End Mills

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Hi.  Looking for a  simple  explanation  on   the different  end  mills.  eg.    four  flute,  six flute,  etc.  also  roughing  or  finishing  mills.  I also see  some  can plunge drill.I"m  looking  for  something   very  basic  for a farm  shop.   would  appreciate  any  informationon  where  to  start.   should I look for  carbide  or   HSS  good  enough?         Thank"s  for  any  replies.
Reply:HSS for the most part, will you be cutting flame cut parts? If so get 1 carbide insert cutter for that only.  And I would suggest 4 flute for most applications, roughing if you don't care about finish quality.  But roughing end mills take a specific set of tools to resharpen, whereas you will be able to "farm" out the resharps for the others easily.   As a machinist I personally only own 4 indexable end mills. Because most of what I cut is me cutting virgin material.   If it has been flame cut then I break those out and use them.  Sent from my SM-G960U using TapatalkI haven't built anything I can't throw away.  Perfection is the journey.    Mac
Reply:If I may hijack a bit,are there any end mills good for boring holes versus using your typical tapered drill bit?thanksSent from my LM-X420 using Tapatalk
Reply:Yes.  I plunge/center cut with an end mill in a lathes tail stock.
Reply:I pilot, plunge, then bore as needed.Sent from my SM-G960U using TapatalkI haven't built anything I can't throw away.  Perfection is the journey.    Mac
Reply:But some end mills have a dead center which will not let you plunge drill.CG
Reply:I use simple low cost end mills.There lot of end mills option  most just sale man tricks. Dave  Originally Posted by JoseyHi.  Looking for a  simple  explanation  on   the different  end  mills.  eg.    four  flute,  six flute,  etc.  also  roughing  or  finishing  mills.  I also see  some  can plunge drill.I"m  looking  for  something   very  basic  for a farm  shop.   would  appreciate  any  informationon  where  to  start.   should I look for  carbide  or   HSS  good  enough?         Thank"s  for  any  replies.
Reply:Thanks guysSent from my LM-X420 using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by dusterdudeIf I may hijack a bit,are there any end mills good for boring holes versus using your typical tapered drill bit?thanksSent from my LM-X420 using Tapatalk
Reply:Overall...............I find that a roughing mill is the best all around tool.  I only use finish mills for cutting keyways, and important surfaces where fit, or friction force, matters when the part's in use.  Carbide is the best.  Lasts forever if you take care of them.Depending on your machine power, buy the smallest diameter end mill that you can live with.  Small end mills soak up less power.  You'll figure out the optimal depth of cut, and peripheral cut, after using them for a while.  And, when you wreck the smaller end mill, it's less painful on the wallet
Reply:2 flutes for lighter cuts, softer material, higher cutting speeds Surface Feet per Minute, aluminum, brass,  4 or more flutes steels and finer finishThere are HSS, Cobalt, TI-Nitride coated, and carbide, just like drill bits,  the harder the material the better tool you need, cobalt will stand more heat than HSSSome are center cut, but not designed to drill holesI like to use a stone to put a small (.010) raidus on the tipsFlame cut and I would always clean up with a inserted carbide toolUse coolant to remove the generated heat, air misters are great for this.