Router bits in the mill?

[tobnpr]

Anyone run router bits in their vertical mill?
Will they cut cleanly even though they're not running at 24,000 rpm?

I've got round nose bits that would be perfect for opening up barrel channels, never thought to try them instead of the ball end mills. I'm wondering if they'd be even better than the end mills for wood and composites.

 

[CNC-Dude]

I use them on carbon fiber in a CNC mill at about 4000 RPM. You'll need flood style coolant or you'll burn them up.

 

[Paul Hilgedick]

I use carbide router bits to do barrel channels. I run them around 1800 rpm. Have also used them on wood stocks with carbon fiber in them. The carbon fiber dulled the bit vary quickly but the cut was clean.

 

[hpshooter]

Anyone run router bits in their vertical mill?
Will they cut cleanly even though they're not running at 24,000 rpm?

I've got round nose bits that would be perfect for opening up barrel channels, never thought to try them instead of the ball end mills. I'm wondering if they'd be even better than the end mills for wood and composites.

Have used carbide ones as well as ball end end mills on solid and laminated wood stocks. Experiment on some wood drops to dial in your speed and feeds. Run them in a collet or real end mill holder as opposed to a Jacobs chuck. Drill chucks running end mills or router bits can be prone to loosening up and dropping the cutter which can start a destructive chain of events.

 

[GNERGY]

I have 4 different sizes I use all the time in a collet holder, run around 2K rpm. Work great.
Tarey

 

[WSnyder]

Yes I have. The proper name for them is a Core Box bit if you go looking for them.

 

[Seagull]

Yes I run standed core box bits in my mill do alsorts of work with them. Machine Ali but must use lubricant when doing so. Give them a touch up every now and then with a diamond sharpener then off to a saw doctor every now and then for a proper sharpening

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Yes you can run them in a mill. But just like anything else, the rpm you use all depends on the amount of cutting surfaces, feed rate, and diameter of the router bit. Gotta find the sweet spot.
I personally prefer a good ball endmill over a core box router bit.

And be really careful if milling laminate wood. Pay close attention to how the laminations are going to meet the cutting edges on the bit. Best to only cut in one direction if it’s a countoured barrel channel. Want to climb mill over points where laminations meet the channel or it can splinter.

 

[therifler]

i have all sizes of balled end mills up to 1 1/4 " they work great . but are expensive so i started buying router bits they work well . i can run on laminate stocks my 1 1/4 " the lenght of a benchrest stock with one pass . then finish with mills on rec. area . i might add feed is important . haste makes waste . i run 1750 rpm.

 

[tobnpr]

i have all sizes of balled end mills up to 1 1/4 " they work great . but are expensive so i started buying router bits they work well

I looked at the cost of a 1-1/4" ball end mill and that's what got me thinking...
I've got a pile of Whiteside router bits used with my duplicator; but don't have a 1-1/4" which I'm going to get for bull barrel channels.

I know the glues in laminates dull them quickly ( I fitted a variable speed control onto the duplicator routers that helped), but unlike end mills the round nose core box bits are cheap to get sharpened.

Thanks to all for the input.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Straight channels are a cake walk, contouring on a manual mill is a little trickier. If just doing a simple straight 1.25” channel, I would recommend getting a good 4 Flute ball end mill. You may not think you’ll use it again but one day you might do another one if your own stocks or someone is gonna hear or see that you did your own then ask you to open up their channel. A 4 flute ball is just gonna cut a lot better than a router bit, especially at lower rpm of a mill.

You can also use a smaller ball endmill and make passes down each side if you don’t mind spending a little more time on the machine. Of course smaller end mills are cheaper too.

But if cost is really that big of an issue, know that router bits can create a lot of vibration, especially if you try to take any sizable bite in the wood because they only have two cutting surfaces and the tolerances on them aren’t going to be as tight as an actual end mill built for precision machining. Just be sure you have the stock locked down tight. As mentioned before, feed rate matched with rpm is important with everything using any tool in a mill.

 

[butchlambert]

Been using 2 flute carbide core box cutters for years. Coolant on a wood-carbon fiber stock?

 

[tobnpr]

Coolant on a wood-carbon fiber stock?

Of course! You never tried it?

know that router bits can create a lot of vibration

They spin at 24,000 rpm's vibration-free. How inferior to an end mill can they be?

Just be sure you have the stock locked down tight.

Learned that lesson- as well as the importance of climb cutting
Added a second vise on the table, too. Just too much vibration and flex with a lot of forend hanging past the vise. Then the fun begins running both x and y handwheels simultaneously trying to follow the contour line .

 

[hoz53]

I looked at the cost of a 1-1/4" ball end mill and that's what got me thinking...
I've got a pile of Whiteside router bits used with my duplicator; but don't have a 1-1/4" which I'm going to get for bull barrel channels.

I know the glues in laminates dull them quickly ( I fitted a variable speed control onto the duplicator routers that helped), but unlike end mills the round nose core box bits are cheap to get sharpened.

Thanks to all for the input.

I use core box bits in my mill for barrel channels. I run them pretty slow and they still cut good. I also use 1/2” router bit for things like trigger cutout ect. I saw a guy on here actually ground an old spur bit to do barrel channels with.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I inlet every stock I use, except the sporters. I used to but the mag and bdl cuts are a pain on a manual mill not to mention tapered barrels. The box core is the right tool for the job. The problem with end mills is they cut on the way up. As soon as they dull slightly they will chip the stock. Box cores cut straight across and you will get 3-4 times the life out of one before its starts to chip or fray the edges. I inlet 30-50 a year and I go through about 2 box cores to do it. They do last longer in wood than fiberglass or carbon fiber.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Of course! You never tried it?


They spin at 24,000 rpm's vibration-free. How inferior to an end mill can they be?


Learned that lesson- as well as the importance of climb cutting
Added a second vise on the table, too. Just too much vibration and flex with a lot of forend hanging past the vise. Then the fun begins running both x and y handwheels simultaneously trying to follow the contour line .

Yeah you have to have good ambidextrous hand eye coordination to do a contoured barrel on a manual mill. After tracing the barrel contour, I usually mill up very close to my line so I don’t overshoot then finish it up to the contour line by hand.