Hot take: Should you touch up a tool mid-run or let it ride?

Had a chat with the old timer at the shop yesterday, Mike. He swears by stopping the machine and swapping inserts the second he hears a change in sound. I'm more of a let it finish the part then fix it type. He said I'm losing surface finish and maybe even tolerance. But stopping feels like I'm wasting cycle time. What do you guys do when you hear that slight chatter or chip load change? Does it matter for your parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

janarivera10d ago

Buddy of mine let a finish pass ride on a stainless job and ended up with a scrap part and a snapped insert. He only stops now when it sounds funny.

harper_foster9d ago

One snapped insert and a scrap part sounds more like a tool wear or speed issue, not a "sound tells all" thing. I'd need to see the chips and the feed rate before I buy that diagnosis.

olivia39810d ago

Ha! My uncle had a bandsaw that sang opera before it yeeted a blade through a wall.

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