Talk:Milling cutter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is part of WikiProject Metalworking, an attempt to cleanup, categorize and expand Wikipedia articles related to metalworking. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page or visit the project page, where a list of open tasks is maintained.

[edit] Slab to shell mill

I've always seen them as shell mills in catalogs when one goes to purchase them, at least here in America. Perhaps the edit should reflect both names, for the sake of international completeness?

The only shell mill I've come across is a shell end mill which is designed to be mounted on a stub arbor. A plain or slab mill is described in this catalog but in particular these course notes (5.4Mb .doc file), around page 28 of 79, describe the cutters along with examples of usage. Finally About Milling Cutters gives a short summary of shell and slab.

I'll retake the photo to emphasise the absence of any end teeth on the slab mill, and will also take a photo showing the side and end view of a shell end mill. — Graibeard ^(talk) 00:45, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

The rpm formulas don't seem to match the formulas on the cutting speed page.

[edit] Milling cutter versus Reamer

From the article:

1. Helix angle: The flutes of a milling cutter are almost always helical. If the flutes were straight, the whole tooth would impact the material at once, causing vibration and reducing accuracy and surface quality. Setting the flutes at an angle allows the tooth to enter the material gradually, reducing vibration. Typically, finishing cutters have a higher rake angle (tighter helix) to give a better finish.

I'm confused here. Isn't a reamer basically a milling cutter in which the flutes are straight? And, isn't a reamer used to add surface quality to a hole? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.45.0.133 (talk) 05:19, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

There are some differences between a milling cutter and a reamer:

• A milling cutter usually has helical flutes, while a reamer either has straight flutes or reverse angle flutes.
• A milling cutter can cut sideways through material, while a reamer can only expand an existing hole while cutting downwards.
• A reamer only cuts with the tapered part, while a mill can cut with all parts of the tooth.

Rocketmagnet (talk) 09:21, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

A good question, with a good answer by Rocketmagnet. The biggest difference is in the way that they're used. Reamers cut very little material, and only by plunging straight down. The tapered leading edge cuts, while the sides burnish. A milling cutter such as an endmill can cut large amounts of material quickly while moving sideways. Both milling cutters and reamers can have straight flutes (or teeth) or helical flutes, depending on exact application. A milling cutter on a horizontal milling arbor can be rather similar in basic shape to a reamer, but the biggest difference is in the toolpaths that they follow. That big difference drives smaller differences such as clearance angles. — ¾-10 02:40, 24 January 2008 (UTC)