[ashes-man]

one possibility is to helical interpolate your spots with your mill/drill rather than plunge , a .01" radius should do . It requires a bit more coding and your still at the mercy of that fine tip but who knows it may work well with that tool .

Another option would be to find a better quality mill drill . The last company I worked for used mostly garr until after a few weeks in I brought them a few test tools to show them what they were missing out on . The grinds and quality of garr's carbide is questionable , to put it politely .

OK, thanks for that. In some respects I am stuck with what I can buy in New Zealand. Freight from anywhere but China is prohibitive. In fact nearly all suppliers here stock only unbranded Chinese tools with no datasheets or information. Hit and miss as to whether they will be any good. They sell them for 10 x the price you can buy yourself from China! The other option is Iscar, Kennametal, Sandvik etc. But crazy expensive for me, especially when most of my machining is for myself or favors for others. Garr was a kind of in the middle price and at least had some data available!

[joeavaerage]

Hi,

OK, thanks for that. In some respects I am stuck with what I can buy in New Zealand. Freight from anywhere but China is prohibitive.

I live in New Zealand also and freight is not cheap but 'prohibitive' is BS. Most stuff I get from the US I get through YouShop, a service by NZPost.

I buy from US suppliers and have them ship to my 'box' in Orgeon, then NZ Post calculate the GST and shipping to NZ, bill me, and send it on its way.
About a week to 10days from Oregon to your doorstep.

Last order I placed for carbide tools, all micro tools, cost $150USD, plus $8USD shipping to Oregon. NZ Post charged me $32NZD ($22USD for US readers) plus
the 15% GST, a NZ tax, that all imports accrue, $36NZD ($23USD). So I paid $81NZD ($53USD) for all the shipping, including the $8USD plus shipping to NZ and the
applicable taxes on a $231NZD ($150USD) order. That's not exorbitant.

A feature of the service that NZ Post offer is that you can accumulate items from a number of suppliers, so they get sent in one lot. The $32NZD is the minimum charge,
the microtools were in a box about the size of a pound of butter, so if I had accumulated more items the shipping rate effectively diminishes.

The vast majority of my micro tools are Kyocera Tycom, and I get those from:

https://www.ebay.com/str/carbideplus....m47492.l74602

When I want top quality I go to Destiny Tool, pricey but they perform well:

https://www.destinytool.com/

And for sheer variety of tool sizes, shapes and coatings, at a price, Harvey Tools:

https://www.harveytool.com/

Craig

[ashes-man]

Hi,


I live in New Zealand also and freight is not cheap but 'prohibitive' is BS. Most stuff I get from the US I get through YouShop, a service by NZPost.

I buy from US suppliers and have them ship to my 'box' in Orgeon, then NZ Post calculate the GST and shipping to NZ, bill me, and send it on its way.
About a week to 10days from Oregon to your doorstep.

Last order I placed for carbide tools, all micro tools, cost $150USD, plus $8USD shipping to Oregon. NZ Post charged me $32NZD ($22USD for US readers) plus
the 15% GST, a NZ tax, that all imports accrue, $36NZD ($23USD). So I paid $81NZD ($53USD) for all the shipping, including the $8USD plus shipping to NZ and the
applicable taxes on a $231NZD ($150USD) order. That's not exorbitant.

A feature of the service that NZ Post offer is that you can accumulate items from a number of suppliers, so they get sent in one lot. The $32NZD is the minimum charge,
the microtools were in a box about the size of a pound of butter, so if I had accumulated more items the shipping rate effectively diminishes.

The vast majority of my micro tools are Kyocera Tycom, and I get those from:

https://www.ebay.com/str/carbideplus....m47492.l74602

When I want top quality I go to Destiny Tool, pricey but they perform well:

https://www.destinytool.com/

And for sheer variety of tool sizes, shapes and coatings, at a price, Harvey Tools:

https://www.harveytool.com/

Craig

OK, thanks Craig for the suggestion. where in NZ are you from?

I haven't used one of those freight forwarding services before. I usually buy from the UK/Europe as freight is usually a fraction of the price and can get all good branded stuff. I find the US the most expensive place to ship from. One shop I tried the other day wanted $50USD to send an end mill to NZ. In comparison, a week ago I bought some bearings, equivalent in weight and size to 10 end mills from The Netherlands, they shipped on 7 day freight for $15 NZD and went through the US to get here!

I don't generally buy enough tooling to be able to accumulate it for a combined shipping which doesn't help.

Just on a side note, I see https://carbidenz.co.nz/ sells Kyocera tools, which may be an option for you.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,

I find the US the most expensive place to ship from.

It varies so widely from supplier to supplier. I used to get my Kyocera micro tools direct from the Texas based supplier but over COVID US postal service gave up shipping mail
to NZ and Australia. The Texan supplier and I tried DHL but they refused to ship them, some security risk???? Crazy stuff. I've had a YouShop account with NZ post for a few years and used
it occasionally but its come into focus now. US suppliers have no trouble posting stuff around within the US and cheaply at that. NZ Post does a good job getting stuff from Oregon
to NZ. Sign up online at no cost.

Even when you have a reasonable shipping service it still costs so I try to get orders in the region of $200USD, then the shipping component becomes a lesser portion of the whole.

I do use carbideNZ but they don't have microtools be they Kyocera or otherwise. The Texan supplier has a great range of tools by Kyocera Tycom especially for PCBs, and at really
great prices. The same supplier sells a few selected Destiny Tools endmills. For instance I got 10 1/8" Raptor's for $9.80USD each, and for tools that good that's a really sharp price.
I've been so impressed with Destiny Tools I now buy direct the larger sizes I want, although at full price I can't afford many of them!

Harvey tools have such an impressive line up it just hard to beat but they have a poor international freight regime, sorry not poor, but irrationally expensive international freight
regime, that I get them shipped to Oregon and that they do no trouble.

If you have not tired TitaniumBoroNitride coated tools for aluminum then get some (Harvey Tools). The coating is as 'greasy as a butchers prick' in aluminum. Really good in sticky 5000 series marine
grades and sticky 3000 series. I bought six of them but they are all broken, gone and worn out now, but I really want some more!.

BTW I'm in and around Christchurch.

Craig

[ashes-man]

BTW I'm in and around Christchurch.

Craig

Small world, I am Bank Peninsula, work in Christchurch!!! I will check out Harvey Tools. I also need to get some lathe tooling so that could make the freight worth it.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
small world is an understatement, I lived in Akaroa for 35 years.

Craig

[mactec54]

I have been using the tool at the link below for chamfering. I thought when I purchased it that it would also be good for center drilling. I only have 10 tool slots in my CNC so combining center drill, chamfering tool, and even side milling would be great. Unfortunately I have been breaking the tip off these tools when trying to use them for center drilling in 6061. In hindsight I think I was probably feeding the tool down too fast given the fine tip on it. Sorry, I don't remember the exact plunge rate, it was a while ago. But I need to buy a new one for a job so looking into this again now.

The tool says it is center cutting, but it also says does not have drill point geometry. So, are these tools meant for plunging or not? If so, what sort of plunge rate would you use for 6061 and low carbon steels?

https://www.garrtool.com/product-details/?EDP=58214

I don't know if anybody has posted this, your spot drill is 4 flutes, they are known for doing this no matter who the manufacturer is.

Try a 2-flute coated I used to use the 4-flute from a different manufacture and the same thing happened, they chip the point and cutting lip very easy, the 2-flute lasts a long time before you get any chipping at the tip, you can chamfer Spot Drill with this drill mill without any problems I don't mill with them so could not say how well that goes. I also use HSS spot Drills that you can chamfer with also

As for these types of cutters there are many manufacturers just use the cheapest you can find as they all last about the same, even the Chinese made, here is another company which has very good Tooling that I have and run every day, https://nine9.jic-tools.com.tw/nc-spot-drill.htm

[ToolHIT]

Shipping internationally just about anywhere has gotten extremely expensive! Thank you for the tip on NZ Post!

[jaibros]

The tool you mentioned in the link appears to be a chamfering tool that is center cutting, which means that it has cutting edges on both the end and sides of the tool, allowing it to make cuts from the center of a workpiece. However, based on the description, it does not have a drill point geometry, which is the characteristic geometry that allows a drill to start the hole and maintain roundness and straightness as it cuts.

Based on the information you provided, it sounds like using the chamfering tool for center drilling was not ideal, as the fine tip was prone to breaking. This could have been due to the high plunge rate, which likely exceeded the tool's recommended speed.

For center drilling, a specialized center drill is typically used. Center drills have a unique geometry that allows them to start the hole and maintain roundness and straightness as they cut. These drills are typically made from high-speed steel (HSS) and have a reduced diameter on the tip, which is followed by a slightly larger diameter section and then a shank.

For 6061 aluminum and low carbon steels, a plunge rate of around 0.1-0.2mm per revolution is a good starting point for center drilling. However, the actual plunge rate will depend on several factors such as the specific geometry of the center drill, the cutting conditions, and the feed rate.

https://jaibros.com/products/u-drill1-mm

[jaibros]

It sounds like the tool you're using is primarily designed for chamfering and doesn't have a drill point geometry, which can make it more challenging to use for center drilling. While it may be possible to use it for some center drilling operations, it may not be the best tool for the job.

For center drilling, it's typically better to use a tool that is specifically designed for that purpose. A center drill will have a more robust tip and a defined angle to help ensure that it starts the hole cleanly and accurately. A chamfering tool, on the other hand, is designed to cut at an angle, which can make it more difficult to control the depth and location of the hole when used for center drilling.

In terms of plunge rate, the exact speed will depend on a number of factors, including the material you're working with, the diameter of the hole you're drilling, and the type of tool you're using. As a general rule, you'll want to start with a slower plunge rate and gradually increase it until you find a speed that produces a clean, accurate hole without causing the tool to break or wear out too quickly. For 6061 aluminum, a good starting point for a center drill might be a plunge rate of around 0.005 to 0.010 inches per revolution (IPR), but you may need to adjust this based on your specific application and tooling. For low-carbon steels, a slightly slower plunge rate may be necessary to prevent overheating or work hardening of the material.

https://jaibros.com/products/u-drill1-mm