Do HSS End Mills still serve a viable purpose for the home machinist?

[slowneasy]

With the wide availability of carbide end mills in nearly any configuration today, is there any superior advantage to stocking/using HSS end mills?

 

[JPMacG]

HSS is less costly and less fragile. I've broken a few cabide end mills (my fault) but have never broken HSS. For my hobby purposes I don't really need the attributes of carbide so I am almost exclusively HSS.

 

[mickri]

Same here. I use HSS end mils.

 

[Batmanacw]

I use both, but tend toward carbide for steel and hss for aluminum.

 

[slowneasy]

interesting, okay, that makes sense. I've chipped tips/corners on a few of the carbide end mills I have.

What types of material are you working with mostly? I would guess my use is 2/3's steel/stainless and 1/3'd aluminum. and there's always some mystery type

 

[jwmay]

In addition to what others have said, carbide requires more hp and rigidity. I use carbide and hss, but each has its best utility. If I had to choose between running all carbide or all hss, I’d dump the carbide.

I can’t really see a good reason to limit yourself to either option.

 

[woodchucker]

interesting, okay, that makes sense. I've chipped tips/corners on a few of the carbide end mills I have.

What types of material are you working with mostly? I would guess my use is 2/3's steel/stainless and 1/3'd aluminum. and there's always some mystery type

Stop buying square tips unless you need them, buy radiused end mills, they don't break as easy. They cost a little more, but are very much worth it.
A former member told me that about carbide.. Big difference. I use both HSS more but I have a boat load of carbide too. Carbide for tougher materials.

 

[slowneasy]

great suggestion woodchucker on radius end mills. that would minimize the chipped corners, i should try a few with at least a .010" cr. On the tips though that i have broken, they've been on drill/mills. i generally don't use them except in circumstances where i have to drill a hole on a radius surface. hate it when that happens.
definitely agree with having rigidity too jwmay

 

[mksj]

I find that the HSS just does not last, I actually prefer coated HSS CO which last longer and are less fragile. About 2/3rds of my end mills as HSS (Mostly Niagara and Melin) that I picked up as a NOS lot on eBay 10+ years ago and they are still working well, the rest are either Carbide or powdered metal. I find I can get better longevity (useful cutting life) with carbide so no really savings over HSS. It also depends on the mills speed and rigidity, smaller mills would probably do better with using HSS w/wo CO. When removing a lot of material I use rougher type, and/or wave combination type. In my experience aluminum does best with a 3 flute high helix types with some air and light coolant, greatly improves the cutting performance and longevity of the end mill. Steel I use a air/droplet coolant system with a water soluble oil, or cutting oil applied with a can or small brush.

Carbide cutters chip very easily and more susceptible to thermal shock with micro-fracturing if hot and hit with coolant. I haven't resharpened any of my end mills, use them up and throw them in a box. If I get enough I might have them reground.

 

[GeneT45]

I find myself using almost exclusively carbide these days (or at least only buying carbide, I still have a fair amount of HSS and use them here and there. About the only advantage I see to HSS mills anymore is that they're easier to grind on if you want to thin a shank or make a T-slot cutter or the like. That's in contrast with the lathe, where I still use quite a bit of HSS and the ability to grind my own cutters comes in handy much more frequently.

GsT