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Hit 500 parts off a single end mill and I'm still surprised
I was running a simple 6061 job last month. Nothing crazy, just a bracket with some 2D contours. I figured I'd get maybe 200 parts before the tool started showing wear. I checked it every 50 parts waiting for it to fail. That thing just kept cutting. By 400 I was laughing. At 500 I stopped the machine and measured everything. Still within .002. I used HSM toolpaths with a .500 3 flute carbide from a cheap Chinese set. Anyone else get way more life out of a tool than you expected?
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charliestone2mo ago
Chinese end mills are like that friend who shows up uninvited but ends up doing all the dishes. Sounds like you got lucky with a batch that didn't get quenched in used motor oil. Next time you'll buy the expensive ones and they'll chip on the first part, just to balance the universe.
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susanm562mo ago
@charliestone same thing happened with my angle grinder from AliExpress. Still works, just smells weird.
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Oh, absolutely. I had a similar thing happen with a cheap Chinese 3/8 end mill I bought on a whim. Ran it through 300 parts in some 7075 aluminum, just waiting for it to blow up. It finally dulled after 400 parts and I replaced it out of guilt more than anything.
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