# 3/4 in face cutter 3/8th shank for the LMS milling conversion on a 7 x 12 mini lathe.  Is it too big?



## TQA222 (Dec 3, 2018)

*I am looking to buy the Little Machine Shop milling conversion kit to add on to my 7 x 12 mini lathe. It comes with a set of HSS 3/8TH Shank end mills. The largest is 1/2 an inch. *
*
Is it worth my while buying a 3/4 in Indexable Face Mill from BUSCH Machine Tool Supply. Will the mini lathe have enough power [ I think it will} and will the vice on the cross slide be rigid enough to use this cutter. . {This might be doubtful as everything I read suggests that cross slide rigidity is not the mini lathes strong point }

3/4 face mill

Or am I wasting my time and should stick with multiple cuts  with the 1/2 inch cutter. 
*
*I live on a boat in the Eastern Caribbean and it will suit me to assemble everything I want fro my little machine shop and organise the passage through customs on my time in the USA in Feb. 2019. So I don't want to get back and have to order stuff in piecemeal. A 30$ cutter could cost me 300$ with shipping customs agents etc plus sweat and unbelievable hassle standing inline multiple times.*


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## BaronJ (Dec 3, 2018)

I wouldn't waste my money if you can make a simple fly cutter !  Particularly since that is all a face mill is, but having more than one cutting edge.


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## hman (Dec 3, 2018)

I'd also be worried about the rigidity of the cross slide.  In addition, carbide tools like to run at high RPMs.  Don't know what kind of speed you can get from the mini lathe ... you have to spin the largish chuck that holds the milling cutter.

Having said that, if you really want to use an insert-type end mill, you might want to look at
https://www.shars.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat_id=451&q=hoggers
-BUT- 
given that you'll be sailing to foreign places and having trouble buying more goodies, no matter what you do, be sure to get lots of extra inserts for whatever face mill you buy.  And/or a couple spare sets of whatever milling cutters you finally decide on.


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## Ken from ontario (Dec 3, 2018)

reply deleted.


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## TQA222 (Dec 3, 2018)

hman said:


> I'd also be worried about the rigidity of the cross slide.  In addition, carbide tools like to run at high RPMs.  Don't know what kind of speed you can get from the mini lathe ... you have to spin the largish chuck that holds the milling cutter.
> 
> Having said that, if you really want to use an insert-type end mill, you might want to look at
> https://www.shars.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat_id=451&q=hoggers
> ...



Do they do then with 3/8th shanks? _ could not find any._

_Max spindle speed is 3000 rpm tool is held in a 3/8 collet chuck fitted with the regular chuck removed_


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## BaronJ (Dec 4, 2018)

It would pay to buy suitable metric collets, since where you are imperial would be harder to find.
Here in the UK, I no longer buy imperial shank cutters.


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## TQA222 (Dec 4, 2018)

Although I am currently in Guadeloupe which is my favourite cruising ground I will be buying in the USA as Grenada is where I usually sit out the hurricane season and it is relatively easy to get stuff sent from the USA and marked "spares for yacht in transit" which gives me access to the 2.5 % duty rate. 

Here in Guadeloupe I have to jump through expensive hoops and will still finish up paying more or just bite the duty bullet at approx 45%

So imperial it is as most of the USA still measures imperial.


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## BaronJ (Dec 4, 2018)

Ah !  Sorry seeing the French flag I assumed you were in Europe rather than a French dependency in the Caribbean.


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