Quote:
Originally Posted by TD78
Any particular type of end mill recommended? Brand? Carbide vs. HSS? I used HSS last year, but never needed to have an LOC longer than 1/2". Is carbide the preferred alternative for rigidity in this case?
Also, maybe slightly off topic, but any recommendations on reference books/resources for workholding? That seems, to me, to be the biggest hurdle to get over. My team acquired a used CNC mill last year and while it took some time to learn how to operate it, fixturing was the hardest part.
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We use carbide almost exclusively unless it's a tool too large or uncommon to justify the increased cost. For small end mills the price differential is so small it's not worth it to buy HSS. We purchase almost all of our end mills from lakeshorecarbide.com. Made in the US, very high quality/performance at a great price.
Fixturing was our biggest struggle when we first got our CNC mill. We kind of just got experience with it as we went and did more things. There are books I've heard recommended but they're all $100-150. Practicalmachinist.com is a great site for metalworking forums. You can search for fixture designs or workholding tips and see a lot of great examples of how other users have done things, or you can get advice for your own parts you may be having trouble with.