End Mill Sharpening???

[Finster]

I have boxes of end mills that, apparently, were sharpened by a blind man at one time. I've never sharpened an end mill but would love to salvage as many as I can. It costs to much to send them out so I was thinking of buying a sharpener and learning how to do it. Trouble is that the sharpeners I've looked at cost more than my entire mill did. Is there a cheap sharpener made that anyone could recommend? Something for a few hundred maybe?

 

[kd4gij]

I have never seen a cheap one unless you happen to find one on your local craigslist. But someone did a build thread on here.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/tool-and-cutter-grinder-build.30945/

 

[coffmajt]

I built one last year from plans I found from a machinist in Australia. I liked it because it uses a tool and cutter grinder, which I already had, rather than building a quill. About $600 in materials and several months in time spent but final product will sharpen end mills (ends and flutes) drill bits, lathe tools, slitting saws. I can send pictures and links if interested -- Jack

 

[Bob Korves]

Most of the inexpensive ($500+?) grinders for sharpening end mills only sharpen the ends of the end mills. It is a large step up in toolling, cost, and learning curve to something that will also grind the flutes accurately. It is also time consuming. There are a few individuals who sharpen end mills in their home shops, theoretically for profit, and are pretty reasonable given how much time, skill, and tooling it takes to do the job. Some of the work can be done on a surface grinder, but it is not ideal, and you will spend much time learning how and then getting them done. Not trying to be negative, and I would like to do that, too. So far, after some study, I remain without any method of sharpening end mills, even just the ends.

 

[coffmajt]

Bob, I never said it would be easy - Getting set up takes some effort and practice also helps - I only sharpen for me, but its great when I can drill a hole with a drill bit I have sharpened and it is never more than .002 oversize == The other thing was the things I learned and the fun I had along the way == Jack

 

[Chipper5783]

I built one last year from plans I found from a machinist in Australia. I liked it because it uses a tool and cutter grinder, which I already had, rather than building a quill. About $600 in materials and several months in time spent but final product will sharpen end mills (ends and flutes) drill bits, lathe tools, slitting saws. I can send pictures and links if interested -- Jack

Yes please - likely quite a few folks here that would be interested.

Finster, I encourage you to keep working on a way to sharpen end mills (I'm still working on some options, just haven't gotten very far on that effort). I acknowledge that it is hard to pay more for tooling (or the means to look after tooling) that what you paid for your mill. However, it is very common to pay more for the tooling for a machine than you do for the machine.

Think of it as you got a good deal on the mill, and after it was all tooled up and you have an endless supply of sharp endmills - you ended up getting the whole works for a pretty reasonable price (sort of like a package deal - don't think too much about the cost of each piece - afterall is said and done are you content with the set up you have?).

 

[British Steel]

I'd like to see the pics and plans too, very interested!

I've also seen a "lash up" that puts the EM in the lathe chuck and uses a dremelloid with a grinding disc (diamond impregnated if sharpening carbide EMs) held at the right angle and advanced by the lathe topslide to cut each end edge in turn, indexing with the chuck jaws and a Suitable Rod, it appears to work but obviously doesn't sharpen the flutes - as most of the damage is normally done to the edges/corners of the ends, it might be enough? Pretty close to free, too

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Kernbigo]

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PHASE II Indexable End Mill Sharpening Fixture - Model: 235-002

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[modela]

I built one last year from plans I found from a machinist in Australia. I liked it because it uses a tool and cutter grinder, which I already had, rather than building a quill. About $600 in materials and several months in time spent but final product will sharpen end mills (ends and flutes) drill bits, lathe tools, slitting saws. I can send pictures and links if interested -- Jack

I would be interested in seeing it.

Jim

 

[Smithdoor]

Be for WWII some small shops would it use lathe to sharpen ends. This not hard to do
My self with low price of end mill I just buy new ones

Dave