Double ended milling cutters

I am looking for my first milling cutters and have just seen that there are cutters that are double ended. It seems like a good idea a bit like sharpening your pencil both ends.

Are they worth getting? do they need something special to hold them? ie not ER

Adrian

I have used double-ended cutters for a few years now in er 11/16/25 collets with no problems. I would think that clarkson type collet chucks would not be of any use as they do not have a through hole which is necessary to get the cutter far enough through the collet to reach the plain shank.

I suppose it saves a bit on cost as you are only paying for half a shank. Really comes down to what the quality is like, you don't seem to see any of the brand names offering them so maybe lower end.

Make sure your ER collet has enough clearance to hole them eg a 12mm cutter won't fit far up the hole in the middle of a MT shank that has an M12 drawbar.

I have some brand name HSS and carbide double ended cutters so "known good" ones can be got.

That said I shan't be getting more unless the price is silly low. In practice the major issue is protecting the second end from inadvertent damage during insertion, removal and storage. Sometime it's hard enough to concentrate on one sharp end let alone two. Its a question of odds really. I know you, like me, will be careful but given that, depending on what you do, a cutter may go in and out of its holder perhaps a hundred (or more) times before becoming unacceptably blunt there is plenty of opportunity for the silly slip-up.

Although considered old hat now I like the Clarkson screw in type purely because there is so much less opportunity for the "Ooops, naughty words" moment. When you are unscrewing a cutter that is all you are doing. None of this business of releasing a collet with one hand and catching the cutter with the other. Native R8 on my Bridgeport being a particular pain with one arm reaching well up to get a hand on the drawbar spanner and the other waist high (ish) to catch the cutter. Most especially if its a big shank pulled up tight with a second heave!

Clive

(5 years on the air drawbar kit is still in the box)

Edited By Clive Foster on 09/05/2019 12:28:36

There were some decent double ended around 20 years ago, nowadays wouldnt bother.

The flutes on all but the short ones will be too long for ER things, no problem with finger collets.
Quite true the Clarkson are a much better clamping system the cutter wont drop unlike ER. Still need both hands sometimes 3 hands unlike finger collets/R8 requiring one hand.

Sounds like good advise, I will avoid them til I know I have three hands and can juggle blindfold.

I do like the idea of Clarkson, I have an ER, if I dont get on with them maybe I will make a Clarkson set, that would be good turning practice if nothing else.