Thoughts on Imported Face Mill

[EmilioG]

Is there a website that explains the myriad of inserts available?

 

[middle.road]

When I had that crummy facemill (very similar visually to the one you linked) the inserts worked well. You can also get a bunch of other tooling that take the apmt inserts and keep your tooling somewhat universal. Then you don't have 10 different inserts kicking around like I do. Lol.
I am super weary about the cheap facemills now tho. Two of them having the same issues. The prices are tantalizing... Its also difficult to figure out if the runout is in the insert seats or the arbor or the facemill itself. And there's no adjusting anything. I hope yours turns out well.

One major thing the facemill trip also showed me was axial play in my spindle. That was murder... Chattering all over the place. I tightened it up but still have a thou or so of play. At some point I'll pull the spindle out again and tighten the lock nut more.

What other types did you try out? The results you had with the FMA-02 are very good.
I was intrigued by the insert geometry and layout. That's what led me to start looking around. There's been a quite an evolution in insert cutting that I just didn't keep up with over the years and am trying to reestablish.

 

[middle.road]

Is there a website that explains the myriad of inserts available?

Carbide Depot has a very fine Technical Ref page. There is a plethora of information there.
http://www.carbidedepot.com/resources.aspx

Then from the MFG of HukShawn's cutter there are these:

http://www.cutoutil.com/fs/tools/c6zdi-CUTOUTIL_Milling_Inserts.pdf

http://www.cutoutil.com/fs/Root/cq92f-catalog_of_FG_inserts.pdf

 

[Hukshawn]

I have zero knowledge of cutters. I am only very mildly starting to understand certain things as required. I have small CCMT’s for my lathe and these square cutters I have for the mill. For the mill I had to understand what I wanted in order to order them as the facemill did not come with inserts. So far, I know these SEET12 inserts I have for medium steel removal and which ones I should have for aluminum. That is all. Lol
Shawn

 

[middle.road]

(double-post, I forgot I had started this thread...)
I just ordered one of these for $20, with a 19mm shank/20mm cutting dia. Will have to test drive it and see.
I'd like to get a 50mm or so face mill also that uses the same size insert - APMT1135PDER
There's only a couple of face mills around that use the 1135, but my thinking is to cut down on insert inventory.
Perhaps my thinking is flawed...