are used end mills worth anything

[Bruce Page]

Well Chris, I guess I am old school. When I served my apprenticeship we were taught cutter geometry and how to sharpen spade drills, twist drills, and how to touch up endmills by hand. We weren’t given the time to set up as you describe.
Because you “can't see how a bench grinder and a steady hand will get you there” doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.
“Old school” machinists like myself learned to make complex “CNC” like parts before CNC even existed. We were proudly called “Conventional Machinists” and could deftly run any machine in the shop from OD/ID grinders to gear hobbers. Many of today’s production machinist would fall flat on their face if they were handed a complex part drawing and told to make it on a conventional Bridgeport and engine lathe.

[Leigh Betsch]

To a machinist these might have some value but in my experience I don't buy used cutting tools, period. I've been burned. I buy new then resharpen when they get dull. I sharpen by hand and eyeball since I'm now a home shop machinist and don't cut metal for a living anymore. When I did this for a living I sent cutters to a pro to sharpen them becasue they needed to be right and the guys in the shop could make more money making molds and dies than they could save by sharpening cutters themselves.
So my advise is if you can use them yourself and you can sharpen them yourself then you don't really need my advise, if this isn't the case then I would pass becasue you probably can't sell them to anyone for much money anyway.

[Chris Fournier]

Well Chris, I guess I am old school. When I served my apprenticeship we were taught cutter geometry and how to sharpen spade drills, twist drills, and how to touch up endmills by hand. We weren’t given the time to set up as you describe.
Because you “can't see how a bench grinder and a steady hand will get you there” doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.
“Old school” machinists like myself learned to make complex “CNC” like parts before CNC even existed. We were proudly called “Conventional Machinists” and could deftly run any machine in the shop from OD/ID grinders to gear hobbers. Many of today’s production machinist would fall flat on their face if they were handed a complex part drawing and told to make it on a conventional Bridgeport and engine lathe.

The guys that have taught me are old school as well Bruce and there doesn't seem to be a machine, process, or operation they haven't done! I strongly agree that there is a difference between the current "machine feeders" and fellows like yourself. I have to say that having used a CNC mill over the last year, there are subtlties to getting a good vs great product but I would take an old timer over a CNC expert if I could only engage the services of one or the other. I would provide the Conventional machinist with sharp cutters from my own tool crib and let him make chips!

[Johnny Kleso]

Chris the guys that taught me did not use milling machines to drill holes..
They where all done on a lathe with face plates.. Thats how old school they where..

When I sharpened the bottoms most I was doing the most high tech work I ever did.. Making the GPS's in the 80's and B-2 Bomber parts..
Mostly carbide EMs I sharpened bottoms and the owner was to cheap to buy a surface grinder fixtuer like you use, but after I left and came back a few years later he finally broke down and bought one..

For roughing tool steel so what if the bottom of flutes dont meet flush and are off .005 out of four flutes taking a .025 cut..
For a CNC's them guys want only the best of the best and still break and crash stuff.

I bought about 25 lbs of small carbide EM's off eBay and all where like new almost but all where from one seller..
He did super precision CNC work and changed tools by time clock not by when they he though they were dulled..
I would not buy used HSS EM's unless I knew where to get them sharpened cheap and knew they were name brand / USA

[george wilson]

I sharpen drills by hand. Used to could do a 1/64" drill by hand,using a bench stone moved vertically up and down with 1 hand,while the drill was presented with the other hand. One day I was drilling a bunch of holes,and had to resharpen the bit several times that day as I had no other on hand. I use 4X drug store eye glasses when doing things like that.

For end mills, I have a K.O.Lee tool and cutter grinder,and an old Weldon end mill sharpening fixture. Not air bearing,but still works just fine.

[Glen Butler]

You can get TiN coated endmills for a few dollars through ebay. I have bought several and I am impressed with there cut quality and life. I feel an endmill under 1/2 is not worth sharpening, but if they are larger, go for it.

[george wilson]

When I was much younger,and poorer,I had no way other than to sharpen end mills by hand. They were serviceable for home shop use,but of course not as perfect as those sharpened in a proper fixture. I got my little K.O. Lee Knockout in the 70's,and still have it.