Face milling on Warco Gearhead Universal (RF45 clone)

Milling is a series of interrupted cuts, so rigidity in machine and work holding is essential.

Clamping with a bit of 3 or 4 mm rod doesn't meet those criteria in my mind.

If the surface is uneven, a block of wood may perform better since it will conform, and grip over a larger area.

Having produced one datum surface surface, that should then be clamped against the fixed jaw, whilst a second surface is machined.

As each surface is machined, it can be used as the datum for another to be produced.

Eventually, you should have surfaces which are good, flat and square to each other.

Howard

I agree, though it would be good to prove it by replacing the inserts.

Although the work-holding could be improved, and it's always good to get everything as rigid as possible, I don't think it's the main problem. I'm reasonably confident the multi-tooth cutter fitted with inserts designed to remove Stainless Steel is the issue. It's a combination problem: too many blunt inserts in a multi-toothed head, attacking the wrong sort of metal, with a relatively flimsy set up. I'm certain a single-point HSS fly-cutter would skim a cast-iron block held that way without complaining, but it would take longer. My similar mill has no trouble with cast-iron. Filthy stuff by the way - well worth taking special measures to contain the mess.

Though fond of carbide I tend to use HSS milling cutters on my relatively flimsy hobby mill, especially in larger diameters, because HSS doesn't need as much power and rigidity as carbide to cut well.

Dave

Never felt the need for separate insert for the ferrous metals, one type does them all for me from a 40mm 3 insert to an 80mm 6 insert. I do use different for non ferrous.

As for solid milling cutters they are generally as sharp as HSS unlike the inserts which can have a "blunter" edge and being carbide are more rigid than a similar sized HSS cutter

Problem with an HSS flycutter would be it will take maybe 15 times as long as that 5 insert head due to only feeding by one cut per rev and the slower speed of HSS not to mention having to resharpen more often.

I often use a 6mm button insert (lathe tooling) in my fly cutter. These have a (relatively) sharp edge and can be rotated to give a fresh edge for finishing. Since this setup works well and I am not usually in a hurry to remove metal I have never felt I needed a multi insert, large diameter, cutter.

Martin C