Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] 1/8" Shank, 1/8" Diameter Spiral Upcut bit source?

Marcus & Eva wrote:

> Hi Tracy:
> Get yourself some carbide endmills.
> Garr or MA Ford are good brands.
> They are the same price as HSS endmills in the smaller sizes and the 1/8 dia
> is also 1/8 shank.
> They also have the added benefit of being a lot more rigid than HSS cutters,
> especially noticeable when you stick them out a long way from the collet
> nose.

If you've never seen the difference, it is truly amazing. An HSS short 1/8"
end mill with 3/8" shank would wander .010" easily, while the tiny carbide
one with the 1/8" shank would hold to .002" or so on the first pass.

I've also found the carbide mills would survive occassional accidents with
amazing resistance to breakage. I must have botched a G92 Znnnn MDI
command and failed to reset the Z reference, and started a program.
At 2720 RPM (as fast as my machine will go) the 1/8" carbide end mill
plunged through a 1/8" aluminum panel at 45 IPM and then started milling
full width, full depth through the panel at 45 IPM until I hit the E-stop.
I couldn't believe the mill didn't break off! I determined the source of
the problem, reset the Z reference, put in another panel and finished the
whole job with that same end mill! A 1/8" HSS end mill would have
disintegrated instantly on the first move.

Jon