Warco WM16 Mill Q.

[Bluechip]

Hi Troops

Got one of the above mills. Just phoned WARCO re:

Why does it run at precisely half speed in Reverse.
Surely there is NO reverse on a mill? ie X-Axis is bi-directional !!

Was told probably normal as controller board is same as some lathes.
OK. I can go for that on a lathe, not very often I reverse the Myford, 'cept for oiking dies off a screw thread.

But why on a Milling Machine ??

Other than that, machine is OK. (You would have thought I would notice this before I had the m/c for 10 months  )

Comments ?? (Apart from the ones I have already thought of ..)

Dave BC

[Darren]

I don't know why half speed but I use reverse to back taps out on mine. Full speed would be fine.

[bogstandard]

Dave,

I too have full reverse control on my mill. I have yet to use it, but I have thought of a time when it could be used.

If you wanted to cut the underside of a ledge, just turn the toolbit over in your flycutter so that the cutting end is sticking out the other end pointing up with the cutting face also pointing upwards. You should now be able to use the reverse facility. It would save you having to grind up a new upside down cutter. Also side and face cutters and slitting saws can be turned over and run in the opposite direction. The same goes for almost all arbor held cutters that have their drive from a keyway rather than an end slot.

You never know, that could come in handy sometime in the future.

There is another use, but only for my machine. If ever there was a time I needed to cut from the opposite direction using the horizontal arbor, I could just turn the cutting tool around the other way, reverse the mill and take the cut, just like the above arbor mounted tooling.

Other than that ??????????????????????


John

[andyf]

As to the half speed, I've read that it's due to the way the DC motor brushes are aligned, so that when the play within their holders is taken up running forwards, they are in the optimum position, whereas in reverse they aren't.

I saw it on the Internet, so it must be true.....  .

Andy

 

[Bluechip]

Thanks Folks, but ..

Still baffled .. you'll have to bear with me. If you're looking for an IQ similar to mine, you're in amongst the crustaceans ..

(1) Need to square the end of a 1/2" x 2" ally bar. So, ally on parallels in vice .. looking from top of m/c, cutter clockwise, bar to front of cutter.

(2) About .030" cut on, wind it in towards back. Chips in all directions, OK with that, but still crappy end on bar. So, another .030" cut on, wind back...

(3) But now climb milling surely? Work going with cutter rotation. Reverse rotation ? Good scheme ??

(4) Half speed! Why would I want to go at half speed ?? The garage is bl***y  freezin! I want the poxy job done, Mate thrown off the premises, and back to my fireside.

Not that it's any big deal, just cannot see any reason for speed difference on a mill ??

Dave BC

[Darren]

Why reverse the rotation of the cutter? Surely it's now won't cut properly?

Or am I missing something 

[Bluechip]

Tks Andy, you posted just before me ..

Know about that, certainly true on some motors I've dealt with, skewed brushes far from unknown but ..

WHY ON A MILLING MACHINE ??

There is no forward and reverse ... like there is no 'Braking' .. just acceleration in the reverse direction..

Grrrrrr

Dave BC

[Bluechip]

Darren

Ally bar is coming from the other direction .. ie from back of machine to front ... so, looking from top, the cutter needs to be anti-clock for non climb milling.

Dave BC

[Darren]

Nope, still don't get it .... the cutter should always be turning clockwise or it won't cut properly.

Never spin a cutter anti-clockwise or you will prob kill it quite quickly, unless of course it is designed for such but I've yet to see one.

We are talking a standard end mill on a standard vertical miller here are we not ....  
Or do you mean something else?

[Bluechip]

AW!!! Good on yer Darren ..

All this 'cos I was using a 'Rotazip' type cutter *^%$$£*&^ 'ell.

They're like posh file sorta thing,   bi-directional, and chop ally like a good 'un. no clogging ..

You're right of course ... see what I mean about crustaceans  ..  

Dave BC ..

[Darren]

Can we have a picture .... or a link

Sounds an interesting tool, bi-directional you say ....

[Darren]

Something like this?

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=6318402768694294459&ei=B4wnS8X7F8_Q-AbOkMzJDA&q=rotazip&hl=en&client=firefox-a#

[andyf]

  I'm fishing around for other reasons why you might want to reverse the spindle on a mill. The only one i can come up with is getting a tap out of the job again, if tapping under power.

Andy

[bogstandard]

Dave,

A rotazip cutter wouldn't give a decent finish no matter which way it turned.

Unless you do as I said earlier, then ALL cutters should be run in the normal rotation, that is when looking from above, clockwise, it doesn't matter if conventional or climb milling. But with your mill, STAY AWAY FROM CLIMB MILLING.

If the cutter is on the RHS of the job, you bring the material TOWARDS you for conventional milling (I always try to have the cutter on the RHS), if the cutter is on the LHS, then AWAY from you for conventional.
For a finishing cut, unless you have a very rigid machine (which yours isn't) 0.002" is about right, and plenty of lube or air blowoff to clear the chips. 0.030" is for a roughing cut, and maybe a little too much to put onto your machine for side cutting such a large face, 0.020" would be better.

John

[Stilldrillin]

I'm fishing around for other reasons why you might want to reverse the spindle on a mill. The only one i can come up with is getting a tap out of the job again, if tapping under power.

Andy

The "reverse" on milling machines is so slab mills, slitting saws, side & face cutters etc, can be run in the optimum direction to suit the machining operation.

(These cutters can be fitted either way round on the machine`s arbour).

David D

[andyf]

The "reverse" on milling machines is so slab mills, slitting saws, side & face cutters etc, can be run in the optimum direction to suit the machining operation. (These cutters can be fitted either way round on the machine`s arbour).

Thanks, David. It's so obvious, now you have pointed it out. So much for my bright ideas!

Andy

[Bluechip]

Hi Folks

Thanks for replies ..

Back online .. modem went tits-up ..

Reason I was asking this, in a rambling fashion, was I get a good finish on PVC sheet edges with this cutter, which is NOT a Rotazip, as I thought, but probably a woodwork cutter.

No camera at the moment, mate's daughter pinched mine, again, 'cos the battery on hers won't charge. C-O C here with.
Sort of black phosphate thing ..



It appears it may be made some 20 - 30 yrs ago, possibly by Morrisflex?, for woodcarving in an air tool. The geezer who gave this info. could not see the thing, but it seems plausible. Not common or popular, but my description fits. Apparently very good on some woods where grain is 'interlocked'. Don't know what that is, kept quiet, ... anyway ..

In trying to get a decent finish on the edge of 10mm PVC sheet, with sheet horizontal, if I use a 2-edge slot drill, cuts fast, don't pick up, lots of chatter marks. 3-edge, better finish but either slow feed or it picks up. 4-edge good finish but picks up like nobody's business.

So, tried this cutter, did not look very convincing, but with about  .010" .015" cut, fast and nice finish. No chatter marks.
Even better if I could do fast passes both ways.  Works on ally, found out only 'cos it was in the chuck when I did it.
I surmise the cut on PVC is good, 'cos the 'trailing?' edges are ironing it for me ??

Dunno!. Accept that milling machines are more or less unidirectional ??

Too damn cold to bother about it now  

Dave BC