What is the best R-8 end mill holder for Bridgeports?

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matt_i said:

I'm also in the camp of "don't put that on a bridgeport". There is no outcome where you can use the full side of it without chatter. It belongs on a horizontal mill IMO, and I have used them successfully on Cat40 tooling in a horizontal.

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In general I'd agree but with caveats. Scott didn't really share what he's intending to do with a shell mill, he was just asking where to get the arbors. I've used them for years on my J-Head style R8 machine without issue but for very specific and intentional reasons.

e.g. - I've used rougher shell mills to notch heavy wall and large diameter DOM tubing for years in a production environment. I got into them as a much faster and more accurate way over other methods I tried using other types of tooling on a CNC. It just turns out that overall operation time, tool life, and minimized deflection made them the clear winner.

Scott - my .02 on arbors - I didn't buy anything fancy. One of mine was purchased off of ebay (most certainly import) years ago and the other two I got at an auction. I use them interchangeably (meaning I don't favor one over the other) and I've never tested any of them for runout nor have I had a reason to do so. As far as arbors go, they just work for my intended use-cases. As others have mentioned though, make sure your use-case for a shell mill matches the capabilities of your machine.

I'll give the same advice for just about all of my R8 tooling. You can spend huge dollars on holders or you can find cheaper holders that have adequate runout for the quality work you intend to do. Nothing I build goes into space so 99 times out of a 100 my parts are higher accuracy than they need to be given how they're used and I think I make nice parts. I have maybe 3 dozen R8/ER-style holders which I spent no more than $400 for all ordering them in bulk direct from China (via ebay). I've used them for years and they're fantastic. Though I support USA manufacturing, I just can't justify having only 3 holders for that same $400 or spending $4000 to buy the dozens I need (I have a CNC so dedicated holders for tooling is really what makes a CNC valuable).

In general I'd agree but with caveats. Scott didn't really share what he's intending to do with a shell mill, he was just asking where to get the arbors. I've used them for years on my J-Head style R8 machine without issue but for very specific and intentional reasons.e.g. - I've used rougher shell mills to notch heavy wall and large diameter DOM tubing for years in a production environment. I got into them as a much faster and more accurate way over other methods I tried using other types of tooling on a CNC. It just turns out that overall operation time, tool life, and minimized deflection made them the clear winner.Scott - my .02 on arbors - I didn't buy anything fancy. One of mine was purchased off of ebay (most certainly import) years ago and the other two I got at an auction. I use them interchangeably (meaning I don't favor one over the other) and I've never tested any of them for runout nor have I had a reason to do so. As far as arbors go, they just work for my intended use-cases. As others have mentioned though, make sure your use-case for a shell mill matches the capabilities of your machine.I'll give the same advice for just about all of my R8 tooling. You can spend huge dollars on holders or you can find cheaper holders that have adequate runout for the quality work you intend to do. Nothing I build goes into space so 99 times out of a 100 my parts are higher accuracy than they need to be given how they're used and I think I make nice parts. I have maybe 3 dozen R8/ER-style holders which I spent no more than $400 for all ordering them in bulk direct from China (via ebay). I've used them for years and they're fantastic. Though I support USA manufacturing, I just can't justify having only 3 holders for that same $400 or spending $4000 to buy the dozens I need (I have a CNC so dedicated holders for tooling is really what makes a CNC valuable).

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