Can I use a 3/4" shank tool?

[SterlingDevelop]

A job requires the use of an adjustable bevel cutter which I can only seem to find in a 3/4" shank.

http://www.amanatool.com/cncroutingdetails/rc-2370.html


Is there a way to hold this safely in my 5hp Colombo spindle?
It has an Er25 collet, which only goes up to .629.
Any help would be appreciated.

Brent

[Gary Campbell]

Brenton...
There has been some other posts on this on the forum. If I can remember correctly, ER25 supports only up to the .629 (16mm or 5/8") There were referrences to ER25 3/4 collets, but I believe they were for a lower rpm application, such as a mill. Apparently, there is not enough "meat" left at this diameter to ensure clamping of a high rpm tool.

[SterlingDevelop]

Thanks, Gary.

I need to cut some very specific, non-standard bevels on a lot of curved parts, none of which are the same, so a jig won't do it.

Short of a 5-axis machine, I guess I'll have to run the ball mill back and forth numerous times. Makes the job very tedious.

I'm sure there are some other work-arounds with other tooling, but it seems as though the programming with the software available to me at the moment (PartWizard) would make it very time consuming.

Any other suggestions on how to do it efficiently would be greatly appreciated.


Brent

[Brady Watson]

Any other suggestions on how to do it efficiently would be greatly appreciated.


Get a custom tool ground. It isn't as expensive as you'd think.

-B

[SterlingDevelop]

Brady,

I could go that route, however, I need bevels that range from 20 degrees up to about 160 degrees.

Even if I sacrificed some precision and went in 2 or 3 degree increments, that's a lot of custom tooling.

You can see why the adjustable cutter concept was appealing.

Think I can get the shank on the amana groung to .629?

Wonder how that would affect the runout and the balance.

Thanks for all replies.

Brent

[bleeth]

Get the Amana and have the shaft turned down. A good machinist should be able to do this without blowing the balance.
Contact Amana direct-maybe they will.

[gundog]

I would agree get the tool and take it to a tool and die maker have the shank ground to 5/8 and you are good to go. I doubt they would charge more than $50 probably less.

Mike

[dubliner]

"have the shaft turned down", I was just wondering if that would be wise as I like Gary's surfacing bit. I thought, as little material as you remove while surfacing it would work if the balance didnt throw it off - thanks guys

[Gary Campbell]

Nev...
My surfacer has a 1/2" shank. Amana makes a 1 1/2" and 2 1/2" surfacer with a 1/2" shank. Also a 2 1/2" with a 3/4 shank.

Got the 3/4? I will trade. I think they take the same inserts

[bleeth]

Neville:

The suggestion to turn the shaft down was made specifically for the bevel bit Brent was speaking of. No reason to get a surfacing bit that has a 3/4 shaft as factory bits are available with smaller shafts from several people.
As far as using a smaller cutter for surfacing I have been using a 1 1/2" mortising bit from Whiteside for years with no problem. A larger diameter cutting surface will "tell" you more clearly if your Z needs adjustment as well as cover the area quicker. They also cost a heck of a lot more. Since I usually surface when I don't have pressing production needs the smaller diameter works for me. I also have (thanks to Paco) a program that surfaces my table a lot quicker than the SB program and is also written better but I still often use SB's since it does give me those Z indicators in X and Y but Paco's is designed to do all cutting in one direction since it was written primarily as a hardwood surfacer.

[dubliner]

One direction? Ok I'm missing something, does it lift and go back?

[wberminio]

Here is infor on Paco's surfacing routine

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4305
http://pacosarea.blogspot.com/search?q=surfacing+routine

Try it out.Works really well for hardwood surfacing