Dan - To answer your question, I normally use my CNMG 43x tool for turning and facing because I can be very aggressive with 6061 Al and easily cut 0.1" (0.2" total diameter reduction) per pass. For cutting off on metal, I normally use an Iscar Do-Grip blade/insert for cutting off (best I have tried - that was the one that I later modified with the carbide grinder wheel to give it an angle instead of being neutral). But for these Al plugs, this particular tool allowed me to do everything without any tool change, so it was just "convenient" since I was making 10 of them in this batch.
After making the small relief for the Neg battery contact, the cut that I make is 0.043" deep, and I do move left for about 0.360", before parting the piece. I have absolutely zero chatter, even when parting close to 2" away from the chuck. The Al piece is 6061 and it is 0.75" dia. Speed is the max for my lathe with the belts in "low", which is 1200 RPM. And you guys are right, I am not even pushing it - just a leisure cut which hardly loads the motor - the poor man's mister just makes everything easier
😉
According to Kennametal literature this is a piece for a CNC setup in which one tool can do several jobs, so it was actually designed for this multi-use role. That, and being on special with 10 inserts, was the reason I decided to try it.
In my opinion, there are several reasons this particular design works so well for these lateral forces:
- the angles in the carbide insert are cut to allow these operations
- the insert appears also to be ground, rather than just molded - it feels very sharp compared to most carbide inserts.
- the insert/holder lip's each have matching grooves that lock the insert in place - since it is then clamped in place, it simply does not move on the lateral cuts
- the whole assembly is "very" stiff and solid - which is why I don't detect any chatter
Some close-ups of the actual tool (it was a 3/4" shank before I modified it for my 5/8" holders):
Will
