# 100 plus year old milling cutters



## OldMachinist (Sep 14, 2014)

I bought a bunch on milling cutters this week and included was these 2 Brown & Sharpe form cutters.





I've got other B&S cutters with dates on them but none of them are this old. I wonder where these two have been floating around for 114 years. I know from a old conversation on another forum that these are manufacturing dates not patent dates.

Here are the rest of the cutters that were in the lot.


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## Don B (Sep 14, 2014)

Very nice, it's wonderful finding old things like that and wondering where they've been, Congratulations on you purchase.....)


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## Alan Douglas (Sep 14, 2014)

It seems odd they would use a manufacturing date rather than a patent date, but I have to admit, those two are "impossible" patent dates, which were always issued on the same day, once a week.  I don't see any patents assigned to B&S in 1900 for milling cutters either.

Perhaps they were bought for one job, and never needed again.


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## Bishop (Sep 15, 2014)

I love old tools like that. Strings to think about where they may have been all those years.


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## GarageGuy (Sep 15, 2014)

Impressive!  They're in really good condition for being that old.  Whomever had them took very good care of them.

GG


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## fgduncan (Sep 15, 2014)

I think that they belong in a shadow box on the wall as decorations. Considering their age, the steel is not in any way comparable to the material used today so unless you used them on aluminum or brass, they would probably wear out very quickly. you would also have to determine if the form they cut is compatible with today's designs. Spray with Krylon to prevent rust and put on a black velvet background and put them out to pasture.


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## Andre (Sep 15, 2014)

fgduncan said:


> I think that they belong in a shadow box on the wall as decorations. Considering their age, the steel is not in any way comparable to the material used today so unless you used them on aluminum or brass, they would probably wear out very quickly. you would also have to determine if the form they cut is compatible with today's designs. Spray with Krylon to prevent rust and put on a black velvet background and put them out to pasture.



I highly disagree. 

 These cutters are indeed carbon steel not the HSS of today, but that doesn't mean they won't cut steel. Those were the cutters used in the day, and have cut a lot of steel and cast iron back then. You had to force the cut more than let the cutter do the cut. That's why horizontal mills reigned supreme over their weaker vertical mill counterparts back then.

I recommend not using these cutters, not besause they won't cut steel or cast iron but because they are rare and in great shape.


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## aametalmaster (Sep 15, 2014)

I have some like that but never payed close attention to the numbers. Will have to have a look...Bob


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## george wilson (Sep 16, 2014)

I have bunches of those old cutters. Most of mine are still HSS,though. If carbon steel,just run them VERY slow and use cutting oil. They cut steel fine back then,and no reason why they won't still do so today.

I hope you have a tool and cutter grinder to sharpen their FACES.


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## OldMachinist (Sep 16, 2014)

george wilson said:


> I hope you have a tool and cutter grinder to sharpen their FACES.



One of my students from when I used to teach adult education machine shop now owns a cutter sharpening business so I have him sharpen my cutters. He rarely charges me unless its something special so I bring him some liquid refreshment of his choice.


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## John Hasler (Sep 16, 2014)

OldMachinist said:


> One of my students from when I used to teach adult education machine shop now owns a cutter sharpening business so I have him sharpen my cutters. He rarely charges me unless its something special so I bring him some liquid refreshment of his choice.



What does he charge?  Will he do small orders by mail?


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## OldMachinist (Sep 16, 2014)

I don't know what they charge normally, I'd have to ask next time I see him they're in the process of moving to a larger building last I heard. I'm sure you can find someone locally that sharpens cutter or I seem to remember a member here that was offering to do small batches.


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