New Mill Vice.

I'm in the process of making a new mill vice and so far I have machined the groves on both sides to clamp it to the table, but this stuff is bloody hard I went through eight end mills and slot drills doing this (5mm wide by 5mm deep 8 inch long) the steel square is inch and a half and I think it was used for PTO shafts on old Fergie tractors, so I have come this far so want to carry on and finish it, my question is I want to flat the sides of the square so what's the best tool to use, I was thinking of a carbide cutter of some sort, the mill is a Centec with an MT2 shaft.

Al.

That sounds like masochism!

Sounds like you will spend the price of a vice in mills by the end of that.

Has to be an inserted carbide tip end mill but if the material is that tough won't you struggle to get a good finish and teh accuiracy a vice needs? Why not try annealing the steel before continuing.

Neil

I think I would have given up on it after the couple of endmills! I've got a piece of stainless hex about 1-1/4" AF which no tool I have will make much impression on - carbide included. I don't know why I keep it.

Chris

The first slot milled out well then two third's way through the second the problem started, some of the cutters weren't all that good to be honest, on to the next one and feed rate very slow speed was tried between 190 and 560 rpm till it seamed about right not sure with out looking what the speed ended up being took only 20thou of at a time on the last two slots, three of the cutters broke in half not sure how good they were to start with so have gone so far may as well finish it now. nearly forgot I used flood coolent all the way through, as my farther would say, as hard as the knockers of hell.

Al.

so what's the best tool to use

If you can get any time with one, a shaper

A shaper is specifically designed for this sort of job

Al,

Geoff - Excellent time in workshop last night

Perhaps a bit late, but should you anneal this chunk of steel first - maybe it was once heat treated and is a little hard. I often chuck a known hard bit of stuff into the log fire and leave it to get red hot for 20 mins or so.

Bob H

Then after you'v done Bob's thing with the fire, leave it there until the morning. Ian S C

Thanks chaps have done it know thank god, ended up fly cutting each length with a carbide bit, only needed to take 5thou of to get it where I wanted it.

Al.