08-26-2015, 09:53 PM
Ron,
The number of inserts in a given mill aren't terribly important. Recommended feed rates for those (and any other) cutters are given as "feed per tooth". In the reality of home shop use on a manual machine (including those with power feed controlled by potentiometer) the feed rate is set "by ear."
The limiting factor in feed rate per tooth is the available spindle power. You can only feed as fast as the spindle allows without bogging down. The more you have, the faster the actual feed can be. Try to think of it in terms of 0,15 mm/t for a tough stainless steel up to 0,45mm/t for a low carbon steel. With 4 inserts that's 0,60mm per rev up to 1,8mm per rev. That gets doubled with 8 inserts. How many do you want to wear out at once? ;)
Thing is, it all equals out because tool life comes down to one edge will remove X amount of material. More inserts in the cut just means it happens faster in a given task. For my 2HP machine I find the 4-insert cutters get far more use than the same size 6 insert F4033 because I seem to just better like how the lower density cutters work.
Like I told Ed when he recently got the 2-1/2" (63mm) F2280 from me, with 8 edges, the pack of ten inserts is going to last him years.
Anything you may find, feel free to run it by me.
Ken
P.S. - How about this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Walter-42mm-Dia-...567a7532ae
That's a great deal considering it comes with a pack of current inserts!
The number of inserts in a given mill aren't terribly important. Recommended feed rates for those (and any other) cutters are given as "feed per tooth". In the reality of home shop use on a manual machine (including those with power feed controlled by potentiometer) the feed rate is set "by ear."
The limiting factor in feed rate per tooth is the available spindle power. You can only feed as fast as the spindle allows without bogging down. The more you have, the faster the actual feed can be. Try to think of it in terms of 0,15 mm/t for a tough stainless steel up to 0,45mm/t for a low carbon steel. With 4 inserts that's 0,60mm per rev up to 1,8mm per rev. That gets doubled with 8 inserts. How many do you want to wear out at once? ;)
Thing is, it all equals out because tool life comes down to one edge will remove X amount of material. More inserts in the cut just means it happens faster in a given task. For my 2HP machine I find the 4-insert cutters get far more use than the same size 6 insert F4033 because I seem to just better like how the lower density cutters work.
Like I told Ed when he recently got the 2-1/2" (63mm) F2280 from me, with 8 edges, the pack of ten inserts is going to last him years.
Anything you may find, feel free to run it by me.
Ken
P.S. - How about this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Walter-42mm-Dia-...567a7532ae
That's a great deal considering it comes with a pack of current inserts!