In the Loupe TV: What You Don’t Know About Weldon Flats

A Weldon Flat is a flat section that is ground onto the shank of an end mill, which is used to set screws in a tool holder to maximize rigidity in aggressive machining applications. They were originally designed specifically for high speed steel and cobalt tooling, but as high performance solid carbide end mills have been used more frequently, the design and usage of a Weldon Flat needs to be reconsidered. Join In The Loupe TV’s “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, as he explains how a Weldon Flat works and the considerations you should be making when selecting and using a Weldon Flat in your CNC milling applications.

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In the Loupe TV: The Different Types of End Mill Reliefs

There are many different types of reliefs on end mills, but which is best for your specific applications? In this episode of In the Loupe TV, join the “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, as he dives into why manufacturers put reliefs on end mills, the different types of reliefs, and which you should be choosing for your next job.

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In the Loupe TV: Back Taper On Drills

In this short episode of In the Loupe TV, join the “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, as he talks about an important drill geometry, back taper. He’ll dive into what back taper is, why drills are designed with it, and important considerations to make when resharpening/regrinding drills.

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In the Loupe TV: Diving Into Drills

In this episode of In the Loupe TV, join the “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, as he takes a deep dive into drills. You’ll learn about different drill geometries, substrates, materials, and all the considerations to make when selecting a drill so you can achieve an adequate hole for your specific application.

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In the Loupe TV: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Meet Our New Brand

Join In The Loupe TV’s “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, for a special announcement! Valor Holemaking, a revolutionary new brand created by the engineers behind Helical Solutions’ renowned high performance cutting tools, will be launching on July 31, 2023! Learn about the backstory of Valor Holemaking and why it was created, in this episode of In The Loupe TV.

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In the Loupe TV: Understanding Composite Cutting Tools

As discussed in episode 16 of In The Loupe TV, there is a large variety of different composite materials, such as honeycomb, sandwich panels, multi-laminates, laminates, and more, each holding its own unique set of properties. Join In The Loupe TV’s “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, as he takes a deeper dive into the different types of composite materials, which tools are best for cutting each material, and how to use them. 

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In the Loupe TV: Keys to Cutting Composites

Composite materials have been rapidly growing in popularity across many industries such as aerospace, automotive, marine, and energy generation due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. Unfortunately, due to their complex properties and composition, they have a reputation for causing many issues at the spindle. Join In The Loupe TV’s “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, as he dives into what makes composite materials hard to cut and which tooling can be used to level-up your CNC composite cutting game.

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In the Loupe TV: Carbon and Your Cutting Tools

There are many different types of steel materials, and the amount of carbon in each can vary, significantly. The higher the carbon content of a substrate, the harder the material can get and the more abrasive it is to machine. Join In The Loupe TV’s “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, to not only learn how to identify the carbon content in materials, but to also learn which substrates, coatings, and speeds & feeds you should be utilizing to most effectively attack high carbon materials.

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In the Loupe TV: Minimizing Chips With Chipbreakers

To aid chip evacuation, Chipbreaker End Mills feature a notched profile along the cutting edge that break down long chips into smaller, more manageable pieces. In addition to improving chip control and reducing cutting resistance, these tools also help in decreasing heat load within the chips. This delays tool wear along the cutting edge and improves cutting performance. Join In The Loupe TV’s “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, as he explains all of the numerous benefits that chipbreaker end mills can provide you at the spindle.

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In the Loupe TV: Diving Into Chip Thinning

A common phenomenon that many machinists experience at the spindle is chip thinning. This occurs when step-over is less than 50% of the diameter, which causes the chips to be formed less than what the tool is programmed to remove. Tooling is specially engineered for certain chip thickness, so it is essential to ensure it is correct, to avoid premature tool failure. Join In The Loupe TV’s “Cutting Tool Counselor,” Don Grandt, as he provides tips and tricks on how to simplify the process of combating chip thinning, so you can get the most out of your CNC tooling.

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