Cutting carbide endmill in half

matt_isserstedt · Jan 25, 2018

Hello all, I've got a 3/8" dia roundover endmill, solid carbide, which for some unknown reason I bought in a 3-1/2" length, double ended.

I need to run a part with this, but it won't fit in any of my ER tool holders due to the very long length (no flats either).

So I'd like to cut it in half...can I do this with a Metabo metal slicer disk? I have a slow diamond wheel that seems to work well enough on hand scraping carbides...assume this will work OK for touching up the edges...

Your thoughts please?...I've not tried this before with solid carbide...

eKretz · Jan 25, 2018

If it's not a diamond disc I doubt that it will do much of anything. You might be able to get through if you go through a pile of discs. They will get destroyed pretty rapidly is my guess. I've done this (cut through solid carbide) using the little diamond discs for a small rotary tool like a Foredom or Dremel. Works best if you can rotate the carbide tool while cutting and use very light pressure, let the tool do the work.

Monarchist · Jan 25, 2018

matt_isserstedt said:
Hello all, I've got a 3/8" dia roundover endmill, solid carbide, which for some unknown reason I bought in a 3-1/2" length, double ended.

I need to run a part with this, but it won't fit in any of my ER tool holders due to the very long length (no flats either).

So I'd like to cut it in half...can I do this with a Metabo metal slicer disk? I have a slow diamond wheel that seems to work well enough on hand scraping carbides...assume this will work OK for touching up the edges...

Your thoughts please?...I've not tried this before with solid carbide...

Just groove it, clear 'round, midpoint, lightly but cleanly.

Use dowel pins in your vise. Snap it in half.

Eye protection = required.

Inserting in tubing beforehand = recommended.

cyanidekid · Jan 25, 2018

Do you have a tile saw? A wet tile saw (with a diamond blade obviously) will make quick work of that. That’s s common tool.

Go easy, “very light pressure” is good advise. It’s only 3/8, so if you HAD to you could do it with a 1/8” arbor tool,

Watch out with a tile saw, don’t hold it in your fingers.

If you can’t get a hold of a tile saw, you could just buy a sintered diamond disk for your angle grinder, one for tile and stone, a thin one. Like 20$. Use it wet, hold the cutter in a vise or with a visegrip, done.

Carbide dust is REALLY bad to breathe, so don’t

NAST555 · Jan 25, 2018

Monarchist said:
Eye protection = required.

Inserting in tubing beforehand = recommended.

Long sleeves and pants also a MUST.

When I was an apprentice myself and another apprentice were working late to make a bit of extra cash. Our workbenches were next to each other and the idiot had sharpened an old tap to use as a centre punch. I heard him hit it and next thing I saw was blood squirting from my arm. A tiny piece of HSS had hit perfectly on my main vein on my arm. Had to go for X-rays to make sure that the damn thing was not still stuck in there.

michiganbuck · Jan 25, 2018

Likely that would work if running wet..Holden by hand it could catch and break something or cause injury..
local sharpening shop would cut it for a low price.
Tile saw likely would work but best to have something to guide the part, so not just by hand hold.
Thin diamond wheel, V block, straight down feed on a surface grinder running wet is the best if you have that.

Conrad Hoffman · Jan 25, 2018

This guy has diamond blades for really low prices. Diamond saw blade 4 inch Diamond saw blade 6 inch Diamond saw blade 8 inch Diamond saw blade 10 inch Diamond saw blade 12 inch Diamond saw blade 14 inch Diamond saw blade 16 inch Diamond saw blade 18 inch Diamond saw blade 20 inch Diamond saw blade 2 I wouldn't use them for super precision stuff, but for the odd ceramic or carbide cutoff, they work well. I make a quick gravity saw by putting one in the lathe and arranging a bar and pin on the tool holder to rest the thing to be cut against the blade. A tray of water goes underneath to keep things lubed.

michiganbuck · Jan 25, 2018

OT:
Thanks Conrad .. I was thinking about using my Cincinnati #2 to slice pudding stones..It has (as likely you already know0
A weighted feed that is just a pulley at the end of the table.. easy to set it up with coolant and slice away..That 20" wheel would be the berries.
Buck

Leg17 · Jan 25, 2018

Monarchist said:
Just groove it, clear 'round, midpoint, lightly but cleanly.

Use dowel pins in your vise. Snap it in half.

Eye protection = required.

Inserting in tubing beforehand = recommended.

Usually works but not always.
Sometimes it won't part cleanly at the stress point.
Worth a try. It won't mess up both ends anyway.

cmccull166 · Jan 25, 2018

matt_isserstedt said:
Hello all, I've got a 3/8" dia roundover endmill, solid carbide, which for some unknown reason I bought in a 3-1/2" length, double ended.

I need to run a part with this, but it won't fit in any of my ER tool holders due to the very long length (no flats either).

So I'd like to cut it in half...can I do this with a Metabo metal slicer disk? I have a slow diamond wheel that seems to work well enough on hand scraping carbides...assume this will work OK for touching up the edges...

Your thoughts please?...I've not tried this before with solid carbide...

rapid it into your vise :Ithankyou:

Monarchist · Jan 25, 2018

Leg17 said:
Usually works but not always.
Sometimes it won't part cleanly at the stress point.

True enuf. Sometimes it looks as if someone rape-deaded it into a vise, even.

Hence the tubing.

Worth a try. It won't mess up both ends anyway.

That.. was the whole point of it, of course. And that it is quick.

Works with too-damned-long HSS blanks as well.

bridgedog · Jan 25, 2018

Drill hole in hardwood block, press in cutter, cut through in tile saw. Just a thought.

DavidScott · Jan 25, 2018

I use a tile saw with a dead blade with the tool held against the back fence of the table, 1/4" carbide tools take about 30 seconds. Diamond blades for stone work well but it is hell on them so you will have to dress the blade often. Without a tile saw I think Monarchist has the best idea, at least you already have everything needed.

Monarchist · Jan 25, 2018

DavidScott said:
I use a tile saw with a dead blade with the tool held against the back fence of the table, 1/4" carbide tools take about 30 seconds. Diamond blades for stone work well but it is hell on them so you will have to dress the blade often. Without a tile saw I think Monarchist has the best idea, at least you already have everything needed.

Carbides have a lot in common with ceramics and glass.

Here's another that works for glass - not (yet) tried on Carbide:

Wrap ONE TURN of a length of medium-stout solid copper wire at mid-point. Twist the ends tight.
Heat with torch, spritz with cold water - better yet, Alcohol-bearing water. Windex, for example.

The rapidly chilled Copper won't "squeeze" hard enough to matter. It can suck heat out fast enough - and very, very "locally" - to set up a stress zone that leads to a very neat fracture line.

As said - haven't (yet) tried that one on Carbides. Might not work at all.

Some other Pilgrim's turn in the barrel this week.

Guest · Jan 25, 2018

When I worked for the man and did a lot of carbide form tool grinding I used to use one of those electrical discharged type engravers, the kind that look like a soldering iron and burn a line around the circumference. Then put in a vice with a rag over it and tap with a hammer. Up to 3/4" would snap easily, nice and clean.

Monarchist · Jan 25, 2018

Dualkit said:
When I worked for the man and did a lot of carbide form tool grinding I used to use one of those electrical discharged type engravers, the kind that look like a soldering iron and burn a line around the circumference. Then put in a vice with a rag over it and tap with a hammer. Up to 3/4" would snap easily, nice and clean.

PM at work !!!

One of life's most rewarding experiences is when sharing a half-vast technique, another Pilgrim with more specific experience shares a truly ELEGANT solution that is better.

Thank you for that!

I had one of those fool things and tossed it in a drawer ages ago as nearly useless for OTHER work.

JLarsson · Jan 25, 2018

Do you have time to return or sell it and buy what you need?

michiganbuck · Jan 25, 2018

Dualkit said:
When I worked for the man and did a lot of carbide form tool grinding I used to use one of those electrical discharged type engravers, the kind that look like a soldering iron and burn a line around the circumference. Then put in a vice with a rag over it and tap with a hammer. Up to 3/4" would snap easily, nice and clean.

I did that at one shop and it worked most of the time.. end mill would be hard to hold and then to smack just right IMHO
we also scored around with the edge of a diamond wheel and gave a smack.. not recommending that also..

juergenwt · Jan 25, 2018

Best way - Wire EDM! If none available - we used the corners of a a Green Wheel to grind a circle around it. Put in vise - rag over it - hit with a hammer.

Monarchist · Jan 25, 2018

juergenwt said:
Best way - Wire EDM! If none available - we used the corners of a a Green Wheel to grind a circle around it. Put in vise - rag over it - hit with a hammer.

Well.... that electrograver IS an "EDM".. of sorts. No grubby dielectric oil needed either. Ignorant air, rather, and far cheaper and more portable.

Cutting carbide endmill in half

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