Originally Posted by
WOTDesigns
I wasted well over $1,000 trying different recommended fancy brands and cutter geometries trying to find a 1/4" EM that could reach 1.25" deep. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. one after another they all snapped and had to be greatly reduced in speed and DOC to make it a few hours.
I gave up and bought a diamond wheel for my Dremel. Load the shank or a regular 1/4 X 3/4 em on the drill press and grind from the 3/4" Flute up 1/2 down to 0.235". Used to clean it up with diamond file, but that wasn't necessary. In action they run at 6000 rpm, 50ipm slotting at 0.05" deep... For roughly 120 hours then get tossed when the job is done. 3x a year minimum.
Now you tell me which is WEAKER? A 1.25" $56 CUTTER that snaps at 30ipm? Or a $26 DF ARF20250 ground to reach that hasn't broken without the part moving in 5 years and over 35,000 parts 1" tall cut with it? I run 4,000 parts per run then toss it and grind a new one next time.
Mind you this isn't for a perfect surface finish if I needed a perfect surface finish I would have it ground down by someone a little more skilled than myself. These are rough and then tumbled so I don't care about the witness Mark where the two step Downs on the finishing cut meet up
Virtually every reputable company that manufactures end Mills also manufactures reduce shank end Mills. They are in function far far far stronger than an end mill of the same cutting depth by way of longer flutes
Brian, I get about 90% of my end mills from Raptor End Mills .(714) 757-1994. He sells YG1 end mills for reasonable prices.
I have used the YG1 end mills for about 5 years with tremendous success.
You can buy GOOD PARTS or you can buy CHEAP PARTS, but you can't buy GOOD CHEAP PARTS.