# Boring head for fly cutting?



## Jake P (Jul 18, 2021)

Not sure if this is the right forum, but I'm wondering what thoughts are for this:









						Fly cutter Attachment forBoring Head | mesatool
					

Flycutter Attachment for 2" Boring Head			1/2" Shank			4 3/8" Minimum swing                            BORING HEAD NOT INCLUDED IN SALE!			Comes with TPGB-321 Carbide Insert and 4-40 Torx screw.			Can use any similar insert.			BORING HEAD NOT INCLUDED IN SALE!




					www.mesatool.com
				




I got an Allied Criterion 2" boring head with my used mill and the previous owner had also purchased a Mesa Tool 1/2"x3" boring bar.  I've used the bar in the head a few times now and like it very much, so I went to the Mesa website to see what else they offered and saw this fly cutter they sell.

So........., yea or nay???

I don't have my lathe yet (it will be a few months), so I think it would be easier to get this than to try to make a fly cutter with only a mill and no lathe.  I imagine it's possible, but I suspect it would be a whole lot easier to make a fly cutter with both machines.


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## mmcmdl (Jul 18, 2021)

Sure it will work . Be out of balance so I wouldn't crank up the RPMs to high .


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## BladesIIB (Jul 18, 2021)

Agree looks like it should work well. Not sure about chip clearance?  Most fly cutters come in at more like a 30 degree angle to give more clearance over the part for the rest of the cutter. I would also verify availability of the inserts and make sure it is not some unique hard to find one.


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## MrCrankyface (Jul 18, 2021)

I don't see why it shouldn't work but I don't think I would want the added wear on my boring head.
Rather make/buy a dedicated flycutter so the boring head doesn't get unnecessary wear since you want all the accuracy it can give you.
That's just my 2 cents.


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## Jake P (Jul 18, 2021)

Thanks for the input folks, your comments pretty much echo what I've read and have seen on some youtube videos on the subject.

I guess since no one came in and said something to the effect of "I got that for my boring head and it's fantastic!", that I'll just wait for now and make do without a fly cutter until my lathe arrives and is up and running.  I'll make myself a fly cutter then.  

I do have a nice two inch shell mill as well as a two inch index face mill that will do for now.  I really would like to try a fly cutter to see how much of an improvement on cut quality it can provide for finish work, but it can wait if it's not a unanimous consensus on the boring head option.


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## Weldingrod1 (Jul 18, 2021)

I would own one if it fit my boring head!
BUT I would use it for boring, not flycutting.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


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## Jake P (Jul 18, 2021)

Weldingrod1 said:


> I would own one if it fit my boring head!
> BUT I would use it for boring, not flycutting.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


Then you should take a look at their boring bars for the boring head!


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## BaronJ (Sep 25, 2021)

Hi Guys,

Might be a bit late here, but here is a picture of my shop made go to fly cutter !


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## cwilliamrose (Sep 25, 2021)

I have a Bridgeport boring head. I have used the tool holders as single point flycutters but I would not use the boring head in that way.


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## Jake P (Sep 25, 2021)

Since I’ve had some projects that I wanted a fly cutter for and still don’t have my lathe, I bought a Tormach Superfly.  Nice little cutter!


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## Tipton1965 (Oct 15, 2021)

Jake P said:


> Since I’ve had some projects that I wanted a fly cutter for and still don’t have my lathe, I bought a Tormach Superfly.  Nice little cutter!


Just got one of those for my birthday.


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## Larry$ (Oct 15, 2021)

I made a fly cutter bar for my 3" boring head for one job that I wanted a single pattern on the surface. Seems like a lot of stick out but worked fine. It is a lot of pry on the boring head, take light cuts. One thing a fly cutter is really good at is showing how good your head has bee adjusted.


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## woodchucker (Oct 15, 2021)

making a fly cutter head is not hard at all.
I have a bunch of old fly cutters, but didn't like them. So I made my own...better than the old company made units.


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## Flyinfool (Oct 16, 2021)

I also would pass on that tool.
While I am sure it would work, a boring head is a precision tool and should be used as such. A boring head is not designed for heavy side loads of plowing thru material sideways. Just like you would not use a mic as a C clamp, it will do it but that is not what it is made for (and would make most of us cry if you did). 
Second point is that the position of the insert is not ideal for fly cutting or boring but would work better than nothing for either. I like HSS for fly cutting so that it is easy to grind whatever cutting edge is best for the job at hand.


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## ErichKeane (Oct 16, 2021)

Flyinfool said:


> I also would pass on that tool.
> While I am sure it would work, a boring head is a precision tool and should be used as such. A boring head is not designed for heavy side loads of plowing thru material sideways. Just like you would not use a mic as a C clamp, it will do it but that is not what it is made for (and would make most of us cry if you did).
> Second point is that the position of the insert is not ideal for fly cutting or boring but would work better than nothing for either. I like HSS for fly cutting so that it is easy to grind whatever cutting edge is best for the job at hand.



I'm not sure how important the #1 is, you can use a boring head with a cutter straight out for larger holes, right?  So this isn't much different?

That said, your second point is the bigger one!  About 60% of the advantage of a fly cutter is the ability to grind your own cutters!


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## Flyinfool (Oct 16, 2021)

When boring a hole most of the force is straight up the axis and very little side load. When fly cutting there is very little axial force and mostly side force.
With the vertical cutting edge that tool will minimize the axial force while maximizing the radial force. Opposite what the boring head is designed for.


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## ErichKeane (Oct 16, 2021)

Flyinfool said:


> When boring a hole most of the force is straight up the axis and very little side load. When fly cutting there is very little axial force and mostly side force.


*shrug* I could buy that being a concern.


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