DIY R8 end mill holder

This was more of a "can I do it" exercise, than anything else; but certainly good experience in the 'sneaking up on required dimensions' dept. It was done mostly on the lathe, with a little help from my mill-drill. Plans for the R8 shank are all over the web, and it also doesn't hurt to have a commercially made one, to serve as a template. I also soon learned that unless the holder is drilled through it's entire length, getting a tool in or out could be a challenge (hint: close tolerance in the business end, results in trapped air in a blind hole...).

Attachment 17769 Attachment 17770 Attachment 17771

To produce one of these (so that it's usable), proper setup and alignment of the lathe is key. Particularly when boring the hole for the cutter, and producing the taper and shank. Otherwise, run-out and lack of concentric alignment can be a big problem! :flame:

The material it was made from is 416 stainless (I got a good deal from the scrap man). The hex set screws are 1/4"-20 tpi. In retrospect, I would likely only recommend this project if you are learning (like me) or into self abuse (or need better precision, or all of the above); as the commercial ones can be had for about what I normally would have spent on materials. :)

-EN

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Thanks EclecticNeophyte! We've added your End Mill Holder to our Machining category,
as well as to your builder page: EclecticNeophyte's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

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Very nice and good looking R8 EM holder. I need to make a couple different types myself.
Bought this 20mm annular cutter on the bay for 8 bucks and it even has carbide tips.

New Hougen Copperhead Carbide Tip Annular Cutter 20 mm x 50 mm Ref 18420 Metric | eBay

By using this cutter for the center hole when boring I get a nice slug of material left over
instead of just a bunch of chips.

So I will be making a holder for the lathe with a MT2 taper and another for the mill
with an R8 arbor..So many tools to make, so little time.

Cheers, JR

Thanks JR. I'm anxious to see what you come up with.

I also thought about making a new fly cutter with integrated R8, but as it is, I already have far more projects than I'll likely accomplish (prior to institutional confinement, that is...). :)

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