Does anybody have experience with powdered metal tooling, specifically end mills? We're looking to do some finish milling on 1018 steel and don't want to spend the cash on large-diameter carbide tools. The Cleveland PM Plus and Hanita PM mills look attractive on paper. Any advice, opinions, or suggestions?

Thanks ahead of time!

I love PM drills like the Nachi ESS and the OSG VPH. The powdered metal endmills I've seen only looked cheaper than carbide because the carbide endmills offered in the same catalog were overpriced by 30-50%. What length of cut do you need? Garr has a VRX that will cut a mountain of 1018 steel at 400 sfm. The 1/2" endmill with 1-1/4" length of cut is $44.15 at the 50-100 quantity, which Reid Tool gives on the internet even when bought individually. I also just noticed they have a 1/2" x 2" length of cut for $73.80 (links below). I have used variable helix endmills extensively on mild steel and 4140 HT. I largely credit them with helping me make a decent hourly rate in this economy. Feel free to write with questions. By the way, I am not plugging these to earn money. I have nothing to do with the suppliers.

Dave

http://www.garrtool.com/viewitempublic.jsp?edp=27760

http://www.garrtool.com/viewitempublic.jsp?edp=63240

Dave...
I hear you about carbide being overpriced by suppliers. It took me a while to find one that didn't stick us on every drill, tap, and mill that was ordered.
The length we're looking for is 2.5" and the maximum allowable diameter is 3/4". So far, 5/8" x 2.5" HSS has worked alright, but it's slow and doesn't wear nearly as long as carbide probably would. Keep in mind these are only for finish profiling cuts, so 0.01"-0.02" radial is the most severe these mills will ever see.
I'll be sure to check out your recommendations. We've never used variable mills before and are looking for a good excuse to try them out. Like carbide, the big boys tend to go heavy on the markup with those kinds of tools. I'll be sure to keep you updated.

Thank you very much for your advice, Dave.

http://www.garrtool.com/viewitempublic.jsp?edp=86547