1.5mm ball end mill supplier in the uk

[luke11cnc]

I've spent the best part of a 11/2 hrs looking for a supplier of extra long ball end mill for milling Oak and other hard timber.

I've found a supplier in good old USA found here http://bitsbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=419, But still waiting for him to get back to me for shipping enquiry to the UK

But has any one got a good supplier here in the UK as waiting 3 to 4 weeks is a bit off when you can't wait to start carving a 3D file you've just uploaded

James :whistling::whistling:

[luke11cnc]

ordered chip thank you

James

[Jonathan]

There are plenty of 1/16" cutters around (I've got a few, but not long series) which is not far off 1.5mm. Such a small diameter cutter is going to be very delicate - do you really need a long series cutter or is it just convenience?

[JAZZCNC]

Cutwell tools have coated micrograin solid carbide rib processing cutters that have decent reach and last for ages in wood look here.

http://www.cutweltools.co.uk/files/ww/2 flute rib processing ball nosed k2 carbide.pdf (http://www.cutweltools.co.uk/files/ww/2%20flute%20rib%20processing%20ball%20nosed%20k2%2 0carbide.pdf)

Great company to deal with and very fast service.

Edit: I have some of these and they are the Dog's dangly's for 3D work in wood. . . http://www.soigeneris.com/PreciseBits_Tapered_Carving_Tools-details.aspx

[m.marino]

There is also these folks who I have never had a problem with and they are about a 6 day wait normally : www.sorotec.de (http://www.sorotec.de) Good prices as well.

Michael

[Jonathan]

Edit: I have some of these and they are the Dog's dangly's for 3D work in wood. . . http://www.soigeneris.com/PreciseBits_Tapered_Carving_Tools-details.aspx

Knew I'd seen some tapered cutters somewhere but haven't been able to find the site since... thanks!

[luke11cnc]

Jonathan


There are plenty of 1/16" cutters around (I've got a few, but not long series) which is not far off 1.5mm. Such a small diameter cutter is going to be very delicate - do you really need a long series cutter or is it just convenience?

I have it on good authority that I am better to use a small ball nose cutter of 1.5 or smaller for carving and the piece I am carving is 10 mm deep I will be going with a taper ball nose cutter as these are much stronger and handle the heat better.

I would rather slow the feed rate and spindle speed down to get a good finish that a larger cutter and fast feed rate and spindle speed

James:toot::toot:

[Jonathan]

I have it on good authority that I am better to use a small ball nose cutter of 1.5 or smaller for carving

Yes, it's common sense that you'll get better detail from a smaller cutter. The difference between 1.5875mm (1/16") and 1.5mm is almost certainly negligible.


I would rather slow the feed rate and spindle speed down to get a good finish that a larger cutter and fast feed rate and spindle speed

The alternative is you use a bigger cutter to start with for a roughing pass and leave just 1mm (or so) for the finishing pass with the 1.5mm cutter. That will put a lot less force on the cutter, may mean you can use a short a cutter resulting in a better finish. There's more to it than just slowing the feed down...

[JAZZCNC]

The alternative is you use a bigger cutter to start with for a roughing pass and leave just 1mm (or so) for the finishing pass with the 1.5mm cutter. That will put a lot less force on the cutter, may mean you can use a short a cutter resulting in a better finish. There's more to it than just slowing the feed down...

This is exactly the way I to do it.!
I use a 6mm carbide ballnose slot cutter to rough the bulk away leaving an offset from surface (could use straight bit and z level roughing pass's but prefer this way), the amount of offset depends on job and amount of detailed required. I will use cutters as small as 0.4mm but amount of offset is tiny at this dia.
Often with the smaller Dia cutters I'll do rest machining pass's that just remove any material that the larger cutter couldn't remove this helps speed the job up because it doesn't re-cut the whole job.
For really detailed work usually I'll use 3 pass's. 1st full pass roughing 6mm BN leaving 0.75-1mm offset, 2nd full pass 1.5mmBN finished surface 3rd 0.5mmBN Rest machining clean up pass.
Doing it this way means you can use standard length cutters, but be aware you'll often find the really small cutter have short length below shank(LBS) and tiny length of cut(LOC), IE: Dia 0.4mm = 0.75mm LOC & 2mm LBS these are only used for the most detailed work and can be restrictive in tight/deep places plus if you so much look at them in a funny way they snap.

[luke11cnc]

I agree with both Jonathan and Jazz

how ever cut3d is quite a crap program

I am doing a trial in MDF of the 3D model as I'm typing this reply

for my model I have chosen 10mm cut depth it did suggest 18mm on the scale but I chose 10 mm as I'm not after a deep cut
The model is 400x350x10mm.

I could chose to cut a silhouette cut out in cut3d but it left a big piece of material in the shape of a island near a shoulder so I've gone for a square cut out (in cut3d) you can't chose to cut a oval or round shame

I am doing a roughing pass with a 6mm single flute cutter and in cut3d this only allows you one cutter for this operation

so I'm in the roughing pass part of the program and after that the finishing pass program and then the cut out and then the preview the roughing pass has three passes at 3 mm and then one at 0.50 and then the finishing pass (two) at 45 degrees to the rough cuts

and then I have chosen to do a cut out but I will stop it at 11 mm

cut3d is quite limited as the only tools you have is the ones with in the set stages and that's it.

The CNC machine is cutting on pass three and is at a depth of 9 mm the finishing cutter is only a 6 mm ball as that's the smallest ball cutter I have a the moment

and as I said it's only a MDF test, I'm waiting for my Oak timber to arrive so I can glue it up plane it and start making the coffee table

I plan to have the model carved into the legs as well (on two different plains) but we will see how a test goes first

James