[runcyclexcski]

I would like to create an array of 6 mm dia round posts, 6 mm tall, on a 1 x 1" square array, Aluminum 6061 or better yet, 7075. The diameter of posts needs to be to within 0.001" tolerance, as they would slide-fit onto a reciprocal array of 6 mm holes. Is there a specialty endmill with blades facing inwards, to create the posts in one cut, and 'fill in' the unmilled surfce with a regular mill? Googling did not produce a result. Or is CNC the only method to achieve this?

[runcyclexcski]

Upd: Sherline mill, can get to a Bridgeport.Upd2: Rotary table and regular mill?

[Kev Brook]

Hi I don’t know of any tool that would do that, I may be wrong, but not to 0.001”

[Jim Dawson]

There is no tool that I know of that would do what you want.

I think I would drill/ream holes and press in pins unless there is some reason this can't be done. Do the top & bottom pieces together that way the holes would be aligned with no error. Trying to align the pins with the holes would be very difficult without a CNC machine, not impossible, but difficult.

[mactec54]

I would like to create an array of 6 mm dia round posts, 6 mm tall, on a 1 x 1" square array, Aluminum 6061 or better yet, 7075. The diameter of posts needs to be to within 0.001" tolerance, as they would slide-fit onto a reciprocal array of 6 mm holes. Is there a specialty endmill with blades facing inwards, to create the posts in one cut, and 'fill in' the unmilled surfce with a regular mill? Googling did not produce a result. Or is CNC the only method to achieve this?

That would be easy to CNC mill with a regular end mill, something like this with bigger pins and less of them

[109jb]

Mill between the posts, and then use a boring head to make the posts round. I have used a boring head with a standard brazed carbide boring bar to do single outside diameters. Don't know why it wouldn't work for multiple. Just need a tool that will fit between the other posts. When using a standard carbide boring bar to do an OD, you run the spindle backward.

[CL_MotoTech]

109jb is spot on. Rough out with an end mill, finish with the boring bar.

[mactec54]

109jb is spot on. Rough out with an end mill, finish with the boring bar.

Why would you bother with a boring head, the average cnc mill can hold .0005,or better so just milling with an endmill would be more than enough, he asked for a tolerance of .001 which is easy to achieve, the photo I posted, the pins where only
.080" x .500" long, and they milled to better than .001 tolerance

[109jb]

Why would you bother with a boring head, the average cnc mill can hold .0005,or better so just milling with an endmill would be more than enough, he asked for a tolerance of .001 which is easy to achieve, the photo I posted, the pins where only
.080" x .500" long, and they milled to better than .001 tolerance

Because the OP asked for a manual method to do it.

[CL_MotoTech]

Why would you bother with a boring head, the average cnc mill can hold .0005,or better so just milling with an endmill would be more than enough, he asked for a tolerance of .001 which is easy to achieve, the photo I posted, the pins where only
.080" x .500" long, and they milled to better than .001 tolerance

What kind of average bench top mill do you have? Asking for a friend.

[mactec54]

Because the OP asked for a manual method to do it.

He did not mention manual mill, asked about using a CNC mill, still easy also to do on a manual mill

[mactec54]

What kind of average bench top mill do you have? Asking for a friend.

What's a bench top mill got to do with it, you would have a hard time putting any of my machines on a bench

[109jb]

He did not mention manual mill, asked about using a CNC mill, still easy also to do on a manual mill

From Post #1:

Is there a specialty endmill with blades facing inwards, to create the posts in one cut, and 'fill in' the unmilled surfce with a regular mill? Googling did not produce a result. Or is CNC the only method to achieve this?

From Post #2:

Upd: Sherline mill, can get to a Bridgeport.Upd2: Rotary table and regular mill?

No mention of the sherline or bridgeport being CNC

[109jb]

What's a bench top mill got to do with it, you would have a hard time putting any of my machines on a bench

Ummmmmmm....... This is the BENCHTOP MACHINES forum

[runcyclexcski]

Many thanks, 109jb , a boring head is exactly what I need.

Sorry, folks, that I haven't mentioned that my machine (Sherline) is manual. No CNC.

I have, indeed, considered pins at first, but posts would have holes drilled and tapped in them. I.e. the posts serve to align and to hold the mating part that would have matching slide-fit holes. Pins would get pulled out otherwise.

[mactec54]

From Post #1:
From Post #2:
No mention of the sherline or bridgeport being CNC

Sorry, folks, that I haven't mentioned that my machine (Sherline) is manual. No CNC..

As you can see I replied to the first post, never looked at his second post, anyway a core drill would do what he wants to do, and he could even make the core drill himself, very simple way to do it