Ceramic Endmills

[gcode]

I've never heard of them before

Anybody ever try them

Like the article says, I've had mediocre results with inserted ceramic face mills

 

http://www.modernapplicationsnews.com/cms/man/opens/article-view-man.php?nid=2&bid=610&et=featurearticle&pn=01

[mayday]

ya Iv'e tested a 1/2". ran at 30,000 rpm

they will rip through Inco like butter but they dont last long. any shock at all during the cut and they explode.

wear sunglasses if you try them

[jlw™]

We run ceramic button cutters in Waspaloy way more than I care for.  They don't last long at all, 15 to 20 minutes is FANTASTIC tool life.  However, in that 15 to 20 minutes you can remove as much as 4 hours worth of carbide which has a tool life of about 25 to 30 minutes if you're lucky.

 

Never ran the endmills but I have a few in hand that were given to me for testing.  They are creepy light weight and feel funny in the hand.  They feel fake and you expect them to break the whole time you're holding them.

[gcode]

I wonder what kind of tool holder would be best..

hydraulic clamping???

[MIL-TFP-41]

We tried a 1/2" tool once. Yes they go fast. Yes they cost beaucoup $$$. Tool life is short. Maybe 10 minutes of cutting if you are lucky. However in those 10 minutes you can make lots of chips. We held the tool in a Nikken SK collet.

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

Tried some ceramic buttons in 17-4; they weren't suited to our application.

[Mike@Lustre]

Tool manufactures must love it when a ceramic tools is required for a job , they have such a sort life span for what they cost .  Manually they don't last and even when used on a CNC lathe the life is not much more , plus when they chip they typically facture the whole insert scrapping it , so IMO they can be a big waste of money .