Should I buy an end mill for this job?

[R. Golden (chi ind)]

First of all, my name is Ryan and this is my first post. Ive been lurking on this forum for years, making dinky knives with files and fantasizing. Well, now I have some means and a few tools and also a garage at a new house. I have learned a lot from the members here and cannot wait to join discussions and hopefully constructively contribute!

Anyway, I've been making some simple kiridashis and peddling them to woodworkers. I love the kiridashi and really find it elegant and handy. I have designed and made a prototype multitool based on a kiridashi, for specific cycling needs. The only real change to the kiridashi form factor is a 15mm wrench filed into the back of the knife, to be used to take of bike wheels.

My question is about buying a 15mm end mill. All i have is a drill press, but i dont exactly need to move the work on a plane like one would need to during a slot milling operation. My idea is to clamp the kiridashi so the "spine" of the knife is facing up, and to use the end mill in the drill press to mill a 15mm slot in one downward pass with the drill press. Then clean evereything up with some handfiling.

I want to make a small run of these things potentially, and filing 15mm x 7mm of 1/4 O1 steel is not cost effective time management or really that fun.

Anyone try an operation with an end mill in a drill press like this?

Thanks, yall!

 

[dalee100]

Hi,

I've been a machinist for 25 years. I'll tell you that drill presses and end mills don't mix. The spindle and bearings of a drill press aren't strong enough for endmills. And most drill presses don't have enough power.

I don't know what tools you have available to you. But for just a couple of prototypes, a die grinder or other rotary tool with a cut off wheel would offer an increase in speed of production.

dalee

 

[Shoki]

Hello, welder/fabricator here. I don't have much machining experience but I'm with Dalee. I've found that drill presses aren't much good for anything other than drilling. I see how trying to cut straight down might seem like it would be easier but it's more likely that the end mill will make the material jump and vibrate, ruining your cut.
Cutting a perfect 15mm opening might be tough to achieve with any speed or efficiency without a mill but you might get decent results with other tools. Maybe experiment with drilling a 15mm hole, slotting it with a cutoff wheel, and then finishing it with files.