Yes as I left the group I put IH and the group name together. I thought it was a maker or model I was unfamiliar with.
Carbide should work aluminum about as easily as a hardwood. Steel can be touchy. Old machinists are good to have. Carbide fly cutters are about the nuttiest thing you can run in a mill. They sure do make a mess. Run 400 SFPM (Surface Feet Per Minute) on mild steel if memory serves. Or about 510 RPM spindle speed. I use the formula:
PI X DIA X RPM / 12 = SFPM
Of course every machine is a little different but that is a good place to start off. Power feed yields the best surface finish too. Really, I just barely kiss the surface when I face mill. Better to do a few passes than break an insert.
Regardless of how much you're already invested the cost of a set of unneeded inserts could go towards better uses. And when they go they can go fast! Have fun! |