pfarber

Cast Iron

Joined

Jun 11, 2006

Location

Gordon, PA

• Jan 29, 2007

• #4

Thanks!

 

M

MattW

Hot Rolled

Joined

Sep 10, 2004

Location

Fairfield, PA, USA

• Jan 29, 2007

• #5

When I was even more of a noob than I am today, I bought the set of end mill holders with the mill. I have never once used them.

Now, after that sales pitch, does anyone want to buy a set of end mill holders?

 

L

Lew Hartswick

Hot Rolled

Joined

Dec 7, 2003

Location

Albuquerque, NM USA

• Jan 29, 2007

• #6

The only time I use a holder is when the shank is
too big for an R8 collet.
...lew...

 

P

PaulT

Stainless

Joined

Mar 4, 2002

Location

Brisbane, CA, USA

• Jan 29, 2007

• #7

I used to always use R8 collets for my milling until I switched to carbide endmills. Those endmills work great but I started occasionally having problems with the endmill slipping in the collet. I don't know if its from the higher RPM and heavier cutting load or the carbide isn't gripped as well by the collet or both. Anyway, I now use endmill holders with carbide endmills for heavier cuts. I find a lot of the holders have a nose that extends too far for the stub type endmills I typically use so I machine the noses down some. Then they don't really extend that much farther than a collet setup.

Paul T.

 

D

Dave Haven

Cast Iron

Joined

Nov 17, 2004

Location

Near Flagstaff, AZ, USA

• Jan 29, 2007

• #8

The only time I use a holder is when the shank is too big for an R8 collet.

Click to expand...

That's the only time I use an endmill holder in a manual machine.
Endmill holders are handy for CNC machines when a program requires 2 or more endmill sizes. The Z offset only has to be set once for each tool.

 

Jim Moser

Hot Rolled

Joined

Sep 5, 2004

Location

Santa Cruz Ca.

• Jan 30, 2007

• #9

I never thought I needed end mill holders untill I starterd using rougher end mills that can take a serious deep cut but the collets end up being the weak link and allowing the end mill to advance down into the work and ruin it.I just leave a couple of end mill holders with roughers for hogging. Its a lot safer.

 

JST

Diamond

Joined

Jun 16, 2001

Location

St Louis

• Jan 30, 2007

• #10

Eh, Matt......

If those are for MT3, I could be interested..... I like EM holders. Trouble-free for me, and the reach is usually helpful.

But then I am using them to hold EMs on a horizontal mill.

 

P

Panza

Stainless

Joined

Oct 23, 2005

Location

Lillehammer, Norway

• Jan 30, 2007

• #11

There was a post here a while back about the wear of endmill holders versus the wear in collets.

Here it is:

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/8/21.html