Finally nailed my surface finish on stainless, but the tool life seems random. What gives?

After so many tries, I got the finish I wanted on that stainless part. But why does the endmill last twice as long sometimes? It's driving me NUTS.

3 comments

3 Comments

emerypark5d ago

Ugh, tool life is never perfect though! Maybe it's not as wildly random as it feels.

sarah4654d ago

Tracking every use really helped me see the patterns... started a simple log with date, material, and run time. Most of the 'random' breaks came from not cleaning bits often enough or pushing too hard. Setting a strict clean and check schedule cut my surprises in half. It's boring work but saves so much headache down the line. You might find a few easy fixes once you look at the data.

the_gray4d ago

Totally agree with the log approach! Heard a podcast mention how scheduled checks prevent most tool fails.