Care and Maintenance of Milling Cutters

Care and Maintenance of Milling Cutters Points : Care and Maintenance of Milling Cutters The life of a milling cutter can be greatly prolonged by intelligent use and proper storage. General rules for the care and maintenance of milling cutters are given below.

1. Keep cutters sharp. Dull cutters require more power to drive and this power, being transformed into heat, softens the cutting edges. Dull cutters should be marked as such and set aside for grinding.
2. Place cutters in drawers or bins so that their cutting edges will not strike each other. Hang small cutters on hooks or pegs, and set large cutter on end. Place taper and straight shank cutters in separate drawers, bins, or racks provided with suitable sized holes to receive the shanks.
3. New cutters received from stock are usually wrapped in oil paper which should not be removed until the cutter is used.
4. Whenever practical, use the proper cutting oil on the cutter and workpiece during operations, since lubrication helps prevent overheating and cutter wear.
5. Never operate a cutter backwards. Due to the clearance angle, the cutter will rub, producing a great deal of friction. Operating the cutter backward may result in cutter breakage.
6. Take care to operate the machine at the proper speed for the cutter being used, as excessive speed will cause the cutter to wear rapidly from overheating.
7. Take care to prevent the cutter from striking the hard jaws of the vise, chuck, clamping bolts, or nuts.
8. Thoroughly clean and lightly coat milling cutters with oil before storing.