What are taper shank end mills used for ?

[GoceKU]

This question may seem very stupid to someone, but i'm a new at this and do not know everything, but recently have been buying couple of end mills to use on my lathe, but i've found many end mills with morse 2 taper and wanted to ask is there a special need or use for them or just another way of holding them ?

 

[Ulma Doctor]

the #2 morse taper has been around for a long time.
they were used in horizontal milling machines , and vertical mills too
they could be used in the tailstock of a lathe to bore holes.

i suppose if you had the material and the need, you could fabricate a cylindrical adapter, and hold the adapter in a collet,
or by some other means to achieve an end.
feel free to think outside of the box!

 

[Bob Korves]

The issue with those end mills is that they can loosen from the female taper and fall out of the spindle, very likely damaging the work. They were common decades ago, but nearly unknown today. I have two NOS ones on hand, very nice, but I think I would only use mine to open up a hole previously drilled using a lathe tailstock (edit: or drill press) on center line. That would give a fairly accurate hole and a fairly flat bottom surface to the hole. I have no plans to try mine in my mill. Maybe someone here knows otherwise...

 

[kd4gij]

If they are sharp enough to use. Turn the shank down to 3/4" and use in a collet.

 

[dulltool17]

Another possibility is to machine to a uniform square shape for your lathe tool holder. As noted, they'll make pretty decent flat-bottom holes in turned parts

 

[4GSR]

The shanks are usually hard. Be kind of tough to cut on. Those ceramic inserts might come in play.

The first one is a counter bore with a short Morse taper shank. Check out the Machinery's Handbook under tapers. The last two could have Brown & Sharpe tapered shanks on them. That was more popular than Morse tapers on end mills back in time.

 

[Rick Berk]

I have a Barnes camel back drill press and use them frequently for spot facing, I also have a MT3 drill press with a #5 MT spindle and ream with it frequently, I have never had one fall out and just the opposite, have to use the drift key and a ball peen hammer to remove. If a tool is falling out, you may want to lap the MT holder back into spec and remove any circular scratches.

 

[GoceKU]

It's interesting to hear others experience, one thing i've noticed is that all of them have M10 threads in the back, so now got thinking, if i can find small enough boring bar to cut an MT2 taper and i can run a bolt from the back and can hold it in the chuck, if i'm not successful, i can chuck them and cut them straight.

 

[GoceKU]

And couple more i bought today.

 

[Bob Korves]

I have never had one fall out and just the opposite, have to use the drift key and a ball peen hammer to remove.

They do not tend to fall out when the forces are axial, like on a lathe tailstock or a drill press. It is when they are used in a milling machine or similar, side loaded, that they tend to fall out or walk out.