Sharpening Milling cutters

[steamjohn248]

To everyone, including those I PMd about sharpening milling cutters.

Marcus Green who has a works just off the A12 at Marks Tey in Essex, sharpens anything and everything that cuts.

I have now dug out his phone No. 01206 212152. I used to take mine over and collect but if you live further away he used to accept stuff mailed in and would send it back.
Don't know if he is a rarity in these days of throw away tools/tips but we need to keep guys like this in work.

No connection other than a satisfied customer. Oh and he always had a box of sharpened stuff under his "desk" that had never been collected/paid for. often a bargain to be had there.

John

[steam4ian]

G'day John.

What are the resharpening prices like compared with new?

For example I can buy a 12mm end mill for AUD25 = UKP10. Is is under half the charge out cost of a trades person on a cheap day. (Before people jump up and down, "charge out cost" is what you pay over the counter, 2 to 3 times what the operative gets paid)
I haven't checked but I don't think it would be competitive to get a cutter that size reground commercially here in Oz. But it makes it worth having a go your self, not much to lose.

Gear cutters may be a different matter.

Regards,
Ian

[modeng2000]

Thanks John for taking the time to hunt out the phone number for Marcus. I will get in touch with him soon to see if he can help me. The main consideration is going to be the overall cost as Ian has pointed out as I will have to post the cutters.

John

[circlip]

Slight Tangential drift. Some years ago I had a stopgap job working for a satellite unit of a major multi-national in the paper manufacturing industry. Major part of what I did involved the use of a floor type and hand held circular saw to cut scrap paper from cardboard cores, bit like toilet rolls, but some up to 5ft(1.75M)Dia. Blades were 300&250mm dia respectively, and after a couple of weeks constant use I asked "how often were the blades changed"? Because of the costs involved, not very often, as they didn't have a maintenance dept, blade changes involved contacting a "Specialist" company to come in to replace them and usually cost £200 for the floor type and £100 for the hand held. The reply to the next question had me banging my head on the wall. "So how often do you have the blades resharpened"? What do you mean - resharpened? The TCT blades were REPLACED at EVERY visit by the specialists. Company policy dictated that changing the blades was subject to Elfin qualifications and they were unaware that the blades could be reground. WEEELL, As a ingineer, how qualified does one have to be to twiddle a clamping nut? We bought TWO spare sets of blades, A local sharpening company who Also did cutters, had a standing order to call every fortnight and we set up a rotating preventative maintenance system which increased production AND a cost saving on that part of the operation alone. We had to keep a heads down on the "Specialist"Blade changing contractor, and yes I got bu--er all extra wage, but I did have the self satisfaction of screwing the contractors screwing my employers.I was stunned by the fact that no one at work were aware that the blades could be resharpened.

[waggy]

Hello all,

There is a small firm in Stockport that I use. He will sharpen just about anything and supply bandsaw blades at very reasonable cost. Not sure about mailing things, you could always ask. If anybody ever visits, you'll know it's a good firm from the smell of the place! Proper workshop.

Edward Hobby (Saws),
Unit 13,
Christie Street Ind. Estate,
Hempshaw Lane,
Stockport. SK1 4LR

Tel / Fax [phone]

(Usual disclaimers, I have no involvement with the company.)

Waggy.

[garethp]

I had 6 cutters (3/4", 7/8"(6 teeth), 3/8", 3/8"(long) end mills and 3/8" and 5/16" slot mills) in Jan this year and I think it cost about £10 - well worth it! The guys who did it are;

BJ Grinders
172c Stockfield Road
Acocks Green
Birmingham
B27 6UA
(0121 706 9893)

I posted mine to them but I guess they probably wont mind visits.

[Paul Boscott]

I have just recived back by post a set of 5 end mills from

BJ Grinders
172c Stockfield Road
Acocks Green
Birmingham
B27 6UA
(0121 706 9893)

And they have done a good job for me

Paul Boscott

[modeng2000]

I have just sent off a batch of cutters after a rough quote of £ 1.50 to £2.00 to sharpen a 1/2" milling cutter.

John

[russell]

For a quick and dirty method of sharpening them yourself have a look at users.skynet.be/modelbouw.wilfried/

I tried this on a broken 1/8 in end mill when the alternative was to wait for a new one to arrive by post from England and it worked fine!

Russell.

[Myford Matt]

Probably time to use the old cigarette paper technique...

[modeng2000]

A feeler guage is quite a good alternative to cigarette paper.

John

[Myford Matt]

Won't burn...

...even a little bit.

[modeng2000]

Is that why I have been having trouble?

[waggy]

I use a spot of white correction fluid in place of the cig paper, just as good.

Waggy.

[Noddy]

I don't know if he is still going, but there used to be a small tool & cutter sharpening business on the Stella Gill industrial estate at Chester-le-street. It was literally a one man and his dog operation. bloody big alsation.

Fag papers?

I thought that was called "Gay Times" these days

An old engineering text had something looking a lot like a big screwdriver shown. The idea was that you held one end against the work piece, the other to your ear, then you could hear when the cutter first touched the work, but before it began to cut.

Keith

[steamjohn248]

If you have access to old copied of ME, Wilfrieds method is covered, (with photos) in Feb 18 1994 pages 12 and 13. As has been noted, it works.

John

[modeng2000]

Just to let folks know, I have got my cutters back now and they are fine, should have had them reground long ago!

In the end I used BJ Tool and Cutter Grinding as mentioned by Paul. The cost was £1.50 for cutters about 1/2" and £1.35 for smaller ones.

John

[Shawki Shlemon]

I do what Russell did a lot(using same information) and it works for me but I find it too difficult to sharpen the small ones , may be I am getting too old for it .