I have been working as a mechanic most of my life and I always wanted to do machine work, I got the machines now and it is been an interesting challenge to learn the tricks to use them. All that knowledge that Fred had and passed some of it on to you, and now you are doing the same with us, your watchers. I always tried to do the best work I could possibly do; my motto is if something is worth doing, it is worth doing right or don't do it at all. I have learned quite a lot from yours and others videos here at youtube and when I say "Thank You" I mean just that. John F
+imystery man Hi John, Thanks for the nice note. I can only hope that Fred approves of how I'm handling things for the trade. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
Hello Tom, once again you have instructed me in the correct tool fabrication. My brother in law came down wanting me to mill his hot rod rims. I have just finished watching this video, off to the workshop, made a fly cutter, ground the cutting tool as shown; outstanding finish to a project. Thank you, I will keep looking for new videos while I review the current selection.
Daniel Gremes Hi Daniel, Always nice to hear somebody tries some of this stuff on their own. Glad it all worked out. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
This is a comment from another site and wondered what you thought of the content. In my humble opinion flycutting can be one of the most dangerous machining operations. One particular danger is having the toolbit protruding outside from the cutter body. The toolbit can become almost invisible when spinning, giving the impression that the edge of the cutting is performed at the cutter body edge. This extended condition also creates an out of balance tool. The leverage on the toolbit is greatly increased as its clamping zone is further from the cutting edge, reducing its security in the holder. Rigidity is key when using a flycutter & a short projection will help this & reduce the "invisible" danger area surrounding the body. A cutter body larger than the width of the part is preferable allowing the toolbit to be inside the body, removing the invisible danger area. In an ideal situation the fly cutter would only be slightly larger than the width of cut. When a relatively large swing on a cutter is used compared to the width of cut, the tooth engagement angle becomes almost 90 degrees to the part. This gives a sudden impact when the full tooth load is immediately applied on contact. This full feed of cut is maintained throughout the shallow cutting arc maintaining full load throughout. Giving a constant chip section with the force maintained at right angles to the part width. The resulting clattering of the tooth impact can lead to chatter & tool chipping. An excessive toolbit overhang also can lead to back cutting due to the increased leverage that can deflect to toolbit upwards during the cutting phase of the stroke. The back cutting is caused by the tool springing back to its unloaded condition. This is eliminated on a shaper by the clapper box allowing the tool to lift on its backstroke but not available when flycutting. Using a smaller swing, the tooth engagement angle becomes more tangential to the part. This has the effect of an initial light load on the tooth that smoothly & gradually increases then decreases to zero on exit. This greatly helps with chipping on the back edge. This light initial load is resisted by the rigid length of the part & therefore far more stable. This chip section is a crescent shape with a tapered feed to the full chip width & immediately tapering back to zero. This crescent shape directly represents the tool load & direction that's spread throughout the arc. The highest load on the tool only happens briefly half way through the arc instead of throughout the whole arc. This greatly reduces the chances of premature chipping & chatter marks, it's also a lot quieter! Another bonus is that as the tool is effectively a smaller diameter, a higher rpm can be used. The stability obtained with the load being along the length at engagement, can allow a deeper cut. If the feed per tooth remains constant then the feed can also be increased. If you don't have access to a small enough tool there is a solution to help with the issues outlined. Move the workpiece towards you until the cutter tip just passes over the front edge of the part. This will also give a tangential engagement, thereby reducing tool impact, reducing vibration & chatter, especially on thin parts. Hope you find this info useful.
Yes ,the old timers taught us a lot.For me ,it was in the glass trade, then aviation.My dad was a machinist in the Brooklyn Navy yard in ww2.I was in Hawaii recently and went to some flea markets near Pearl City and found some old navy machinist tools.I had to buy them because they reminded me of my dad.Just holding them brought back stories he told me of the war damaged ships he worked on.Keep the tips coming and don't forget the stories.They are an oral history of days gone by
Great video, worked in a machine shop for 11 years and learned a lot. There is no better satisfaction than grinding and shaping your own tool instead of using expensive inserts.
It is very cool how much reverence and respect you have for you mentor and friend, Mr. Fred Van Bebber, and I can relate to your tool story. I had to move away from Hawaii after all of the tools my Dad gave me were stolen out of my garage during a 5minute test drive of the car I had been working on, and the police knew who took them but wouldn't do anything about it...it broke my heart to loose all of his old Klein snips and pliers, Proto wrenches, Channel Locks, Genuine Vice Grips, and countless screwdrivers...It just about killed me. They took my fishing gear a week later and that was it, after 35 years of growing up in Hawaii, I'd had enough and took what was left and moved to the Gold Country of California. We bought a small farm in an area near where they found the first gold nugget that stared the 49er' gold rush. It is very rural and my folks built a 2nd house on the land so I can be their neighbor, and I'm also very lucky to still have my Dad . He has given me another load of tools, including all of his power tools now, so I take great care and value them like you do the ones Fred's widow gave to you. BTW, our last name is "Van Natta", our Dutch relations came to New York in1677, and I was drawn to this story by all of the familiarity it held for me. Thanks for the great videos, and I hope one day to have something decent to share with you out of our garage...Aloha, Chuck
Tom: I gave up TV many years ago. Your videos have become the new "must see TV" for me! Watch for the tech stuff, but also enjoy your stories. The 'ol-timers are leaving us fast.....these stories keep their memories alive.
A bit late in the day for me to pitch in, but I found this extremely watchable. What I guess you'll have no way of knowing is how packed full with useful information this is for those of us just setting out into this field. Well done and many thanks for taking the time to give us such a benefit.
Working with my grandson now,when I can on two old southbend 9 inch lathes we have.This video is great.I showed him some tool bits I made and he was impressed.You no it amazed me to see his interest.Now we'll work on some drawings and do a little math.Angles and sine bars.Koweldge for the young is a beautiful thing.As my Dad used to say"Buy a man a fish,and he has a meal.Teach him to fish and you feed him for life.
Gayle Feinberg Hey Gayle, Keep your grandson close in the shop. You may have sparked an interest that will serve him for a lifetime. Thanks for the comment and story. Cheers, Tom
Thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos, time is not free. And thank you for the story and photo of Fred. It is my sincerest hope that I will someday be remembered with that kind of respect. CW.
Fred was without a doubt a real craftsman Tom, some very nice details in those flycutters he made that sure aren't on my commercial set. Really well done videos that clearly show the advantages of honing the tool and how to add chip breakers. Ornamental turners can't sand the intricate incised patterns they cut into hardwood and in previous times ivory. So the finish they get off the tool is the finish there left with. I've heard it explained as it's impossible to get a better surface finish on the part than the tools surface finish. They honed and final lapped there tools using a tool holder called a goniostat and fine stones or lapping compounds on a steel or cast iron plate. Google images will turn up the old originals as well as newer shop built versions. For a mirror finish on the tools cutting edges building one might be helpful? Not many even know about the tool but it wouldn't surprise me if you've run across them in one of your old books.
Hey Tom, appreciate how you care so much your mentor, really great to let younger generations understand the power they can get by learning from the old timers as they did not have the cyber technologies of today to work with it was manual and thinking, Great stuff, love your channel please keep it coming.
Hi Jack, You are correct. The sound of the cut changes from a whack to a swoosh when you add a chipbreaker and hone it razor sharp. On the other note I need all the advantage I can muster against the likes of Fred. He truly was a master at his trade. I feel puny next to him. Regards, Tom
Hi Opinionator, Fred always kicked my ass around the shop anyway so its no surprise to me. Thanks for the book reference. I ordered one for myself right away to avoid the rush. Regards, Tom
Hi Bill, Thanks for the background information. Teaching can be pretty rewarding. A friend of mine teaches a set of similar classes at the high school level. Engineering and product design. Its good to see a few programs still alive that get people interacting with the materials. Regards, Tom
Thanks Tom very helpful. We have a flycutter but no one uses it much because the bit is dull. We have a large inserted tool but sometimes no good inserts. Now I won't be stuck :> Working with masters willing to mentor is great, I was fortunate to work with one for many years in my field. I'm sure your coworkers are getting a lot from you as are your viewers and readers.
dang. i grew up in a similar shop scenario as fred did with my pops and uncles in our shop. super rad to hear stories like freds. Not machinists by any means (we're welder/fabricators) but i bought an old logan lathe and an old little millrite mill to learn and just get little projects going and your videos along with adam's videos have been a MASSIVE help. thanks, tom!
That fly cutter tool was a blast from the past for me. My first lathe job as an fitting turning apprentice in 1950 was rough machining some 24" DIA High tensile gear blank castings. I was struggling with conventional tool shapes when the Tradesman who was doing the finishing came to see what was holding me up. He made me grind a tool exactly that shape to get under the cast skin. My output more than doubled. I still have that tool bit and sometimes use it on my own lathe.
Tom, what a great tribute to your friend and a great edu-macation on flycutting bits. I could never get them right, but I always used lathe bits and I think my clearance angles were too great. A guy did teach me to use a big radius especially when cutting aluminum though. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos it is a great reference for guys like me that learned the hard way! I was fortunate to learn some tricks from guys along the way but much of it I was left to my own devices, so I skipped over many of the fundamental things and had to jump to the advanced stuff quicker than you know what! It is very inspiring for sure dude, Thanks again! Regards, Jerod
Hi Chris, Nothing in the mail (post) yet. Ever since I found inserted face mills I liked I put my flycutters away. That's why Fred's tool was still in great shape after all those years. Viewers had asked for something on honing after I did some in a video. Figured I'd throw my bit onto the pile of toolbit video's and see if I could add something useful. Regards, Tom
Hey Chuck, Thanks for the nice note. Sorry to hear you got your tools flogged. Sounds like you did the right thing getting out of there. In the end the tools are just objects. Its the people in our lives that are important. Spend time with your dad and learn what he has to teach you. I would give a lot to have a couple of hours with my old friend Fred. They don't make them like that anymore. Kind regards, Tom
Hi Bill, Thanks for the comment and nice words. So what is your field? You have my curiosity perked now. Humm, you have machine tools at work but "your field" is something different. Please share if you can. Regards, Tom
Hi Annoy, Thanks for the comment. Did you buy a Norton honing stone or one for dressing your grinding wheels? I can't remember who makes the square dressing sticks I use to deglaze the wheels. Regards, Tom
Tom thanks for the heads up on grinding positive rake chip breaker .I was out fly cutting a heavy peace of angle iron like half inch 2+4 and 5 in long piece .I had my regular left hand bit that i tweeked alittle and it did ok and was happy intel i hit a hard spot in the hot roll and knocked the tip off .well i sharpen it like yours and with my tram out a thou or two because i have a mill drill with no adjustment so its close enough . I got a glass finish on hot roll angle iron and i have a precision angle plate now because i tested it on my surface plate and so my vise must be real true......Fun day out in the shop.....Thanks Tom.
Hello I am an engineer of methods and processes studied in SENAI technical school mechanical turning and I had classes like these tips you are showing in the video and it brings me good lembranças.E are essential for good professional very good congratulations.
Hey Tom, This video help's me out because I'm about ready to buy some much needed tooling and the fly cutter is on the top of the list. Me, being new at machining would of thought that the cutter, cutting on the backside was some kind of tool flex so its nice to have someone with experience too share the knowledge. Thanks Tom
I'd like to thank you for using the international units, it makes everything way more understandable for us, non-americans. As far as I know you're the only one to do that.
Tom, Thank you so much for taking the time to do these videos. I've had a set of fly cutters for a while now and never used them because I didn't know how to grind a tool bit for them, and I've found very little on the internet, I guess cause everyone is using multi-index head face mills. I would hope that some day you could talk about them as well, as I would like to purchase one, but I do not know how to figure out an appropriate size, for my mills capabilities. Thanks! Robin
Hi Earl, Yes you can cut 303 stainless with this setup. Use 100 feet per minute to start. So for the flycutter I was using it would be 100*4/cutter diameter which was around three inches. This gives 133 rpm which sounds like a good starting place. Give it a try and let us know how it goes. Best, Tom
An excellent video from which I learned quite a lot, that is a really nice set of cutters your friend made too. Roll on tomorrow, I'm going to get busy on my grinder lol.
Hi Sharg, You are probably right. The guy that broke Fred's flycutter also managed to break an inch and half pipe tap while hand tapping. How he managed to break some of these things is still a mystery. He was an animal in the shop. Regards, Tom
Hi George, Sounds like a gloat worthy score. Sorry to be the one to tell you there is no known cure for the disease except regular infusions of more iron. Good deal. Happy turning. Regards, Tom
Hi Annoy, I never thought to read the instructions that came with the stick. I'll have to try the slow dress and see how that affects the grinding finish. Thanks for the tip! Regards, Tom
Hi O, That comment was not directed at anything specific Sorry for the confusion. Anybody that knows me can tell you if I'm mad at something or somebody they will definitely know it with a very low probability of ambiguity. Best, Tom
Tom Thanks for this vid, Kenny was working with me on this very thing, but at 51 and being how apprentices are the Journeyman was loosing patentees with me. It sure has answered many questions that I never got to ask Kenny. By the way I want a pin added at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. As far south and west in the state, as you can travel, were the Ohio and Wabash Rivers meet. Thanks again Mike
Hi Mr Standup, I didn't hear anything. The honing needs of machinists are different than woodworkers. We want the stone to break down and expose fresh grains to the steel. We are also sneaky bstards and keep the nice flat stones hidden in our toolboxes for those special jobs. I prefer diamond for almost anything. I used the less expensive low tech methods so people don't come away thinking they need expensive snake oil to do simple work. Good comment point for discussion. Regards, Tom
Tom....would like to see actual comparison closeup photos of the two tool bits, in order to get a better visual on the at the angle they are meeting the work.....you move things around fairly fast, and I guess in my old age I need to stare a bit longer than most of the folks! I know this project is "water over the dam", but maybe on future ocassions, you could put a couple still photos at the end. When you think about it....the entire video has to do with one little part......right where the tool bit meets the work! Thanks for all your hard work!
Hi Jim, Thanks for the feedback. You make some good points. I do occasionally take some stills of things like this but what seems to be working in my newer material and new camera are HD closeups of the action. For comparison stuff I think you're right that stills might be best. All the best, Tom
The company had its own general black-smithing department. The blacksmith forged and heat treated the lathe tools. The tool making department carried out all of the specialist heat treatment. My first three months was spent in the tool room being taught the basics. I spent some time in the heat treatment room moving parts into and out of the electric furnaces. The fun part was the salt bath for case hardening. The hot salt would explode when quenched.
High Speed. Carbide of any sort were rare in those days. In fact we were still using forged high carbon steel bits on the shapers and planers. They stood up better than HSS on shock loadings. The HSS wasn't all that great either. We didn't see Cobalt HSS until around 1953. It was marvelous when it arrived.
Hi Tom. Many thanks for another great video. I personally have never used a chip breaker on a flycutting tool but it's an interesting addition to consider. I have found that if you off set the spindle centreline from the workpiece centreline and so the edge of the cutter just clears the edge of the job you get better tool life, chip formation and finish. Also if you brush cutting oil onto job before cutting, this helps immensely. Please let me know how you get on.
Hi Chris, I would love to see your improved design flycutter. Its an old school tool but they do work well for lots of things like plastics and aluminum. Better economy for the small shop than the $20 per insert face mills I normally use. Regards, Tom
The chip breaker made a significant improvement in the finish. It took a few tries grinding but it was worth the time. Thanks Tom for taking the time to shearing your knowledge. I sure enjoy your videos.
hi I like your story of the flycutter from your old friend,,i have tools such as mikes and calipers I acquired from old craftsmen I worked with in the 70's that I am very protective of and when I tell people to almost the day and who I got them from.. well most don't seem to get the value in that
Hi Terry, Well one day these same people may feel the same way. Once you start losing friends and mentors your outlook changes a bit. Thanks for sharing. Best, Tom
Sure I worked 14 years in aerospace specifically engineering test and development of space hardware. That's where I worked with a good mentor and other skilled guys. They had machine tools there. In fact I bought a larger lathe for our lab and got a small mill from another department. I work now at a school for art and design as a shop technician helping students with projects and trying to maintain equipment.
Hi Tom, Good idea for one of the meatloaf episodes. The marks on the flycutter were made with one of the electric spark type engravers. Its almost like a low current welder that you use to write your text. Best, Tom
Hi Greg, One in the same. I have been lucky that way that I had the chance to spend time with several master craftsmen over the years. Thanks for the comment. Best, Tom
Really like the videos ,the thing is you showed a cut after each change so that we could see what that change accomplished that is GREAT, maybe a little more on why and or how it does that just a thought GREAT JOB I learned a lot for my home shop as I'm self taught Thanks !!
Hi Opinionator, Not sure what you mean. Did I say something that you might have interpreted as being directed at you? If so, its not the case. I got my copy of Tool Design in the mail. perusing it now. Thanks again for the good book lead. Regards, Tom
And emery wrapped around drill bits, transfer punches etc makes good radius hones... That is how we touched up moulding plane blades when I worked for a living.
Hi Tom, after many hours in the play-pen I have come to some conclusions. Most of the time was making a fly cutter but with slightly different design to the standard. I did not make the tool bit groove square to the body but angled so there is no need to grind clearance on the "bottom" of the tool bit. Now the conclusions, your mate Fred knew what he was talking about, his design is great for large stock removal (DOC 4-5mm in Al), but the inclined chip breaker gives better finish on shallow cuts
This was a good little series Tom, I especially enjoyed the progression between grind, grind+hone, grind+hone+chip groove, not much experience with fly cutting, whats max DOC for something like that? I think you were doing .010, is that about the max removal rate?
Hey Stan, Its a single point tool so you have to watch the feedrate. In aluminum I would take a 1/4 inch and play around with the feedrate to find something it likes. Cheers, Tom
Great video Tom. Seeing Fred's name engraved so nicely on his cutters made me think - could you talk about some of the ways fiolk mark their tools? Thanks from another Tom.
Hi Home, I don't generally grind facing specific toolbits. Normally I use the front face of a normal turning tool or use the multipurpose grind I demonstrated in the special toolbit series. If I were to grind a facing specific tool it would be a left hand version of a turning tool mounted parallel to the ways. Check out the special and inserted toolbit video for a handy multipurpose bit. cheers, Tom
Hey Tom, What kind of honing stone is that? Any specs that I can find so I may purchase one? I'm new to buying them. The shop I have access too is pretty abused (college workshop so tons of inexperienced people using it) thank you for this video and showing about tramming! I need to try to get a good surface flatness and found your video. Danny
Hi Danny, Its a Norton multi stone made of Aluminum oxide. Almost all the tool supply folks sell them as bench stones. McMaster, MCS or Travers has them. Cheers, Tom
You going to make me watch the whole video again to figure out what your talking about? My brain ain't that good. I'm going to guess and say I was power feeding. I may have had it at a higher spindle speed and there is a harmonic on my machine because of the leveling feet I have it on right now. Hey, how about a first name. You have posted enough that it seems weird to keep calling you gent. Maybe you gave it to me already but I forgot it.... Cheers, Tom
I think that it would have been interesting if the different passes were on different surfaces or sections so that we could visually compare how things got better.
Hi Cemx, Thanks for the comment. That might have been interesting to compare them at the end. I don't think this video is HD so I don't quite know what it would look like. Cheers, Tom
Let me start by writing i wish i was half the machinist you are but..........i think i know why Fred's tool preformed a little better 1 when you make a radius on your tool you rest the toolbit on the rest plate (7 deg?) and rotate the tool bit 90 deg to form the radius and that kinda screws up the geometry of the radius bit of the tool and this is the bit that is doing the cutting (13:24) 2 when you whetstone the cutting edges you do the main cutting edges perpendicular (the good way17:07) but the radius you dont do it perpendicular (18:23) I think looking at those masterful made tools.Fred did not shaped the tool the way you did it But i could be wrong (most of the time i am wrong) but this is what i noticed Keep up the good work.i learn a lot from just watching your vid's
gixxerharry Hey Harry, Now I will have to watch myself hone a toolbit again. Oh well just another view. I looked at the 18:23 part. Take a look at the vertical edge. If you notice its concave from the grinding wheel. The part that cuts and engages the work gets honed and the bottom edge of the relief. There is no good way to be perpendicular as you say. The sides are flat so you can hold it perfectly against the stone. I'll have to look at Fred's bit again. He may have honed it differently or on a different type of grinder. Thanks for the comment and observation. Cheers, Tom
Tom, I really liked how you explained the grinding on this bit. I have tried it and it works great for facing my stock. Now I want to enlarge a hole using a fly cutter. Can this same tool bit geometry be used? What clearances should I be looking at for the fly cutter diameter versus existing holes diameter? The hole is currently 1.125" and I need to make it 1.78". My cutter diameters are 0.70, 1.11, and 1.36". Any help here would be appreciated. Thanks for your informative videos Dave
Hi Dave, The clearance behind the cutting edge will have to be increased. Mount it in the machine and drop the cutter down onto a circle of the desired size drawn on paper. Looking down from the top you will see the trailing edge behind the cutting edge that needs to be removed. Hope this makes sense. cheers, Tom
Old video but a question, That india stone you are using, is that a dry stone? shouldnt that sit in water or at least be thourough watered?? I have been looking into grind stones lately, its not a subject that is widely covered.
***** Hi Mike, I may look like I'm close to the tool on camera. Trust me I'm not as close at it might look. Foreshortening is playing a part here. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
LOL My full name Is Richard Gentry Harris but I prefer just Gent Tom I know you and I would hit it off in person but till we actualy meet I will think of you as one of my best internet friends!!! I have been doing this stuff for a long time but I'm always trying to learn and I have picked up lots of tips from you and Kieth, Abom, Myfordboy, MrPete, Doubleboost..... I realy dislike anybody that THINKS they know it all. I will try and add usefull tips if I can a guy can learn something from from anyone!! Anyway Nice vids, keep em up!!! Fellow metal head, Gent
Now you let the cat out of the bag. I'm going to call you Richard :)). I bet your mom called your Richard. I can hear her now, "Richard get out of that dirty garage and come in the house for supper. I made your favorite, meatloaf with gravy. Wash your hands before you come in my clean house" Hey, I had a thought on the Swiss army tool in carbide insert form. How about a thin one sided square insert with 11 degree relief and mounting screw mounted to a steel holder with a pocket and relieved underneath. It would probably work. Might make a neat meatloaf or project video. Need to scrounge around and find some square inserts. All the best. Tom
Did you make a replacement cutter? Love to see that video. I note the front has a concave recess that looks good......but is it there for a reason like balance? BTW......I love your videos.
very very cool!!! Would you use that on a piece of 303 stainless and if so how many rpms would you go on the spindle. Thank you so much for doing what you do.
The old guy did win for a reason,, but good enough is just that... I learned tool grinding from my mentor, an old mold maker,,, where finish is everything... Anyone interesting in the scientific geometric reasons and fool proof ways to grind tools,,, there is a book titled Tool Design by Herman W. Pollack if it's out there was a valuable asset, but I did end up with half the people in the shop coming to me when they needed a #16 finish (I didn't mind it takes so little time)... Cheers! :o] O,,,
ZS6JMP Hi ZS, Thanks for the comment. The geometry for steel would be slightly different. If you use the correct cutting speed these tools will perform quite well in steel and stainless. Best, Tom
Hi Tom, In this installment and, I believe in #1, you mention the chip quality. The finish is the important factor, so what difference does chip make if you get the desired finish? Thanks - always enjoy the time and effort you put into your vids.
Hey Dada, Chip control and good finish are the goals. If your chip flow is headed in the wrong direction then all the finish can be ruined. Actually the part drives the process. Sometimes finish is the goal other times tool strength is important. All of these factors hinge on the cutting tool geometry. A good machinist can diagnose and correct these variables for what the part or job requires. Hope this helps. Cheers, Tom
I feel like I'm going to fart in church here... As a wood worker & reclaimer of old tools I've used oil (the norton) water & ceramic stones... I don't use the first 2 anymore , I also use diamond hones of various sizes.. The water and oil stones eventually get wear cups, the latter two still haven't and some are 20 years old... Of course I'm thinking now that the flats you are honing are short enough that the dip in a stone wouldn't matter... But a ceramic stone will last a life time..
The large the radius the slower the speed , your cutter tip is going a few miles per hour , how do you decide what speed i would use 266 rpm for a 3 inch cutter ?
Hi Georges, This is aluminum and not as fussy about cutting speed as say steels would be. 266 would be pretty slow for aluminum with a flycutter. I would use 600 FPM as my cutting speed for high speed in aluminum. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
Great did on the lathe bits update just got the static phase converter for the Rockwell but the best news is I pickup a atlas 10x36 lathe at a garage sale for 150.00 bucks, so the addiction begins. Oh the lathe was only used for turning wood.
A little late to the party here ... Not sure how you keep the sentimental tools or other keepsake collections that are not for actual use any longer like the fly cutters but it sure sounds like they deserve a special wooden and glass case of some sort. I keep a few things like that of my own, my grandfathers, etc. so that I can see them easily.
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I have been working as a mechanic most of my life and I always wanted to do machine work, I got the machines now and it is been an interesting challenge to learn the tricks to use them. All that knowledge that Fred had and passed some of it on to you, and now you are doing the same with us, your watchers.
I always tried to do the best work I could possibly do; my motto is if something is worth doing, it is worth doing right or don't do it at all. I have learned quite a lot from yours and others videos here at youtube and when I say "Thank You" I mean just that.
John F
+imystery man Hi John,
Thanks for the nice note. I can only hope that Fred approves of how I'm handling things for the trade. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
@@oxtoolco you make Fred proud Tom.
You are appreciated.
Thank you.
Chuck.
Hello Tom, once again you have instructed me in the correct tool fabrication. My brother in law came down wanting me to mill his hot rod rims. I have just finished watching this video, off to the workshop, made a fly cutter, ground the cutting tool as shown; outstanding finish to a project. Thank you, I will keep looking for new videos while I review the current selection.
Daniel Gremes Hi Daniel,
Always nice to hear somebody tries some of this stuff on their own. Glad it all worked out. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
This is a comment from another site and wondered what you thought of the content.
In my humble opinion flycutting can be one of the most dangerous machining operations. One particular danger is having the toolbit protruding outside from the cutter body. The toolbit can become almost invisible when spinning, giving the impression that the edge of the cutting is performed at the cutter body edge. This extended condition also creates an out of balance tool. The leverage on the toolbit is greatly increased as its clamping zone is further from the cutting edge, reducing its security in the holder. Rigidity is key when using a flycutter & a short projection will help this & reduce the "invisible" danger area surrounding the body. A cutter body larger than the width of the part is preferable allowing the toolbit to be inside the body, removing the invisible danger area. In an ideal situation the fly cutter would only be slightly larger than the width of cut. When a relatively large swing on a cutter is used compared to the width of cut, the tooth engagement angle becomes almost 90 degrees to the part. This gives a sudden impact when the full tooth load is immediately applied on contact. This full feed of cut is maintained throughout the shallow cutting arc maintaining full load throughout. Giving a constant chip section with the force maintained at right angles to the part width. The resulting clattering of the tooth impact can lead to chatter & tool chipping. An excessive toolbit overhang also can lead to back cutting due to the increased leverage that can deflect to toolbit upwards during the cutting phase of the stroke. The back cutting is caused by the tool springing back to its unloaded condition. This is eliminated on a shaper by the clapper box allowing the tool to lift on its backstroke but not available when flycutting. Using a smaller swing, the tooth engagement angle becomes more tangential to the part. This has the effect of an initial light load on the tooth that smoothly & gradually increases then decreases to zero on exit. This greatly helps with chipping on the back edge. This light initial load is resisted by the rigid length of the part & therefore far more stable. This chip section is a crescent shape with a tapered feed to the full chip width & immediately tapering back to zero. This crescent shape directly represents the tool load & direction that's spread throughout the arc. The highest load on the tool only happens briefly half way through the arc instead of throughout the whole arc. This greatly reduces the chances of premature chipping & chatter marks, it's also a lot quieter! Another bonus is that as the tool is effectively a smaller diameter, a higher rpm can be used. The stability obtained with the load being along the length at engagement, can allow a deeper cut. If the feed per tooth remains constant then the feed can also be increased. If you don't have access to a small enough tool there is a solution to help with the issues outlined. Move the workpiece towards you until the cutter tip just passes over the front edge of the part. This will also give a tangential engagement, thereby reducing tool impact, reducing vibration & chatter, especially on thin parts. Hope you find this info useful.
Yes ,the old timers taught us a lot.For me ,it was in the glass trade, then aviation.My dad was a machinist in the Brooklyn Navy yard in ww2.I was in Hawaii recently and went to some flea markets near Pearl City and found some old navy machinist tools.I had to buy them because they reminded me of my dad.Just holding them brought back stories he told me of the war damaged ships he worked on.Keep the tips coming and don't forget the stories.They are an oral history of days gone by
Great video, worked in a machine shop for 11 years and learned a lot. There is no better satisfaction than grinding and shaping your own tool instead of using expensive inserts.
We are listening to old guys like Fred, to those of us that that aren't like Fred, You're Fred!
That is a pretty nice comment.
All the best,
Tom
It is very cool how much reverence and respect you have for you mentor and friend, Mr. Fred Van Bebber, and I can relate to your tool story. I had to move away from Hawaii after all of the tools my Dad gave me were stolen out of my garage during a 5minute test drive of the car I had been working on, and the police knew who took them but wouldn't do anything about it...it broke my heart to loose all of his old Klein snips and pliers, Proto wrenches, Channel Locks, Genuine Vice Grips, and countless screwdrivers...It just about killed me.
They took my fishing gear a week later and that was it, after 35 years of growing up in Hawaii, I'd had enough and took what was left and moved to the Gold Country of California. We bought a small farm in an area near where they found the first gold nugget that stared the 49er' gold rush. It is very rural and my folks built a 2nd house on the land so I can be their neighbor, and I'm also very lucky to still have my Dad . He has given me another load of tools, including all of his power tools now, so I take great care and value them like you do the ones Fred's widow gave to you.
BTW, our last name is "Van Natta", our Dutch relations came to New York in1677, and I was drawn to this story by all of the familiarity it held for me. Thanks for the great videos, and I hope one day to have something decent to share with you out of our garage...Aloha, Chuck
Tom: I gave up TV many years ago. Your videos have become the new "must see TV" for me! Watch for the tech stuff, but also enjoy your stories. The 'ol-timers are leaving us fast.....these stories keep their memories alive.
A bit late in the day for me to pitch in, but I found this extremely watchable.
What I guess you'll have no way of knowing is how packed full with useful information this is for those of us just setting out into this field.
Well done and many thanks for taking the time to give us such a benefit.
Working with my grandson now,when I can on two old southbend 9 inch lathes we have.This video is great.I showed him some tool bits I made and he was impressed.You no it amazed me to see his interest.Now we'll work on some drawings and do a little math.Angles and sine bars.Koweldge for the young is a beautiful thing.As my Dad used to say"Buy a man a fish,and he has a meal.Teach him to fish and you feed him for life.
Gayle Feinberg Hey Gayle,
Keep your grandson close in the shop. You may have sparked an interest that will serve him for a lifetime. Thanks for the comment and story.
Cheers,
Tom
Thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos, time is not free. And thank you for the story and photo of Fred. It is my sincerest hope that I will someday be remembered with that kind of respect. CW.
Fred was without a doubt a real craftsman Tom, some very nice details in those flycutters he made that sure aren't on my commercial set. Really well done videos that clearly show the advantages of honing the tool and how to add chip breakers.
Ornamental turners can't sand the intricate incised patterns they cut into hardwood and in previous times ivory. So the finish they get off the tool is the finish there left with. I've heard it explained as it's impossible to get a better surface finish on the part than the tools surface finish. They honed and final lapped there tools using a tool holder called a goniostat and fine stones or lapping compounds on a steel or cast iron plate. Google images will turn up the old originals as well as newer shop built versions. For a mirror finish on the tools cutting edges building one might be helpful? Not many even know about the tool but it wouldn't surprise me if you've run across them in one of your old books.
Hey Tom, appreciate how you care so much your mentor, really great to let younger generations understand the power they can get by learning from the old timers as they did not have the cyber technologies of today to work with it was manual and thinking, Great stuff, love your channel please keep it coming.
Hey Marc,
Thanks for the nice comment. You are quite correct that I thank those guys every day for what they gave me.
All the best,
Tom
Just made my first HSS flycutter bit and surfaced a chunk of Aluminium after watching this. Nice finish achieved. Many thanks!!
Hi Jack,
You are correct. The sound of the cut changes from a whack to a swoosh when you add a chipbreaker and hone it razor sharp. On the other note I need all the advantage I can muster against the likes of Fred. He truly was a master at his trade. I feel puny next to him.
Regards,
Tom
Hi Opinionator,
Fred always kicked my ass around the shop anyway so its no surprise to me. Thanks for the book reference. I ordered one for myself right away to avoid the rush.
Regards,
Tom
Hi Bill,
Thanks for the background information. Teaching can be pretty rewarding. A friend of mine teaches a set of similar classes at the high school level. Engineering and product design. Its good to see a few programs still alive that get people interacting with the materials.
Regards,
Tom
Thanks Tom very helpful. We have a flycutter but no one uses it much because the bit is dull. We have a large inserted tool but sometimes no good inserts. Now I won't be stuck :>
Working with masters willing to mentor is great, I was fortunate to work with one for many years in my field. I'm sure your coworkers are getting a lot from you as are your viewers and readers.
dang. i grew up in a similar shop scenario as fred did with my pops and uncles in our shop. super rad to hear stories like freds.
Not machinists by any means (we're welder/fabricators) but i bought an old logan lathe and an old little millrite mill to learn and just get little projects going and your videos along with adam's videos have been a MASSIVE help. thanks, tom!
Hi Esteve,
Glad you liked the story. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Its nice to see that there are still good people in the world. Nice video . Thanks
That fly cutter tool was a blast from the past for me. My first lathe job as an fitting turning apprentice in 1950 was rough machining some 24" DIA High tensile gear blank castings. I was struggling with conventional tool shapes when the Tradesman who was doing the finishing came to see what was holding me up. He made me grind a tool exactly that shape to get under the cast skin. My output more than doubled. I still have that tool bit and sometimes use it on my own lathe.
Tom, what a great tribute to your friend and a great edu-macation on flycutting bits. I could never get them right, but I always used lathe bits and I think my clearance angles were too great. A guy did teach me to use a big radius especially when cutting aluminum though. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos it is a great reference for guys like me that learned the hard way! I was fortunate to learn some tricks from guys along the way but much of it I was left to my own devices, so I skipped over many of the fundamental things and had to jump to the advanced stuff quicker than you know what! It is very inspiring for sure dude, Thanks again!
Regards,
Jerod
Hi Jerod,
Thanks for the nice note. Glad you got some good information. Fred would be pleased.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Chris,
Nothing in the mail (post) yet. Ever since I found inserted face mills I liked I put my flycutters away. That's why Fred's tool was still in great shape after all those years. Viewers had asked for something on honing after I did some in a video. Figured I'd throw my bit onto the pile of toolbit video's and see if I could add something useful.
Regards,
Tom
Hey Chuck,
Thanks for the nice note. Sorry to hear you got your tools flogged. Sounds like you did the right thing getting out of there. In the end the tools are just objects. Its the people in our lives that are important. Spend time with your dad and learn what he has to teach you. I would give a lot to have a couple of hours with my old friend Fred. They don't make them like that anymore.
Kind regards,
Tom
Great stuff Tom! you were very lucky to have Fred as a mentor. thanks for sharing what you know.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for the comment and nice words. So what is your field? You have my curiosity perked now. Humm, you have machine tools at work but "your field" is something different. Please share if you can.
Regards,
Tom
Hi Annoy,
Thanks for the comment. Did you buy a Norton honing stone or one for dressing your grinding wheels? I can't remember who makes the square dressing sticks I use to deglaze the wheels.
Regards,
Tom
Tom thanks for the heads up on grinding positive rake chip breaker
.I was out fly cutting a heavy peace of angle iron like half inch 2+4 and 5 in long piece .I had my regular left hand bit that i tweeked alittle and it did ok and was happy intel i hit a hard spot in the hot roll and knocked the tip off .well i sharpen it like yours and with my tram out a thou or two because i have a mill drill with no adjustment so its close enough .
I got a glass finish on hot roll angle iron and i have a precision angle plate now because i tested it on my surface plate and so my vise must be real true......Fun day out in the shop.....Thanks Tom.
Hi Tim,
Good deal. Glad you had some success with your flycutter.
All the best,
Tom
Hello I am an engineer of methods and processes studied in SENAI technical school mechanical turning and I had classes like these tips you are showing in the video and it brings me good lembranças.E are essential for good professional very good congratulations.
Hi Silvio,
Thanks for the nice comment. Glad you like the show.
All the best,
Tom
Hey Tom,
This video help's me out because I'm about ready to buy some much needed tooling and the fly cutter is on the top of the list.
Me, being new at machining would of thought that the cutter, cutting on the backside was some kind of tool flex so its nice to have someone with experience too share the knowledge.
Thanks Tom
I'd like to thank you for using the international units, it makes everything way more understandable for us, non-americans. As far as I know you're the only one to do that.
Hi nray,
Thanks for the comment. I like to think of it as pro-choice on measurements.
All the best,
Tom
Tom, Thank you so much for taking the time to do these videos. I've had a set of fly cutters for a while now and never used them because I didn't know how to grind a tool bit for them, and I've found very little on the internet, I guess cause everyone is using multi-index head face mills. I would hope that some day you could talk about them as well, as I would like to purchase one, but I do not know how to figure out an appropriate size, for my mills capabilities. Thanks! Robin
Thanks for this video. I bought some fly cutters a couple of months ago, but was unsure how to grind the cutters. This was perfect!
Hey Charles,
Flycutters work really well for facing stock. Almost a lost art at this point. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Earl,
Yes you can cut 303 stainless with this setup. Use 100 feet per minute to start. So for the flycutter I was using it would be 100*4/cutter diameter which was around three inches. This gives 133 rpm which sounds like a good starting place. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.
Best,
Tom
An excellent video from which I learned quite a lot, that is a really nice set of cutters your friend made too.
Roll on tomorrow, I'm going to get busy on my grinder lol.
Hi Sharg,
You are probably right. The guy that broke Fred's flycutter also managed to break an inch and half pipe tap while hand tapping. How he managed to break some of these things is still a mystery. He was an animal in the shop.
Regards,
Tom
Hi George,
Sounds like a gloat worthy score. Sorry to be the one to tell you there is no known cure for the disease except regular infusions of more iron.
Good deal. Happy turning.
Regards,
Tom
An excellent video that goes beyond that of just an instructional lesson.
Hi Titus,
Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Thank you for the very informative video on grinding tool bits for fly cutting Tom , it has been very helpful !
Lynton Rodda Hi Lynton,
Glad you liked the video. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Annoy,
I never thought to read the instructions that came with the stick. I'll have to try the slow dress and see how that affects the grinding finish. Thanks for the tip!
Regards,
Tom
Hi O,
That comment was not directed at anything specific Sorry for the confusion. Anybody that knows me can tell you if I'm mad at something or somebody they will definitely know it with a very low probability of ambiguity.
Best,
Tom
Tom, excellent presentation. Will need to watch again! Thanks, Larry
Thanks for this great video. Fly cutters are tricky sometimes. This was great.
Hi Basement,
Thanks for the comment.
All the best,
Tom
Tom
Thanks for this vid, Kenny was working with me on this very thing, but at 51 and being how apprentices are the Journeyman was loosing patentees with me. It sure has answered many questions that I never got to ask Kenny. By the way I want a pin added at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. As far south and west in the state, as you can travel, were the Ohio and Wabash Rivers meet. Thanks again Mike
Hi Mr Standup,
I didn't hear anything. The honing needs of machinists are different than woodworkers. We want the stone to break down and expose fresh grains to the steel. We are also sneaky bstards and keep the nice flat stones hidden in our toolboxes for those special jobs. I prefer diamond for almost anything. I used the less expensive low tech methods so people don't come away thinking they need expensive snake oil to do simple work. Good comment point for discussion.
Regards,
Tom
Fred was a mean motor scooter and a bad go getter. Thanks for a lesson learned Oxen.
Hi Randall,
You are right about that. He was bad to the bone.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom, the second side that a radius was ground never touches. Wondering why that was ground. Thanks for your time, effort, and knowledge sharing.
Maybe it is to take the sharp point off so he doesn't cut himself as he moves the fly cutter around?
perfect tutorial luv all you do, I just hope you have a son to keep your skills in the family, you have forgot more than I will ever know.
Tom....would like to see actual comparison closeup photos of the two tool bits, in order to get a better visual on the at the angle they are meeting the work.....you move things around fairly fast, and I guess in my old age I need to stare a bit longer than most of the folks!
I know this project is "water over the dam", but maybe on future ocassions, you could put a couple still photos at the end. When you think about it....the entire video has to do with one little part......right where the tool bit meets the work! Thanks for all your hard work!
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the feedback. You make some good points. I do occasionally take some stills of things like this but what seems to be working in my newer material and new camera are HD closeups of the action. For comparison stuff I think you're right that stills might be best.
All the best,
Tom
The company had its own general black-smithing department. The blacksmith forged and heat treated the lathe tools. The tool making department carried out all of the specialist heat treatment. My first three months was spent in the tool room being taught the basics. I spent some time in the heat treatment room moving parts into and out of the electric furnaces. The fun part was the salt bath for case hardening. The hot salt would explode when quenched.
High Speed. Carbide of any sort were rare in those days. In fact we were still using forged high carbon steel bits on the shapers and planers. They stood up better than HSS on shock loadings. The HSS wasn't all that great either. We didn't see Cobalt HSS until around 1953. It was marvelous when it arrived.
Make a replacement fly cutter as a tribute video
Hi Tom. Many thanks for another great video. I personally have never used a chip breaker on a flycutting tool but it's an interesting addition to consider. I have found that if you off set the spindle centreline from the workpiece centreline and so the edge of the cutter just clears the edge of the job you get better tool life, chip formation and finish. Also if you brush cutting oil onto job before cutting, this helps immensely. Please let me know how you get on.
Hi Chris,
I would love to see your improved design flycutter. Its an old school tool but they do work well for lots of things like plastics and aluminum. Better economy for the small shop than the $20 per insert face mills I normally use.
Regards,
Tom
Great info. I am going to try to grind a chip breaker and see if I can get a better finish. Thanks for shearing your knowledge. I love your videos.
Hi Ronald,
Did you try your chipbreaker yet? Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
The chip breaker made a significant improvement in the finish. It took a few tries grinding but it was worth the time. Thanks Tom for taking the time to shearing your knowledge. I sure enjoy your videos.
hi
I like your story of the flycutter from your old friend,,i have tools such as mikes and calipers I acquired from old craftsmen I worked with in the 70's that I am very protective of and when I tell people to almost the day and who I got them from.. well most don't seem to get the value in that
Hi Terry,
Well one day these same people may feel the same way. Once you start losing friends and mentors your outlook changes a bit. Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Tom
Sure I worked 14 years in aerospace specifically engineering test and development of space hardware. That's where I worked with a good mentor and other skilled guys. They had machine tools there. In fact I bought a larger lathe for our lab and got a small mill from another department. I work now at a school for art and design as a shop technician helping students with projects and trying to maintain equipment.
Hi Tom,
Good idea for one of the meatloaf episodes. The marks on the flycutter were made with one of the electric spark type engravers. Its almost like a low current welder that you use to write your text.
Best,
Tom
Hi Fred,
What did you say.........
Thanks for the comment.
Best,
Tom
I really enjoyed this video. I was wondering about the best geometry for a fly cutter bit. This answered that question for me. Thanks.
Hi Bill,
Glad you got some good information that helped. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Thank you for a lesson in tool cutting. I agree listen to the old guys.
Hi Greg,
One in the same. I have been lucky that way that I had the chance to spend time with several master craftsmen over the years.
Thanks for the comment.
Best,
Tom
Really like the videos ,the thing is you showed a cut after each change so that we could see what that change accomplished that is GREAT, maybe a little more on why and or how it does that just a thought GREAT JOB I learned a lot for my home shop as I'm self taught Thanks !!
Hi Rosario,
Thanks for the comment. I'll have to watch this video again. I can't remember what got changed.
All the best,
Tom
Great story and thanks for sharing it along with the video.
Hi Opinionator,
Not sure what you mean. Did I say something that you might have interpreted as being directed at you? If so, its not the case. I got my copy of Tool Design in the mail. perusing it now. Thanks again for the good book lead.
Regards,
Tom
Hi Derek,
Is the tool you mention High Speed or brazed carbide? Thanks for the comment and great related story.
Regards,
Tom
Great vid Tom
I will be linking this one
Hi Derek,
Thanks for the answer. Did you guys forge your own tools or was there a blacksmith in the tool department?
Best,
Tom
And emery wrapped around drill bits, transfer punches etc makes good radius hones... That is how we touched up moulding plane blades when I worked for a living.
Hi Tom, after many hours in the play-pen I have come to some conclusions. Most of the time was making a fly cutter but with slightly different design to the standard. I did not make the tool bit groove square to the body but angled so there is no need to grind clearance on the "bottom" of the tool bit. Now the conclusions, your mate Fred knew what he was talking about, his design is great for large stock removal (DOC 4-5mm in Al), but the inclined chip breaker gives better finish on shallow cuts
What wheels did you have on that baldor tool grinder? Im having a hard time finding anything that fits one
This was a good little series Tom, I especially enjoyed the progression between grind, grind+hone, grind+hone+chip groove, not much experience with fly cutting, whats max DOC for something like that? I think you were doing .010, is that about the max removal rate?
Hey Stan,
Its a single point tool so you have to watch the feedrate. In aluminum I would take a 1/4 inch and play around with the feedrate to find something it likes.
Cheers,
Tom
Great video Tom. Seeing Fred's name engraved so nicely on his cutters made me think - could you talk about some of the ways fiolk mark their tools? Thanks from another Tom.
tom, can you please do a video on grinding a facing tool? or maybe (this would be best) a series of videos on your most used HSS grinds??
Hi Home,
I don't generally grind facing specific toolbits. Normally I use the front face of a normal turning tool or use the multipurpose grind I demonstrated in the special toolbit series. If I were to grind a facing specific tool it would be a left hand version of a turning tool mounted parallel to the ways. Check out the special and inserted toolbit video for a handy multipurpose bit.
cheers,
Tom
Thanks for the lesson Tom
I noticed the angles of the 2 fly cutters are different. How does this play into the sharpening equation.
Tom
I really liked the flywheel cutter holder
Hey Tom,
What kind of honing stone is that? Any specs that I can find so I may purchase one? I'm new to buying them. The shop I have access too is pretty abused (college workshop so tons of inexperienced people using it) thank you for this video and showing about tramming! I need to try to get a good surface flatness and found your video.
Danny
Hi Danny,
Its a Norton multi stone made of Aluminum oxide. Almost all the tool supply folks sell them as bench stones. McMaster, MCS or Travers has them.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi wrljet,
Its an Acra. Bridgeport clone.
Best,
Tom
Good to see the value in a well set up grinder toolmount.
were you hand feeding in the cut that had the pattern?
maybe your gibs are a bit loose seemed to follow the lead screw pitch
You going to make me watch the whole video again to figure out what your talking about? My brain ain't that good. I'm going to guess and say I was power feeding. I may have had it at a higher spindle speed and there is a harmonic on my machine because of the leveling feet I have it on right now.
Hey, how about a first name. You have posted enough that it seems weird to keep calling you gent. Maybe you gave it to me already but I forgot it....
Cheers,
Tom
I think that it would have been interesting if the different passes were on different surfaces or sections so that we could visually compare how things got better.
Hi Cemx,
Thanks for the comment. That might have been interesting to compare them at the end. I don't think this video is HD so I don't quite know what it would look like.
Cheers,
Tom
Let me start by writing i wish i was half the machinist you are but..........i think i know why Fred's tool preformed a little better
1 when you make a radius on your tool you rest the toolbit on the rest plate (7 deg?) and rotate the tool bit 90 deg to form the radius and that kinda screws up the geometry of the radius bit of the tool and this is the bit that is doing the cutting (13:24)
2 when you whetstone the cutting edges you do the main cutting edges perpendicular (the good way17:07) but the radius you dont do it perpendicular (18:23)
I think looking at those masterful made tools.Fred did not shaped the tool the way you did it
But i could be wrong (most of the time i am wrong) but this is what i noticed
Keep up the good work.i learn a lot from just watching your vid's
gixxerharry Hey Harry,
Now I will have to watch myself hone a toolbit again. Oh well just another view. I looked at the 18:23 part. Take a look at the vertical edge. If you notice its concave from the grinding wheel. The part that cuts and engages the work gets honed and the bottom edge of the relief. There is no good way to be perpendicular as you say. The sides are flat so you can hold it perfectly against the stone. I'll have to look at Fred's bit again. He may have honed it differently or on a different type of grinder. Thanks for the comment and observation.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom,
I really liked how you explained the grinding on this bit. I have tried it and it works great for facing my stock.
Now I want to enlarge a hole using a fly cutter.
Can this same tool bit geometry be used?
What clearances should I be looking at for the fly cutter diameter versus existing holes diameter?
The hole is currently 1.125" and I need to make it 1.78".
My cutter diameters are 0.70, 1.11, and 1.36".
Any help here would be appreciated.
Thanks for your informative videos
Dave
Hi Dave,
Good deal. Glad you got good results.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Dave,
The clearance behind the cutting edge will have to be increased. Mount it in the machine and drop the cutter down onto a circle of the desired size drawn on paper. Looking down from the top you will see the trailing edge behind the cutting edge that needs to be removed. Hope this makes sense.
cheers,
Tom
Old video but a question, That india stone you are using, is that a dry stone? shouldnt that sit in water or at least be thourough watered??
I have been looking into grind stones lately, its not a subject that is widely covered.
Thanks for the videos. I'd like to know why you keep on sticking you paw near the spinning tool? Don't you like your fingers?
***** Hi Mike,
I may look like I'm close to the tool on camera. Trust me I'm not as close at it might look. Foreshortening is playing a part here. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
thanks for the nice video !
greets from Bavaria Germany
LOL My full name Is Richard Gentry Harris but I prefer just Gent
Tom I know you and I would hit it off in person but till we actualy meet
I will think of you as one of my best internet friends!!!
I have been doing this stuff for a long time but I'm always trying to learn
and I have picked up lots of tips from you and Kieth, Abom, Myfordboy, MrPete,
Doubleboost.....
I realy dislike anybody that THINKS they know it all.
I will try and add usefull tips if I can a guy can learn something from from anyone!!
Anyway Nice vids, keep em up!!!
Fellow metal head, Gent
Now you let the cat out of the bag. I'm going to call you Richard :)). I bet your mom called your Richard. I can hear her now, "Richard get out of that dirty garage and come in the house for supper. I made your favorite, meatloaf with gravy. Wash your hands before you come in my clean house"
Hey, I had a thought on the Swiss army tool in carbide insert form. How about a thin one sided square insert with 11 degree relief and mounting screw mounted to a steel holder with a pocket and relieved underneath. It would probably work. Might make a neat meatloaf or project video. Need to scrounge around and find some square inserts.
All the best.
Tom
Did you make a replacement cutter? Love to see that video. I note the front has a concave recess that looks good......but is it there for a reason like balance? BTW......I love your videos.
Learning lots. Thanks
very very cool!!! Would you use that on a piece of 303 stainless and if so how many rpms would you go on the spindle. Thank you so much for doing what you do.
The old guy did win for a reason,, but good enough is just that... I learned tool grinding from my mentor, an old mold maker,,, where finish is everything... Anyone interesting in the scientific geometric reasons and fool proof ways to grind tools,,, there is a book titled Tool Design by Herman W. Pollack if it's out there was a valuable asset, but I did end up with half the people in the shop coming to me when they needed a #16 finish (I didn't mind it takes so little time)... Cheers! :o]
O,,,
These tools work great on soft metal like aluminium. On steel though, they go blunt quite quick.
ZS6JMP Hi ZS,
Thanks for the comment. The geometry for steel would be slightly different. If you use the correct cutting speed these tools will perform quite well in steel and stainless.
Best,
Tom
Mi trabajo ase mas de 20 años saludos desde Puerto Rico.
Javier Davila Rivera Hey Javier,
Thanks for the comment. I think you are the first to comment from Puerto Rico!
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Tom,
In this installment and, I believe in #1, you mention the chip quality. The finish is the important factor, so what difference does chip make if you get the desired finish?
Thanks - always enjoy the time and effort you put into your vids.
Hey Dada,
Chip control and good finish are the goals. If your chip flow is headed in the wrong direction then all the finish can be ruined. Actually the part drives the process. Sometimes finish is the goal other times tool strength is important. All of these factors hinge on the cutting tool geometry. A good machinist can diagnose and correct these variables for what the part or job requires. Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Tom
I feel like I'm going to fart in church here... As a wood worker & reclaimer of old tools I've used oil (the norton) water & ceramic stones... I don't use the first 2 anymore , I also use diamond hones of various sizes.. The water and oil stones eventually get wear cups, the latter two still haven't and some are 20 years old... Of course I'm thinking now that the flats you are honing are short enough that the dip in a stone wouldn't matter... But a ceramic stone will last a life time..
The large the radius the slower the speed , your cutter tip is going a few miles per hour , how do you decide what speed i would use 266 rpm for a 3 inch cutter ?
Hi Georges,
This is aluminum and not as fussy about cutting speed as say steels would be. 266 would be pretty slow for aluminum with a flycutter. I would use 600 FPM as my cutting speed for high speed in aluminum. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Great did on the lathe bits update just got the static phase converter for the Rockwell but the best news is I pickup a atlas 10x36 lathe at a garage sale for 150.00 bucks, so the addiction begins. Oh the lathe was only used for turning wood.
+oxtoolco Thank you very much for your video! I ground and used my first fly cutter on some aluminum tonight, and it turned out great!
+Paul Frieden Hey Paul,
With a little tinkering with the toolbit you can get almost a mirror finish on aluminum. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
A little late to the party here ... Not sure how you keep the sentimental tools or other keepsake collections that are not for actual use any longer like the fly cutters but it sure sounds like they deserve a special wooden and glass case of some sort. I keep a few things like that of my own, my grandfathers, etc. so that I can see them easily.
oxtoolco where did you get stone like this? I've been trying to find a square stone for ages, but never seen one! great video!
actually found it after I got the brand name from your first video :) thanks!