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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Benchtop Machines > Recommended small end mills to get started with?
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    278

    Recommended small end mills to get started with?

    Have a small CNC mill (Servo Products) and need to pick up some end mills to get started and learn. I see Interstate end mills cheap at Enco but have also read a lot of negative comments. But since I expect to break some getting started maybe I don't need to go with something more expensive. I understand that cheapest purchase price isn't the cheapest if it wears out/breaks sooner and don't want to go with something super cheap that I have to fight with. Thinking I should get several 1/4" end mills to get started, perhaps a few with ball ends and/or V cutters to chamfer the top edges of cuts. Collet is 1/4". Most of my milling will be smaller once I get a bit of experience. Looking for a source of decent (mid-level) quality end mills at a good price. What brands/suppliers/specific items should I be looking at?

    Also, what about material to cut? Was thinking aluminum but that may be more difficult to machine than steel, especially some types. Suppose I could even do wood or plastic to start... Whatever is easy to work with and fairly cheap.

    Looking for some tips to get started while I learn the whole CAD/CAM/milling tool chain.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    777

    Re: Recommended small end mills to get started with?

    Suggest starting with wood, For which you don't want and endmill, you need a spiral bit 1/4" is the best place to start.

    If its screaming your going to slow or too many rpms, if it clunky and rough too fast or not enough rpms.. aim for a whistle.

  3. #3

    Re: Recommended small end mills to get started with?

    I highly recommend YG1 HSS end mills. One problem you'll find though is that most if not all HSS end mills under 3/8" have a 3/8" shank.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    1422

    Re: Recommended small end mills to get started with?

    When I can buy a packet of 5 carbide end mills on fleaBay for what it costs for a single HSS end mill locally (and chinese HSS end mills are even cheaper) I figure I can afford to throw them out when they die - I have spares now. The only downsides I see are that I never really know if it's going to actually be carbide (and what sort, if it is) and they take a couple of weeks to turn up.

    Wood is the cheapest and easiest practice material for everything but getting your feeds and speeds sorted out. I started with aluminium but now, when I'm testing something new (eg adding 4th axis) I'll throw a bit of timber offcut in there to test on and use HSS endmills. Really low risk $-wise if it goes wrong, for scrap and for tooling.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    1186

    Re: Recommended small end mills to get started with?

    I would start with cutting air to learn the cad and cam software and get familiar with your control software and the different functionality and get a handle on work offsets, axis directions, zeroing and tool length offsets. Set up a string between two hold down studs on the table and make a black mark. Zero on it and run a multi tool program and ensure the heights look right.

    Once you feel confident you know what happening and you get the idea of the Gcode and can make heads and tales of it, chick up a piece of aluminum. And do some simple parts to get the feel for what the machine can handle.

    Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

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