[deleteallusers]

SGS 1/64 Carbide End Mill - PN# 30191

I bought one of these to day, and could not even sit it down flat on
the PCB. It snaped without even putting a mark on the board, and under
praticly no pressure, it cost me $23.00, and they said that I must have abused it because it broke.

What’s up with these things, I need to mill tight traces on a PCB, and it looks like this is the only thing I can use to go that thin.

Any advise ?

Thanks,

[RayinNH]

I don't know why the SGS one broke, I have never used miniature endmills from them. A couple other options for miniature carbide tools are www.harveytool.com, or www.robbjack.com. I order both brands from MSC Industrial Supply, www.mscdirect.com. The MSC part # for a Robbjack .015 EM is 04468567.

[deleteallusers]

Thanks for the advise, I need small end mills so I can continue my project.

I'm new to this, and really don't know what to use.

I really beleve there was somthing wrong with the SGS, I know these are fragle but this one really broke way to easy.

I'm trying to mill PCB's that have small traces on them, and I need
an end mill that will hold up and not snap. (As much as possiable)

Thanks again.

[msomerville]

Harvey tool makes a couple of different endmills just for plastics both abrasive and non.

[Mariss Freimanis]

I can't say about carbide 0.0156" endmills but I can about 0.0156" carbide drill bits. They snap in half if you even look at them cross-eyed. They are extremely fragile parts that will break with only an ounce or so of side-load.

Mariss

[samco]

I have had great luck with these.
http://www.thinktink.com/cgi-bin/car...tep=20&start=0
1/16 diam.

I oopsed it and did a rapid thru the circuit board.. Just cut a nice slot. at around 20Krpm and 100ipm.

sam

[samco]

Oh - picture
http://www.electronicsam.com/images/...ostart/top.JPG

sam

[deleteallusers]

@samco,

Looks like you really have a nice CNC machine, mine is DIY.

What kind of machine do you have ?

Do you have sensors on the pressure foot, that feedback to
your software and autoadjust the depth of the cut ?

I would like to do somthing like that, but I dont have sensor feedback,

You can almost see through the board and read the computer screen.

@Mariss

The 0.015 ball endmill I used before was acutaly pretty tough,
but they all seem to break in the same place and snap completly off,

*--

I have now purchased a few Robbjack SS-2-015 STUB length 2 flute
end mills, I hope they hold up as I set them down on the board.
I must set Z depth manualy as I dont have any sensors.


I'm using real thin copper stock, it seems like it should push through the
material before it would break, the material is FR4 - 014 THK PCB

Thanks,

[samco]

ah - no.. The machine is a limp noodle. <- technical term. But it does ok. I am using emc2 and have a touch off switch for setting tool length.

http://www.electronicsam.com/images/KandT/DSCgantry.JPG

It gets the job done.. I would love to get a smaller micromill or such to do my circuit boards.. being able to cut into the 20ipm range would be nice.

sam

[deleteallusers]

Wow, I wish I could get results like that.

I think I need to try that touch off switch idea.

I'm also thinking about a simple vacuum setup for holding my material.

[samco]

I should say - I use the 1/16 end mills for clearing and Mechanical etch bit (0.0625" carbide spiral flute, 60 degree triangle tip
cutter) from the same company for isolation milling.

sam

[deleteallusers]

Ua... How do I setup a touch off switch ??

Is it hard, I can figure out how to setup my software,
but... how do I do the switch ?

Thanks much for all the help, I think I'm getting closer to success.

I need to... my boss is starting to show his fangs...

Update: I can't really find anything specific on a touch off switch setup.

Could someone advise me on adding this feature ?

Thanks,

[triumph406]

SGS 1/64 Carbide End Mill - PN# 30191

I bought one of these to day, and could not even sit it down flat on
the PCB. It snaped without even putting a mark on the board, and under
praticly no pressure, it cost me $23.00, and they said that I must have abused it because it broke.

What’s up with these things, I need to mill tight traces on a PCB, and it looks like this is the only thing I can use to go that thin.

Any advise ?

Thanks,

I dought whether it was the endmill, SGS is a decent brand. You say you have a DIY CNC and your new to this in a subsequent post.

I would assume it was something you did, and not the endmill. Those size endmills are extremely fragile.

With all due respect I don't think it's fair to SGS to have a thread title saying SGS products are defective, when it was quite likely something you did.

dc

[deleteallusers]

I'm not here to bash SGS, you said I was trying to say that, All I was
talking about was a defective end mill problem! But now that you have rasied
the issue... I think I should explain better.

Also, my Boss and many other people now think that there was somthing wrong with the endmill, it simply decayed right out of the container.

It was two fragile to even touch, much less to actualy install and use
and it was in the factory sealed container.

--------------
I don't think it was fair that they treated me like trash when I took it
back to the store and simply wanted to talk about the issue, so I could
understand what it was that I did wrong ! I think they new that I had done nothing wrong, it broke without ever being used in the machine !

I have a right to be treated with respect as a human !

They treaded me like trash, when all I wanted was help and information !

They were rude to me ! They were not kind ! It cost me 23.00 bucks,

Plus they would not even try to educate me on what could have went wrong

They basicly said to me, screw you buddy!

So don't tell me whats fair, It's my thread.

[triumph406]

I'm not here to bash SGS, you said I was trying to say that, All I was
talking about was a defective end mill problem! But now that you have rasied
the issue... I think I should explain better.

Also, my Boss and many other people now think that there was somthing wrong with the endmill, it simply decayed right out of the container.

It was two fragile to even touch, much less to actualy install and use
and it was in the factory sealed container.

--------------
I don't think it was fair that they treated me like trash when I took it
back to the store and simply wanted to talk about the issue, so I could
understand what it was that I did wrong ! I think they new that I had done nothing wrong, it broke without ever being used in the machine !

I have a right to be treated with respect as a human !

They treaded me like trash, when all I wanted was help and information !

They were rude to me ! They were not kind ! It cost me 23.00 bucks,

Plus they would not even try to educate me on what could have went wrong

They basicly said to me, screw you buddy!

So don't tell me whats fair, It's my thread.

Errrr.....OK.

Just because it's "your thread" doesn't mean that people can't post an opinion.

Also going into a tool supplier, with a broken 1/64 endmill, used on a DIY machine, by somebody who hasn't any experience, isn't likely to get a lot of sympathy, if I would imagine, you right away claimed the endmill to be defective.

The chances of the endmill being defective are low. The chances of a newbie running a DIY machine breaking a 1/64 endmill are VERY high. At the best of times, even with an experienced operator their tricky to use.

Also endmills don't decay after you take them out of the container.

I'm not here to bash SGS, you said I was trying to say that, All I was
talking about was a defective end mill problem! But now that you have rasied
the issue... I think I should explain better.

Then you shouldn't have titled the thread "defective SGS products" !!

But hey it's your thread, you can call it anything you want!

[lerman]

What are you holding the endmill with?
What is the runout of the endmill in that holder?
How may RPM was the endmill running at when it broke?

What was the feed rate when it broke? Were you plunging (at what rate)?

Ken

[deleteallusers]

What are you holding the endmill with? IT WAS IN THE SPINDEL

What is the runout of the endmill in that holder? IT WAS NOT RUNNING

How may RPM was the endmill running at when it broke? 0 RPM

What was the feed rate when it broke? Were you plunging (at what rate)?
F3

[samco]

Are you serious? where you trying to do a touchoff or something? Then any touching of the mill to the part will probably cause it to break.

sam

p.s. Like everyone said - mills that size are very very very brittle. looking at them wrong will cause them to break..

[triumph406]

What are you holding the endmill with? IT WAS IN THE SPINDEL

What is the runout of the endmill in that holder? IT WAS NOT RUNNING

How may RPM was the endmill running at when it broke? 0 RPM

What was the feed rate when it broke? Were you plunging (at what rate)?
F3

No wonder you got a frosty reception at the tool supplier, that's almost too funny!!

[deleteallusers]

I Just loaded a 0.015 Robbjack, did my touch off (I always use a zero probe so I don't hit the board to hard, when the prob touches is makes a connection and backs off) and cut the hole board and had no problems.

This bit is is so good I bet I could cut right through the board !

The SGS bit was just to brittle to be functional, however I must say
that it was only the second one I tried. The first was a SGS 0.015 ball end
and it was a good bit, I did some good cutting with it before I jammed it up.

But there was no reason for the second one to do that. I was very careful.