Rebuilt a face mill

[Shotgun]

I got this face mill with the RF30 clone. It worked ok for a while, but the zero rake on the brazed carbide tools really gave this mill a workout. The sharp points on them also gave a really intense herring bone pattern to the work piece. I had already purchased a 10-pack of RPMT1204MOE-JS VP15TF, and a ten pack of M4x11 torx screws.

Well, a couple night ago, I ran off my workpiece and into a clamp bolt hard enough to knock chunks out of a couple of the brazed carbide teeth. My plan to rework the tool moved up on the priority list. I started by using a 5/32" end mill to cut a .365" square recess in the corner of each tool that was .020" deep. The RPMT has an octagon shape on the back side, and the flats of that register on the sides of the recess. I followed that with a 3.3mm hole located .195" in from the tool's side and bottom. This was just past center, so that tightening the screw traps the insert back against the recess sides. Then I threaded the hole to M4x7

The result was a drastic improvement in the face. I was impressed with what it was able to do with this gummy A36 that I'm making a shop press plate out of.

 

[Shotgun]

You'll notice in the picture that both sides of the brazed carbide tools have a recess. I got all 4 done, and the first one tapped. When I fitted it to the mill, the insert was on the inside of the tool. I had to flip them over and mill the recess on the opposite side. Since I had made it a through hole, I didn't have to redo that feature, and it lined up perfectly.