The attached shows 6 end mills I have and never used before. Each is 1/8” OD, 1.5” Total Length, 1/2" Cutting Length. Three are single flute, Three 2 flute and Three 4 flute. Not sure if you call them “Flutes” perhaps they are spiral ends but to me they look like flutes.
The other picture shows what I plan to cut with my cnc on 1/4" plywood.
Any ideas which one will be the best for the job and what will be the ideal RPM and Feed in inches per minute?
Hi,
single flute and single flute downcut are generally considered for wood and plastics. The down cut prevents the burr at the top where a regular tool 'pulls' chips
from down the hole.
Two, three and four flute tools are general purpose. Two flute tools have plenty of room for chips in the flutes and might be best with wood and plastics.
I use four flute tools on metals. Typically the central most core of a tool has greatest area and therefore greatest strength with three and four flute tools. This means that you can push harder
or have more safety margin when cutting metals. The tool bends.....and ever so slightly too much...and it snaps. A strong still core is highly desired even if it does means chip
evacuation is much harder.
Hi,
surface speeds for carbide tools cutting wood are 500m/min plus.
For a 3mm tool:
circumference= 0.003 x pi
=0.00942m
Surface speed = RPM x circumference or another way of saying it is:
RPM= Target Surface speed / circumference
RPM=500 /0.00942
=53061rpm!!
I doubt you'll have a spindle that can do 50000 rpm, so just spin it as fast as you can.
As far as feed rate goes, start at 500mm/min and work your way up in 250mm/min increments until you break a tool. Then you know that you have reached the limit,
back off by 25% or so.
Which End Mill is the Best for the Job?
Reply with Quote
