[Zuedog]

Hi all, any one have any experience with 0.1mm end mill running in 316L stainless? Is this even possible, I have a good spindel able to do better than 100k RPM if needed, but that's about it, so any comments welcome.

[steve323]

Are you talking about a tapered bit with a 0.1mm tip? Or is it really a 0.1mm endmill? I couldn't imagine cutting plastic or wood with a 0.1mm endmill unless your machine is extremely accurate. The smallest amount of backlash or flex would snap a bit that tiny.

Steve

[Zuedog]

Are you talking about a tapered bit with a 0.1mm tip? Or is it really a 0.1mm endmill? I couldn't imagine cutting plastic or wood with a 0.1mm endmill unless your machine is extremely accurate. The smallest amount of backlash or flex would snap a bit that tiny.

Steve

Yes, you have it 0.1mm diameter straight, 2 flute, with a length of 0.3mm with a total depth of cut of about 0.5mm, insane I know, I think the air spindle will be running about 80k and a feed of about 100 mm/min and a depth of cut of 20-25 microns, I will have to build a machine to do this, using micrometers as lead screws and linear ball tracks.

[Jim Dawson]

An ambitious project. Would love to see pictures as you build. I have run a 5° tapered end mill with a 0.15 mm tip, cutting 0.75 mm DOC, ~50,000 RPM, cutting 360 brass on my mill so I know that's possible. Should work fine with a tight and heavy machine. The mass of the machine helps with the tool killing vibration.

Ran about 500 of these, about 8 hours of run time.