Material to make fly cutter from?

plastikdreams · Aug 19, 2017

I don't often use a fly cutter but I've always wanted to make one. I have plenty of 17-4 around the shop and can harden to h900, would that be sufficient? Incidentally I also have a ton of titanium bar stock drops up to 3.25" od, how about using that? Also, what's the best angle to set it at?

Erich · Aug 19, 2017

Cold Rolled or 4140 pre heattreated if you really want to go all out.

To be rigid it needs mass not high strength that hardening gives.

angle somewhere between 10 and 20 degrees.

Tonytn36 · Aug 19, 2017

We made ours way back in school out of cold rolled. I don't suggest Ti.

plastikdreams · Aug 20, 2017

Ok thanks guys, I was thinking somewhere around 15°.

Monarchist · Aug 20, 2017

plastikdreams said:
Ok thanks guys, I was thinking somewhere around 15°.

They are dirt-cheap, store-bought, and in sets, typically. And not that often appropriate if one has a fair set of other cutters. Slow, for their removal-rate, one reason.

Lots of more interesting things one could fab, many with more frequent utility. Your shop, your selection as to what, etc.

Nice finish, right application, if plenty of patience is in stock. Some inserted cutters can do the same, one insert shimmed proud, final-final, then go back to a more all around useful Day Job.

plastikdreams · Aug 20, 2017

I'm actually using an old 5 insert shell mill with only 1 in it to face some Al u minium...it's doing a decent job lol. Really the only reason I have to make it is because I always wanted to make one lol, I really have no use for one. 98% of my jobs are 17-4, the other 2% is 316ss, aluminum, 420/440ss, titanium, and porous tantalum (aka trabecular metal).

Cole2534 · Aug 20, 2017

Mine is 2" 304 with a 15* angle.

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Krutch · Aug 20, 2017

I have one from where I don't recall. It is shop made not store bought. I use an insert lathe tool purchased from Victor Machine out of NY. It's Triangle insert and between the angle of the slot (not sure what degree) and the insert position I can mill right up to a 90 degree corner without hitting the vertical feature. Of course the cutter/holder is not for hogging. Does leave a nice finish.

CarbideBob · Aug 20, 2017

Does the angle matter?
I've made them from shit steel laying around but would use 4140 for a customer.
Pre-hard for lower buck. Stress relive, rough, harden and finish for those with bigger pocketbooks.
Just about anything works. Never tried Aluminum but think it would also function okay.
Bob

Dave G. · Aug 20, 2017

plastikdreams said:
I don't often use a fly cutter but I've always wanted to make one. I have plenty of 17-4 around the shop and can harden to h900, would that be sufficient? Incidentally I also have a ton of titanium bar stock drops up to 3.25" od, how about using that? Also, what's the best angle to set it at?

17-4PH H900 is going to be stronger than 4140HT or 4340HT - I'd make it from that if you have it around the shop already. Yield will be above 200 ksi in the H900 condition vs 160 ksi for 4140 HT (lower if you're buying standard pre-hardened).

Limy Sami · Aug 20, 2017

Aluminium works alright, .....I've a biggun I made out of a car engine flywheel - believe it or not, the customer wanted ''circular machining marks of a certain radius'' as a finish, ...........and with what that twat was paying he could have em

plastikdreams · Aug 20, 2017

Dave G. said:
17-4PH H900 is going to be stronger than 4140HT or 4340HT - I'd make it from that if you have it around the shop already. Yield will be above 200 ksi in the H900 condition vs 160 ksi for 4140 HT (lower if you're buying standard pre-hardened).

I have tons, literally, of 17-4 at work. I'm that guy who saves all the scraps and stuff, so I always have some odd bits laying around.

steve-l · Aug 21, 2017

My go to steel for lathe and shaper tools is 8620 and case hardened (not the cutting steel, but the holder).

NAST555 · Aug 21, 2017

Limy Sami said:
Aluminium works alright, .....I've a biggun I made out of a car engine flywheel - believe it or not, the customer wanted ''circular machining marks of a certain radius'' as a finish, ...........and with what that twat was paying he could have em

Bwhahahaha

Would have loved to hear that conversation when he asked for ??Radius tool marks.

EPAIII · Aug 25, 2017

Material for a fly cutter? Almost any steel. Heck, aluminum would work but would probably show wear sooner.

Cole2534 · Aug 27, 2017

EPAIII said:
Material for a fly cutter? Almost any steel. Heck, aluminum would work but would probably show wear sooner.

Id ve concerned about the aluminim lacking stiffness and giving a crappy finish.

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Limy Sami · Aug 27, 2017

NAST555 said:
Bwhahahaha Would have loved to hear that conversation when he asked for ??Radius tool marks.

Believe me NAST that's on the mild end of what I've been asked for over the years :rolleyes5:

Limy Sami · Aug 27, 2017

Cole2534 said:
Id ve concerned about the aluminim lacking stiffness and giving a crappy finish.

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It works very well, like most things - it depends on how you use it and what on.

Don't knock it till you've tried it, ............ over 40 years ago I made 2 boring tools for a turret lathe job, a bronze casting, one roughing and one finishing, there were 3 large bores 2 of them stepped - between 2.5'' and 4'' ish to quite tight tols (say +/- 0.003) on dia and depth.

That boring tool was in effect 3 fly cutters, it was made out of Alu because it was only a 100 off job, (we were tight for tool space on the turret) ha ha

.......over 1000 parts later those same tools were still going strong and delivering the goods, .....and IIRC? running at about 80 ft / minute, @ around 0.007'' / per rev.

jim rozen · Aug 27, 2017

Cole2534 said:
Id ve concerned about the aluminim lacking stiffness and giving a crappy finish.

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Compare the properties of 1018 steel vs. 7075 aluminum.

Cole2534 · Aug 27, 2017

jim rozen said:
Compare the properties of 1018 steel vs. 7075 aluminum.

Young's modulus for 7075 is 10,400ksi and most steel is 29,000ksi....not sure what you're getting at?

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Material to make fly cutter from?

Diamond

Hot Rolled

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Stainless

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Cast Iron

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Titanium

Stainless

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