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Customization of metal cutting tools and wood cutting tools is not a problem at General cutting tools. We have been customizing tools for our customers for over 30 years with many satisfied customers.

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November 19, 2010

Sharpen Ingersoll Chip Surfer Tips

Get more life out of your chip surfer tips from Ingersoll. General Cutting Tools is a factory authorized resharpening center for your Ingersoll chip surfer carbide tips. We will take your used tips and recondition them back to factory specks using our 7-axis ANCA CNC tool cutter grinders. Also, we can take existing tools and modify them to fit your specific need. Factory modification will take around four weeks. Our normal delivery is 3-5 days. We also have rush delivery available.

Contact us to learn more about how you can save money by sharpening and reconditioning your used tooling with General Cutting Tools.

General Cutting Tools is an authorized Ingersoll representative. We ship to Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and the rest of the United States.

September 6, 2010

North American Tool

General Cutting Tools presents North American Tool’s “Special Taps, Dies and Gages” catalog features popular special and blueprint special taps, threading dies, thread gages and other threading tools in an easy to read format. Many of the items can be manufactured and shipped within 24 hours. The catalog features a comprehensive engineering section relative to taps and threading applications.

It provides a complete listing of Popular Special and Blueprint Special taps, as well as threading dies, and an expanded line of thread plug/thread ring gages. Also featured in the new catalog are “Tru-Flo”™ thread forming taps, solid carbide taps and “Carb-I-Sert”™ carbide insert taps, “Cost Cutter”™ combination drill and tap tools, stock TiN (titanium nitride) coated taps, metric taps, pipe taps, coolant-through taps, extension taps as well as tap extensions, acme taps buttress taps trapezoidal taps, PG Series conduit thread taps, DIN-dimensioned taps, STI (Screw Thread Insert) taps, oversize taps, left-hand taps, “Smart Cut”™ tapping/drilling fluid and other industrial cleaners, degreasers and rust preventatives. Contact: (847) 677-8770 or info@generalcuttingtools.com

Below is a link to where you’ll find an online catalog.

General Cutting Tools is an authorized source for North American Tool.

For more information, or a quote, contact us at (847) 677-8770 or info@generalcuttingtools.com

September 2, 2010

Solid Carbide Taps and Carbide-Insert Taps

Cutting Tools Chicago aka General Cutting Tools along with North American Tool Corporation offer a complete line of Solid Carbide Taps and Carbide-Insert Taps.

These carbide taps can be manufactured with special design criteria to better suit customer-specific applications.  North American Tool tool designers provide value-added solutions to meet the most challenging tapping requirements. Special carbide taps are available as:  • 60° Thread Forms  • Pipe Threads  • Form Taps  • S.T.I. (Screw Thread Insert) Taps

These precision, high performance taps are also available in popular decimal-inch sizes, pipe tap sizes, and metric sizes.  Carbide taps offer enhanced strength and rigidity in high speed tapping applications.  Carb-I-Sert™ carbide-insert taps are also available, and are an economical way to utilize the benefits of carbide with solid carbide cutting inserts brazed to a high-speed steel tap body.

The superior strength of micro-grain carbide offers excellent cutting edge wear resistance, and is ideal for high production runs allowing greater tapped part throughput.

Depending on the specific application, carbide taps can be specified with surface treatments to further enhance tool life and performance.

Ask for a copy of the carbide taps technical flier today.

North American Tool Corporation is an ISO 9001:2008 registered manufacturer of cutting tools, and is an industry leader in rapid shipment of special taps.

General Cutting Tools is an authorized source for North American Tool.

For more information, or a quote, contact us at (847) 677-8770 or info@generalcuttingtools.com

August 31, 2010

Special Taps, Dies and Gages in 24 Hours

General Cutting Tools aka Cutting Tools Chicago along with North American Tool, together are able to provide you with a vast selection of styles and types of taps available for immediate shipment.  Popular special taps can be made and shipped out to you within 24 hours with 8-12 day shipment of complete special taps made from scratch.

Today, North American Tool is one of the fastest growing manufacturers of premium quality cutting tool products in the world along with being an ISO 9001:2008 registered manufacturer.  North American Tool continues to pursue cutting edge technologies and processes that provide you with rapid shipment of special cutting tools, unmatched tooling quality and helpful customer service and technical support.  State of the art equipment and production processes; advanced computer systems and machining equipment; and knowledgeable, experienced associates contribute to their unparalleled reputation as a world class supplier of industrial tooling products.

With North American Tool, General Cutting Tools is your one stop shop for special taps, dies and gages.  Their quality tooling products include:

  • Special Taps
  • Special Threading Dies and Adapters
  • Thread Plug and Ring Gages
  • Cylindrical Plug & Ring Gages
  • Solid Carbide Taps
  • Carb-I-Sert® Carbide Insert Taps
  • Solid Carbide Thread Mills, with programming support
  • Coolant Fed Taps
  • Conduit Thread ‘PG’ Series Taps
  • Smart Cut® Tapping Fluid
  • Blueprint Special Taps (made to customer specs.)
  • Metric Taps
  • DIN-dimensioned Standard Taps
  • Cost Cutter® Combination Drill and Tap
  • Stock TiN-Coated (Titanium Nitride) Taps
  • Tru-Flo® Thread Forming Taps
  • Pipe Taps
  • Interrupted Thread Taps
  • Acme/Trapezoidal/Buttress Taps
  • Tandem Style Acme Taps
  • Oversize Taps
  • Screw Thread Insert (STI) Taps
  • Extension and Pulley Taps
  • Vast selection of styles and types of taps
  • 24-Hour Shipment of Popular Special Taps
  • 8-12 Day Shipment of Blueprint Special Taps from Bar Stock

General Cutting Tools is an authorized source for North American Tool.

For more information, or a quote, contact us at (847) 677-8770 or info@generalcuttingtools.com

North American Tool

August 13, 2010

Step Drills, Special Step Drills

Cutting Tools Chicago aka General Cutting Tools can manufacture step drills to your specific needs.  You can order 1 step drill or thousands; we are your one stop shop for step drills.

Step Twist Drills

Right Hand Step Drills

Left Hand Step Drills

Multiple Step Drills

Straight Flute Step Drills

Flat Flute Step Drills

Spade Step Drills

Step Gun Drills

Sub-Land Step Drills

Half Round Step Drills

Counterbore Step Drills

Countersink Step Drills

Radial Relief Step Drills

CNC Relief Step Drills

Choose from any of drill base material:IMG_3686b

  • High Speed Steel (HSS)
  • High Speed Cobalt (HSCO, M42)
  • T15
  • Solid Carbide
  • Carbide Tipped

We use standard drills to manufacture our step drills.  From there, we cut to length, grind one or more pilot diameters, change point configuration, thin the web, reduce the shank, grind flats, what ever is needed.  Primary and secondary reliefs and tip geometry can be made for optimal performance in different materials.  Such as brass, bronze, copper, magnesium, aluminum, titanium, Stainless Steel, plastics,  composite materials, and nickel based alloys (inconel, waspaloy, hastelloy, monel, etc.).

There are some instances where a step drill can not be made from a standard drill.  In these cases, we will start from scratch, using a blank and make your step drill.

Cutting Tools Chicago Step Drills

Contact us for more information on how General Cutting Tools can make your step drills better.

(847) 677-8770

April 29, 2010

CJT Koolcarb Diamond Tipped Cutting Tools

Cutting Tools Chicago aka General Cutting Tools along with CJT Koolcarb are pleased to announce the addition of poly crystalline diamond tipped cutting tools.  GenHam Diamond Tooling Systems is now a division of CJT Koolcarb.

The answer to today’s custom PCD tool needs with delivers to meet your demanding schedule.  All diamond tooling is available in metric, fractional, wire and letter sizes as well as custom made for your specific application.

CJT KoolcarbNow available from CJT:

  • Diamond Tipped Bearing Shoes
  • Diamond Tipped Boring Tools
  • Diamond Tipped Centerless Blades
  • Diamond Tipped Countersinks
  • Diamond Tipped Drills
  • Diamond Tipped End Mills
  • Diamond Tipped Engravers
  • Diamond Tipped Fluting Blocks
  • Diamond Tipped Form Tools
  • Diamond Tipped Step Reamers
  • Diamond Tipped Wear Pads
  • Why use poly crystalline diamond tipped cutting tools?

As innovation continues to improve materials and manufacturing processes, it is necessary to also upgrade the tools used in today’s high-tech machines.  Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) tools have exceptional wear resistance, high thermal conductivity, and an extremely low coefficient of friction. These tools can out perform carbide tools 50-100 times, reduce machine downtime, and increase the quality of your products.

PCD is therefore quickly replacing carbide as the premier non-ferrous cutting tool material.  When properly manufactured to the right specifications, by the right company, PCD tools are the most cost-effective choice. GenHam Diamond Tooling is dedicated to manufacturing  PCD and PCBN tools, whether new, retipped or resharpened.  This allows us to provide you with the best product and service possible.

GenHam Diamond ToolingBenefits poly crystalline diamond tipped tooling can bring to your shop

  • Longer Tool Life (50-100 times carbide)
  • Reduced Down Time for Tool Changes
  • Reduced Tooling Cost per Part
  • Increased Production Capacity with Minimal Investment
  • Excellent Compatibility with Automated Operations
  • Improved Product Quality

Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) Advantages

  • Superior Hardness
  • Excellent Wear Resistance
  • Good Fracture Resistance
  • High Thermal Conductivity
  • Extremely Low Coefficient of Friction

General Cutting Tools is an authorized distributor for CJT Koolcarb cutting tools.

We serve Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and ship to the entire US.  Contact us to find out how General Cutting Tools can give you big on your tooling costs.

(847) 677-8770  info@generalcuttingtools.com

CJT Koolcarb Diamond Tipped Cutting Tools

Cutting Tools Chicago aka General Cutting Tools along with CJT Koolcarb are pleased to announce the addition of poly crystalline diamond tipped cutting tools. GenHam Diamond Tooling Systems is now a division of CJT Koolcarb.

The answer to today’s custom PCD tool needs with delivers to meet your demanding schedule. All diamond tooling is available in metric, fractional, wire and letter sizes as well as custom made for your specific application.

Now available from CJT:

Diamond Tipped Bearing Shoes

Diamond Tipped Boring Tools

Diamond Tipped Centerless Blades

Diamond Tipped Countersinks

Diamond Tipped Drills

Diamond Tipped End Mills

Diamond Tipped Engravers

Diamond Tipped Fluting Blocks

Diamond Tipped Form Tools

Diamond Tipped Step Reamers

Diamond Tipped Wear Pads

Why use poly crystalline diamond tipped cutting tools?

As innovation continues to improve materials and manufacturing processes, it is necessary to also upgrade the tools used in today’s high-tech machines.  Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) tools have exceptional wear resistance, high thermal conductivity, and an extremely low coefficient of friction. These tools can out perform carbide tools 50-100 times, reduce machine downtime, and increase the quality of your products.

PCD is therefore quickly replacing carbide as the premier non-ferrous cutting tool material.  When properly manufactured to the right specifications, by the right company, PCD tools are the most cost-effective choice. GenHam Diamond Tooling is dedicated to manufacturing  PCD and PCBN tools, whether new, retipped or resharpened. This allows us to provide you with the best product and service possible.

Benefits poly crystalline diamond tipped tooling can bring to your shop

Longer Tool Life (50-100 times carbide)

Reduced Down Time for Tool Changes

Reduced Tooling Cost per Part

Increased Production Capacity with Minimal Investment

Excellent Compatibility with Automated Operations

Improved Product Quality

Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) Advantages

Superior Hardness

Excellent Wear Resistance

Good Fracture Resistance

High Thermal Conductivity

Extremely Low Coefficient of Friction

General Cutting Tools is an authorized distributor for CJT Koolcarb cutting tools.

We serve Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and ship to the entire US. Contact us to find out how General Cutting Tools can give you big cost savings.

(847) 677-8770 info@generalcuttingtools.com

February 24, 2010

Ingersoll Chip Surfer Tip Resharpening

Ingersoll’s new precision solid carbide modular tooling system called Chip-Surfer is excellent, but what do you do with your dull tips?  Cutting Tools Chicago aka General Cutting Tool can resharpen and recondition those tips to like new performance.

Ingersoll Chip-Surfer Resharpening

Ingersoll Chip-Surfer Resharpening

Don’t throw your tips away.

Save money by having General Cutting Tools resharpen your tools.  We use ANCA 7 axis CNC tool cutter grinders with high quality diamond wheels.  With your resharpened tools, you will receive precision ground tolerance for accurate finishing.  The advanced geometry is maintained using CNC tool cutter grinders.

We also can make special cutter tips for your specific application.  Simply provide us with a drawing or sketch.

We serve Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and the rest of the US.

Contact us for a quotation.

December 16, 2009

Custom Drill Pointing Chicago

Bring efficiency to your resharpened drills at General Cutting Tools in Chicago: Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota.  The chisel edge is the least efficient operating surface element of the twist drill because it does not cut, but actually squeezes or extrudes the work material.  To improve the inefficient cutting conditions caused by the chisel edge, the point width is often reduced in a drill-point thinning operation.  Point thinning is particularly desirable on the larger size drills and also on those which become shorter in usage because the thickness of the web increases toward the shaft of the twist drill, thereby adding to the length of the chisel edge.  The extent of point thinning is limited by the minimum strength of the web needed to avoid splitting of the drill point under the influence of cutting forces.
Both sharpening operations – the relieved face grinding and the point thinning – should be carried out in special drill grinding machines or with twist drill grinding fixtures mounted on general-purpose tool grinding machines, designed to assure the essential accuracy of the required tool geometry.  Off-hand grinding may be used for the important web thinning when a special machine is not available; however, such operation requires skill and experience that we have here at General Cutting Tools in Chicago.
Improperly sharpened twist drills, e.g. those with unequal edge length or asymmetrical point angle, will tend to produce holes with poor diameter and directional control.
For deep holes and also drilling into stainless steel, titanium alloys, high temperature alloys, nickel alloys, very high strength materials and in some cases tools steels, split point grinding, resulting in a “crankshaft” type drill point, is recommended.  In positive rake cutting edges to the center of the drill, thereby greatly reducing the sharpening to maintain their increased drilling efficiency.

December 6, 2009

Deep Hole Drilling Without Pecking or Through Tool Coolant

Coolant delivery through the spindle has been one of the biggest successes for deep drilling operations.  Internal passages delivering coolant directly from the drill tip provides the pressure needed to push chips up the flutes and out of the hole.  High length to diameter ratios (30:1) can be performed without pecking cycles, reducing cycle time and extend tool life.  General Cutting Tools aka Cutting Tools Chicago has always been on the leading edge of progressing technology.

General Cutting Tools noted that many shops do not have the machining centers equipped with coolant delivery through the spindle.  This limits the length to diameter ratio that can be achieved and/or requiring shops to use pecking routines to generate deep holes.  In some instances, shops have had to outsource work to a deep hole drilling specialist.

General Cutting Tools is a distributor for many manufacturers of cutting tools that have tooling specifically designed for these types of shops using only flood coolant.  Special forms, low resistance web thinning, advanced cutting geometries all add to the success when drilling at very high length to diameter ratios.  In addition, tool coatings lower the coefficient of friction, increase feed rates, assist chip flow, and extend tool life for a wide range of materials.

December 4, 2009

Save Time & Money with High-Feed Milling

Modern high speed machining centers should not mix with conventional tooling and methodology.  Doing a machining process on a new or newer machine should not necessarily use traditional, proven machining techniques.  These processes may work; however, they may not be optimizing the capabilities of your machining center.  As the industry has progressed, Cutting Tools Chicago aka General Cutting Tools has kept up with current technology.

Ingersoll Cutting Tools

Ingersoll Cutting Tools

One of our customers has a re-occurring job of machining a fairly large piece for Boeing that is cut from a solid block of titanium.  In order to maintain competitive in the market, General Cutting Tools was invited to come in and examine their processes.

Titanium is normally classified as a difficult to machine.  This is due to the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the metal.  Titanium’s low thermal conductivity does not allow the heat generated by the cutting action to dissipate quickly.  Consequently, most of the heat is concentrated on the cutting edge and the tool face.  Titanium has a high chemical reactivity or strong alloying tendency with materials in the cutting tools at tool operating temperatures.  Galling, welding and smearing can be found along with rapid destruction of the cutting tool.

Titanium is more “springy” than steel.  The work piece has a tendency to shift away from the cutting tool unless heavy cuts are maintained or strong support us used.  Chatter, tool rubbing and tolerance issues occur as a result of tool pressure’s tendency to deflect slender parts.  Usage of sharp, properly shaped tooling and rigidity of the complete system is extremely important.

Ingersoll Milling Cutter

Ingersoll Milling Cutter

A total of seven operations are required to make a finished part.  We elected to focus on the first milling operation.  This operation alone had required over five hours of machining time.  Given the speed capability of the machining center, General Cutting Tools along with Ingersoll Cutting Tools were confident we could improve the process with a helical interpolation method using Ingersoll’s high feed milling cutters.

With this switch, we were able to condense the first milling operation from well over five hours to only 42 minutes.  With this singular improvement, the customer has been able to not only maintain the orders coming from Boeing, but also increase profit margin.

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