Swapped out my HSS end mills for carbide and never looking back

Been running a Haas VF-2 for about 3 years now. Finally bit the bullet and bought a set of solid carbide end mills from Kyocera. The finish on 6061 aluminum is way better and I'm cutting 30% faster without chatter. Anyone else make the switch and notice a big difference in tool life?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_alice1d agoMost Upvoted

You mentioned that they cost almost as much as the machine is worth, and I get that feeling. But just a heads up, Kyocera isn't the only game in town for solid carbide. You can find decent sets from brands like Lakeshore Carbide or even cheap Chinese carbide on Amazon that work pretty well for a fraction of the price. The catch is they might not last as long on harder materials. For aluminum on a loose spindle, those budget carbide bits can still give you a better finish than HSS, just run them slower and take lighter passes. No point spending big money if the machine can't use it.

emmag222d ago

Oh yeah, nothing says "I've made it" like dropping serious cash on carbide end mills and suddenly feeling like a PRO. My ancient Bridgeport still shakes like it's having a seizure, so I just dream about those buttery smooth aluminum finishes. Must be nice having a Haas that doesn't cost more than my house payment to keep running.

the_brian2d ago

My shop has a beat up old mill from the 70s and I bought a set of those fancy carbide end mills last year. They cost almost as much as the machine is worth and the finish still looks like a cat scratched it because the spindle has too much play. @emmag22 you're right, spending money on nice tooling just makes me feel like I'm trying to polish a turd. I keep dreaming about one of those newer CNC machines too but then I remember my mortgage is already high enough. The buttery smooth finish might just be a myth for guys like us running ancient equipment.