End mills for Hong Kong?

[piper1]

Hi Does anyone use or would recommend purchasing Fluted end mills from Hong Kong, via ebay.
Sorry if this is a stupid question.
Going to try and use a miller for the first time so I'm looking at getting some bits and bobs together (end mills).

Thanks for looking

[John Hill]

I have had  good experiences with CTC Tools.

[NeoTech]

Can only recommend CTC tools, his cuttings tools are great. The delivery time can sometimes be a little bit long. But quality on the tools he sells is top notch.

Curiculum; The man running CTC tools is Danish, and sells alot to scandinavian, and specificly danish industries.

[piper1]

Thank you so much for the advice.

Can I ask another question please, does non-centre-cutting mean the end mill can't do a plunge cuts?

[NeoTech]

Yes... and "noaeehhyeah".. a non centre cutter can do a plunge cut, but its hard, unless you plunge on an edge like 50% of the cutter..
But they are not made for it and the break easily. *looking at my box of boken cutters*

[piper1]

Yes... and "noaeehhyeah".. a non centre cutter can do a plunge cut, but its hard, unless you plunge on an edge like 50% of the cutter..
But they are not made for it and the break easily. *looking at my box of boken cutters*

Thank you.

[drmico60]

I have purchased from CTC and quality is excellent. Also good are Richon Tools and much cheaper than CTC!!!
Mike

[spuddevans]

I have purchased from CTC and quality is excellent. Also good are Richon Tools and much cheaper than CTC!!!
Mike

I too have use Richon tools a number of times and found them to be excellent 


Tim

[piper1]

Thank you for the replies Mike & Tim.

[mechman48]

I've used CTC for some time now, good quality cutters, have just had delivery of 4 cutters today, 2x10mm & 2x11 mm, delivery time can be a while... up to 3 weeks, but for quality & price...CTC. Have bought Richon tools & seems as good as CTC.

George

[75Plus]

Thank you so much for the advice.

Can I ask another question please, does non-centre-cutting mean the end mill can't do a plunge cuts?

In a pinch I have used a drill to start a plunge cut with a non center cutting end mill. You need to remove the material that is under the center of the end mill.

Joe

[piper1]

I've used CTC for some time now, good quality cutters, have just had delivery of 4 cutters today, 2x10mm & 2x11 mm, delivery time can be a while... up to 3 weeks, but for quality & price...CTC. Have bought Richon tools & seems as good as CTC.

George

Thanks George, I just placed a small order with Richon tools.
Not really knowing exactly what I'm doing at the moment but I got to start somewhere I guess.

I found the shipping charges pretty high from CTC so going to leave that one for a little while, plus Richon's delivery time appears to be a lot better.

My Drive is to be able to make a radius turning attachment for my lathe.

Kev

[piper1]

Thank you so much for the advice.

Can I ask another question please, does non-centre-cutting mean the end mill can't do a plunge cuts?

In a pinch I have used a drill to start a plunge cut with a non center cutting end mill. You need to remove the material that is under the center of the end mill.

Joe

Thank you for the tip Joe much appreciated.

Kev

[bp]

I can only endorse what others have said about CTC and Richon Tools.
My only comment, and its a minor one, is that expensive cutters can provide a better surface finish.  So I tend to use CTC/Richon gear as roughing, and if the feature requires a good finish, the final cut may be with a Dormer/Sutton/Clarkson etc.  However when the cost difference is considered I use the Hong Kong cutters for probably 90 to 95% of my milling.
cheers
Bill

[piper1]

I can only endorse what others have said about CTC and Richon Tools.
My only comment, and its a minor one, is that expensive cutters can provide a better surface finish.  So I tend to use CTC/Richon gear as roughing, and if the feature requires a good finish, the final cut may be with a Dormer/Sutton/Clarkson etc.  However when the cost difference is considered I use the Hong Kong cutters for probably 90 to 95% of my milling.
cheers
Bill

Thank you.
I will try CTC at some point, just need to curve the spending at the moment.
looking forward to the bits I've ordered from Richon.

[NeoTech]

yeah scavenging ebay or similar for used Sandvik ISCAR or Dormer cutters - resharpened or not usually pays off.. they have completely different finishing. But the nice thing with chinese carbides you dont weep when you crash them

[geoff_p]

Kev (piper1), I had dealings with these people (in USA) a couple of years ago:

J.R.'s Tool Crib Inc.
(330) 784-7444 phone
(330) 784-7480 fax
jrstool@att.net email

LR, the person I dealt with, was extremely friendly, amazed to have a sale to Thailand, of all places, and quite understands small/model-engineers.

They work with HSS and carbide (mostly the latter) and charged me very little for the bits-and-bobs I wanted. And shipping was a mere 7USD i.e. actual cost.

Give 'em a try.

Geoff,
Aranyaprathet, Thailand - warmer by far than Shetland, where I used to live.

[piper1]

Kev (piper1), I had dealings with these people (in USA) a couple of years ago:

J.R.'s Tool Crib Inc.
(330) 784-7444 phone
(330) 784-7480 fax
jrstool@att.net email

LR, the person I dealt with, was extremely friendly, amazed to have a sale to Thailand, of all places, and quite understands small/model-engineers.

They work with HSS and carbide (mostly the latter) and charged me very little for the bits-and-bobs I wanted. And shipping was a mere 7USD i.e. actual cost.

Give 'em a try.

Geoff,
Aranyaprathet, Thailand - warmer by far than Shetland, where I used to live.

Thanks Geoff I will drop them a line.

Cheers
Kev

[awemawson]

Well I've just placed an order with Richon Tools prompted by this thread, and I must say they've been excellent with their email responses today. Proof of the pudding is when the good arrive though !

Andrew

[piper1]

Fingers crossed Andrew, in best speed we hope.

[kayz1]

I too have just placed an order with Richon tools,, think i went a bit mad seeing the prices campared to the prices i have been paying.
Time will tell if they are worth it or not..
 Lyn.

[teegee]

Thanks for the Richon tools link -- I'd never heard of them. Last time I tried to order from CTC, I cancelled due to the postage being a total killer. And I'm in Singapore, which is just the next giant sea/air-freight hub over.

I think it was $80 postage for a $150 dollar order. So I thought I'd just order more stuff to improve the ratio (heh), and ended up with $150 shipment on a $250 order (or something). No thanks.. It was reasonably heavy stuff though, 5c collet set, drill chucks, etc.

Cheers!

    Rob

[Deko]

I bought quite a few slot drills from Richon a few years ago. Still using them and no trouble so far.
I just hope for the sake of all those of you who have just placed an order, that they manage to get your order in the post BEFORE the Chinese new year starts. If not you could be waiting for many weeks.

Cheers Dek.

[piper1]

End mills arrived today, well chuffed.
From ordering to landing on the door step 10 day, pretty good me thinks.

[awemawson]

Yes mine also arrived today from Hong Kong.

I ordered:

10 off 6 mm carbide two flute end mills
 2 off 22 mm HSS long series two flute end mills
 2 off 16 mm four flute HSS roughing cutters

They seem ok apart from the roughing cutters - they have had the helix ground so roughly it's raised a burr that in places increases the cutter diameter to 16.2 mm. I've emailed a picture of the issue to Richon and am awaiting their response.

I know they call them roughing cutters, but I'd like the finish allowance left to finish a part !

They came remarkably quickly