so whenever i ask about tooling for mills people always tell me it is going to cost a lot.....without ever telling me just what i will need. Anybody wanna tell me just what kind of tools i will need (including attachements for the mill itself) to mill aluminum?

Depends on your definetion of "need". All you absolutly must have is some type of clamping system and 2 or 3 flute end mill and an end mill holder.

Your "need" is determined by your end product. Only from this can you determine what it is that you need.

Howerver, here is a list of just some of the things that are really nice to have.

Coolant system
Mikes and Calipers
Clamping system
Tooling Vise
Variety of end mill holders with end mills
Dial or digital indicators
Toolmakers squares
Collet system

See...? You have to figure out where you're going before you know what you need to start.

Your statement and question lack the specificity required for an accurate answer!

What type of mill?
What size table, spindle, horse power .....

There are too many variations in tooling, from cheapo chinese toys to the real thing!

(asuming it's a manual mill)

Having an X-axis power feed is one of the most important tooling accessories you can get!

For short runs on a bridgeport mill, a fly cutter with one carbide tool bit can do a good job, but for heavy cuts and larger jobs I would recomend a carbide face mill. I have a 2" and a 3" in my shop! the 2" has 3 inserts, while the 3" has 6 inserts.

Carbide incerts can get expensive, and not all cut the same!


Again, without knowing the specifics, we would all be guessing, which is a pain in the ....

i know my statements were broad, but all i was getting was .....a lot...and absolutely no specifics or examples at all. This was just what i was looking for in a response, somewhere to get started so i look and research. Thanks XD

I'll take some pictures of the types of things id like to start and end up with as im still very new and am not quite sure how to describe a lot of things in ways that you'd understand....a picture is worth a thousand words =P