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Author Topic: What kind of bit/end mill should I be using?  (Read 5198 times)

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Re: What kind of bit/end mill should I be using?
« Reply #30 on: September 05, 2018, 02:57:51 PM »
Hi Gerry,
OP is also cutting cored aluminum panel.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: What kind of bit/end mill should I be using?
« Reply #31 on: September 11, 2018, 02:30:04 PM »
I've switched over to 1/4" Aluminum, I think I said that in a previous post, sorry if that wasn't clear.
Re: What kind of bit/end mill should I be using?
« Reply #32 on: September 11, 2018, 08:49:16 PM »
Hi,
well that does make a difference.

The temptation is to take a lot of very shallow cuts but it is a mistake. That would mean that the only
part of the tool that sees any work is the very tip, once it gets blunt you throw it out despite the rest of the
flanks of the tool being good.

Take fairly deep cuts, maybe 1/8 inch or more. Then use your speeds and feeds calculator to work out how fast
to cut. You are hoping that you will load the tool up so that the spindle is producing some real power.....thats
when the tool is at its most cost effective. Sure you can make it last longer by pussy footing around with it
but when you bore in, approaching its strength limit, you will do a lot more cutting before it wears out.

Under those circumstances cooling, or more importantly, chip evacuation and lubrication become important.
I personally have had great success with flood cooling despite the extra complication and mess. rcaffin, a regular
on this forum uses M(inimum) Q(uantity) L(ubrication), a mixture of kerosene and olive oil with compressed air.
He uses vanishingly small quantities with great results and has all but convinced me to try it too.

We were discussing it on CNCZone but feel sure he'd be willing to post some pictures of his setup, its remarkably
simple.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'