Help with Quick and Dirty Indexable Endmill Buy

[Cartierusm]

So I've just about finished the Bridgeport CNC conversion and I need some advice on some inexpensive, unless the expensive stuff is well worth it, indexable endmills?

I figure this is the route to go for CNC. I'll be using a heavy mist spray as far as coolant and I think I'll need 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" and 1" Indexable endmills for pretty much everything.

So center cutting? How can you tell if they center cut? I almost always ramp cut anyway so should I be concerned with this?

I'll be mainly cutting steel, stainless and aluminum I take it the holder will work for all and just need a different insert?

Shape, I figure round is for a rounded corner, but whats the cutting differencen between triangle, diamond and square?

And about all the offsets and rake angles and all that jazz.

I don't need a total explanation because I'm sure that's a course all it's own, but if someone can just give me a little direction. Thanks.

[Scanfab]

Indexable carbide cutters have a higher cutting force than carbide endmills, and on a "light" machine this can cause chatter and vibration problems. I would start out with HSS and carbide endmills and learn from there-back in the day, all airplanes were milled with HSS! Try cutting steel with a carbide/HSS rough cutter, and then switch to a indexed cutter, you will go back to the endmill on your bridgeport! Good luck..

[Scanfab]

Go on www.ebay.com and search for "endmill". You can buy a "lot" of tools for cheap, and then destroy them while you master the art of CNC.

[Cartierusm]

Thanks for the help. I already have CNC experience with a very rugged CNC router I built from scratch and do aluminum on and have been machining forever on a BP. So I know what carbide and HSS endmills can do, but you guys are saying stay with those? And are you calling a BP a light machine (I'm not offended just curious)? Thanks.

[Scanfab]

Anything under 10,000 lbs is a light machine-I have two FADAL EMC's like that and yes, they are light duty machines. Any heavy cut on them goes south. Light cuts are VERY accurate on them though.

It's like calling a FORD F-150 pick-up a light truck(which it is), will now tow more than what 5000 lbs?! A F-350 with 4 rear tires will pull 20,000lbs-thats why they call it Heavy Duty.

You can use inserted mill heads in the BP as long as you dont think carbide-can take heavy cuts...