The Big Problem

We never want to underestimate the importance of purchasing the right cutting tool. At best, a poorly selected tool will be slower and less effective in finishing a task. At worst, the wrong cutter will break or jam a machine. Choosing a 4-flute mill to pocket aluminum, for example, is a big mistake. Aluminum creates larger chips and there isn’t enough space between 4 flutes for the chips to escape. They build up causing a jam, and eventually break the cutter.

How is the average buyer supposed to know that – unless it’s already happened to them?

A Great Solution: Enter OSG's "Find My Tool"

With factors like jamming equipment at stake, a purchaser may be weary of choosing the wrong cutter. At BlackHawk, we love making things easier for our clients, and we also love new tools that make the machining industry even better. That’s why we were excited to discover a new tool from OSG. It’s not an actual machine tool, but rather an online tool designed to simplify the cutter buying process, called “Find My Tool.”

Today’s machining market demands efficiency and affordability. Every dollar counts, and there’s no room in the budget for spending money on a cutter that’s going to break and need to be replaced or an end mill that rotates slower because it’s the wrong size. Choosing the right tool allows buyers to save money and lets operators use their machines at full capability.

Selecting The Perfect Cutter for the Job

Even with the best intentions and research, selecting a cutter is not an easy task. There are many factors that play into making a choice, and this can be overwhelming for the purchaser. Buyers need to consider shape, number of flutes, helix angle, center cutting, roughing and finishing, coating and shank. Even some of the smaller details can make a difference in the lifespan of a tool. The geometrical shape, for example, is an important alteration for end mill work. Variable pitch geometry shape creates intervals between cutting edge contact and the workpiece rather than continuous friction on the same part of the tool, extending its life.

When online visitors go to the OSG home page, they will see a blue tab on the right side of the page that says “Find My Tool.”

Clicking on that tab opens it to three choices: Tool Selector, Product Search and Live Chat.

Through the tool selector, buyers are guided through a series of questions regarding the purpose of the cutter that will ultimately lead to building the exact threading, milling or drilling part to best serve their need. Questions vary from the material being worked on, to the style of tap, hole type, drilling depth and milling condition.

At BlackHawk, our mission is to provide innovative, value-added services and products that reduce our customer’s total cost. Feel free to contact us for more information.

BlackHawk Industrial

1501 SW Expressway Drive

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74012

[email protected]

Toll Free: 855-610-1001