Using an end mill in a drill chuck??

[PStechPaul]

Interesting shape:

[Norman Bain]

I have run endmills in a keyless chuck on occasions where the arbor is held by drawbar. Has the chuck ever come off the jacobs taper between chuck and the arbor ... yes it has when I have "pushed" the limits of the concept.

When that happens one has to then go refit the chuck and get out the proper tooling.

For full disclosure here, I also frequently run taps in the same keyless chuck if the target material is thin enough ... like say up to about same thickness as the diameter of the tap.

Certainly the spiral taps are better for this, but if you don't have one for the task then you gotta use the other. Of course, it pays to ensure that the pilot hole is at least to spec minimum or even a tad larger.

If I feel that dreaded cring deep within, that the tap will not "go thru" under power then I just use the setup to align the tap and to get the tap to bite by manually twisting the spindle.

[smithdoor]

This looks like one from HF SKU 42976 it has both a tang and a 1/4" draw bar
I just drill the end of the tang for draw bar 1/4" X 20" X 1 1/4"
The holders that had 3/8 X 16 for draw bar I use a 3/8 bolt and drill tap for 1/4 NC and ground the bolt head to fit the tang. This help a lot it fix so did not turn of hold or dropping out
I also have simple drawing on fixing the fine down feed on the quill or down load from
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist....press-265.html
DRO for quill low cost too
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist....mills-274.html

Dave

PS Have few changes it made in to a GREAT little mill for small shop.

Yes, but those Morse Taper endmill holders are threaded at the top and a drawbar holds them in. A drill press normally doesn't have a drawbar option.

[A.K. Boomer]

Interesting shape:

Take that baby in to get re-sharpened and I bet if you stall long enough while walking back out to your car you'll here a single gunshot go off lol

[smithdoor]

What would you say about someone who uses an end mill in a drill chuck on a Bridgeport milling machine? There was a rack of collets along with the necessary wrenches in the cabinet where he got the end mill.

I have upload to the file section of a yahoo group on this mill
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/drillmill/files

Dave

[PStechPaul]

Yes, my mill/drill is HF #42976. Now that I have a set of Weldon end mill holders and a good range of MT2 collets, I don't have any need or desire to use the drill chuck for end mills. It has never come loose when drilling, and I made a replacement drawbar that works very well. I have thought about a way to secure the chuck to the Jacobs taper adapter, however. Possibly a 1/4" through hole for a bolt that would screw into a tapped hole in the chuck? Or possibly welding the adapter to the chuck to make it permanent? But there seems to be no need.

I may have seen your drawing for the fine feed fix. Do you have a link? Thanks.

[edit]https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/drillmill/files That is a restricted group

[smithdoor]

If send me your email address via Private Messages
I will send all my drawing to you
I found this mill works great with few updates.

Dave

Yes, my mill/drill is HF #42976. Now that I have a set of Weldon end mill holders and a good range of MT2 collets, I don't have any need or desire to use the drill chuck for end mills. It has never come loose when drilling, and I made a replacement drawbar that works very well. I have thought about a way to secure the chuck to the Jacobs taper adapter, however. Possibly a 1/4" through hole for a bolt that would screw into a tapped hole in the chuck? Or possibly welding the adapter to the chuck to make it permanent? But there seems to be no need.

I may have seen your drawing for the fine feed fix. Do you have a link? Thanks.

[edit]https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/drillmill/files That is a restricted group

[boslab]

I did the unspeakable once, and I must admit I thought I was doing really well (in my defence I was a bit desperate, all my tooling went walkabout) till the inevitable pulling out occured ( molendini interuptus as opposed to the coitus variety) nasty
I haven't done it since, belt and bracers for me from now on, it's obvious really drilling forces push the chuck in milling pulls it out, and eventually will.
I do know a woodworker who stuck a milling cutter in his drill, ruined his work which was the buisness end of a violin, it's just not worth it, but I haven't come across many who if honest will admit to it,
However I'm sure folk will carry on doing it, some getting away with it, I'm not naturally lucky, ever
(Did win a bottle of whiskey once, drank one too many glasses and accidentally kicked the newel post dislocating my toe, lucky win ?)
Mark

[754]

Don't know what chucks you guys have...?.....but loosening off was never an issue with me.

[JoeLee]

Interesting shape:

High speed laminate cutter, compression cut end mill, what ever you want to call it. Not cheap.

JL....................

[tomato coupe]

I can understand putting an end mill in a drill chuck if it's the only thing you've got. I can't understand, however, why you would use a drill chuck if you had other options available (end mill holder, end mill chuck, ER collet, etc.) that work better and are safer. I don't buy the argument that it saves time or is more convenient -- how long does it take to put an end mill in the correct holder?

[old mart]

Joelee, that's called a "down spiral" still turns the common way.