# Indexable end mills



## Moper361 (Feb 11, 2018)

Hello all .Finally im on my way back home to my hobby room after 3 weeks away for work for a nicely earned break .While ive been at work i have managed to fill my head with a million things i want to change and build lol as the job has been quiet so have had plenty of day dream time haha and spent a load on buying stuff online for my shop the idle mind is dangerous when you have this hobby . I would like to know if any of you can give advice on smaller  indexable end mills  1/2 inch upto inch .Ive been looking at a few and wondering how they perform against the regular 4 flute end mills im using now i only use chinese brand standard end mills at the momment but maybe interested in a few smaller indexable end mills if they are any good .My use is just basic stuff cutting a ledge or slot in brass aluminium and steel .my mill is nothing fancy just a chinese unit but seems to do the job for me .Im limited to 6 speeds ranging between 75 rpm to 1600 rpm i dont run a constant cooling system .Any help or thoughts appreciated on the subject 
Regards Nat


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## Hukshawn (Feb 11, 2018)

This old Tony uses 3/8, 1/2", 3/4" shars indexable end mills. I've many times considered getting some and many times almost pulled the trigger but shipping to Canada is brutal.


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## 4GSR (Feb 11, 2018)

How heavy of a mill do you have?  Is it a Bridgeport clone? or smaller?


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## Moper361 (Feb 11, 2018)

4gsr said:


> How heavy of a mill do you have?  Is it a Bridgeport clone? or smaller?


Think this tge best way to discribe it is not huge and i usually run a mt4 er40 collet chuck the ddrill chucks in there as i drilled some holes in a work peice last time i used it


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## jdedmon91 (Feb 12, 2018)

Moper361 said:


> Hello all .Finally im on my way back home to my hobby room after 3 weeks away for work for a nicely earned break .While ive been at work i have managed to fill my head with a million things i want to change and build lol as the job has been quiet so have had plenty of day dream time haha and spent a load on buying stuff online for my shop the idle mind is dangerous when you have this hobby . I would like to know if any of you can give advice on smaller indexable end mills 1/2 inch upto inch .Ive been looking at a few and wondering how they perform against the regular 4 flute end mills im using now i only use chinese brand standard end mills at the momment but maybe interested in a few smaller indexable end mills if they are any good .My use is just basic stuff cutting a ledge or slot in brass aluminium and steel .my mill is nothing fancy just a chinese unit but seems to do the job for me .Im limited to 6 speeds ranging between 75 rpm to 1600 rpm i dont run a constant cooling system .Any help or thoughts appreciated on the subject
> Regards Nat





	

		
			
		

		
	
This is my 3/4 insert mill. I’m working on boring bar conversation into a turning tool. 

I have had this tool for 3 or so years. Use it often I picked up from a local distributor. At the time it was around $100



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Wreck™Wreck (Feb 12, 2018)

I may be wrong but I suspect that an inserted endmill  will not give you the results that you are expecting when used in such a machine.

That being said the only way to find out is to buy one and try it.

Have at it.
One may buy a nicely made tool for less then $200.00 in that size range.

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn...s?searchterm=insert+endmills&navid=4287924448


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## Hukshawn (Feb 12, 2018)

Alternatively in price. 

http://www.shars.com/products/index...e-milling?indexable_milling_category=End+Mill


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## jdedmon91 (Feb 12, 2018)

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	class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">
	
		
WreckWreck said:



			I may be wrong but I suspect that an inserted endmill will not give you the results that you are expecting when used in such a machine.

That being said the only way to find out is to buy one and try it.

Have at it.
One may buy a nicely made tool for less then $200.00 in that size range.

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn...s?searchterm=insert+endmills&navid=4287924448

Click to expand...


I used mine on a PM 25 before I got the Lagun 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Wreck™Wreck (Feb 12, 2018)

jdedmon91 said:


> I used mine on a PM 25 before I got the Lagun



As I said.
I may be wrong.
Using such a tool in that application will not work a well as expected or as the manufacturer intended.


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## Moper361 (Feb 13, 2018)

Hukshawn said:


> Alternatively in price.
> 
> http://www.shars.com/products/index...e-milling?indexable_milling_category=End+Mill


Thanks Hukshawn ive been having a look at these and yes thats the sort of thing im after .I dont plan on spending a fortune and the price on tbese shars ones seems to fit my wallet better .
Cheers Nat


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## Moper361 (Feb 13, 2018)

jdedmon91 said:


> I used mine on a PM 25 before I got the Lagun
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I think i will give it a go at the end of the day i dont push my mill hard and am conservative with my cuts so i cant it being an issue


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## Buffalo20 (Feb 13, 2018)

I have 3 sets of them, bought one new and got the other 2 set, in plant shut down buy ups. One set uses CCMT inserts, one uses AKPT inserts and the last set uses some unknown insert. They work okay, but they are nothing special, knowing what I know now, I would never buy another set, unless it was a Kennamatal or similar brand unit, you buy cheap, you get cheap.


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## mikey (Feb 14, 2018)

Moper361 said:


> I think i will give it a go at the end of the day i dont push my mill hard and am conservative with my cuts so i cant it being an issue



Just curious as to the max speed on your mill. Reason I ask is that inserted carbide end mills run at much higher speeds than most hobby machines can run at. Take aluminum for example. Cutting speeds can vary with the insert and manufacturer but a typical average is 2000-3000 sfm. So, for a 1/2" diameter cutter used in aluminum, you are looking at a little over 19,000 rpm. Not saying it won't cut but it won't cut the way the manufacturer intended, like Wreck said. Just food for thought and at the end of the day, its your money but for a small mill like yours, HSS or cobalt might work better.


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## ericc (Feb 14, 2018)

Just because your mill cannot hit 19000 rpm doesn't mean that these inserted end mills are useless.  I tried to cut a slot in a mystery 4140 round.  The reason I say mystery is that it was a gift and had no certs.  It did have paint on the end, so it could have been pre-hard.  The Chinese end mill set wouldn't cut and just made the poor Jet knee mill at Techshop rumble.  I suspect that one of these inserted end mills could have done the job.  After reading a bunch of negative reviews online for use on small mills, I made a poor-man's version with a small round steel bar with a slot cut for a cobalt lathe bit rigged up like a fly-cutter.  It was retained with a section of water pipe used as a sleeve.  It got through the cut at a slow speed and glacial feed rate.  I suspect that this cut would have required substantially less than 19000 rpm with any reasonable inserted end mill, but I didn't want to spend $200, since the Internet comments were kind of negative.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Feb 14, 2018)

personally, for small mills I would suggest getting a couple of cobalt roughing end mills in 1/4 and 3/8 sizes, then a couple of 1/4 3 flute carbide end mills. Rough out the parts with the roughers, then finish with the carbide at a higher rpm. That will cover almost all materials, the roughers will take a beating and still keep going and your carbide end mills will last longer. If you look on Amazon every so often, they have tools heavily discounted for the last one, typically as add on items. I've bought a whole bunch of taps, end mills and the like (including a beautiful 1/2in 3 flute Morse rougher) for around $5-7 each. Real quality tooling for Chinese prices. Latest find was a Mit 10-13mm hole guage for $8 posted.

Now face mills on the other hand really lend themselves to carbide. A cheap 2in 4 flute face mill and some alu specific inserts off eBay should do a lovely job. I have one high on my list


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## Grandpop (Feb 14, 2018)

I have an 80's 8 x 26 MSC knee mill. I have an old set of 1" dia Valenite Mini-Mills that are similar to the Shars Little Hogger sets. The Valenite 90 degree tool is my favorite and used most every time I make something. Unfortunately it uses (2) 5/16 IC triangle negative inserts, but they can still be bought on ebay easy enough. The 45 degree chamfer tool is also used a lot (3/8 square inserts).

I also have the same set in 1.5 diameter sizes, but they worked great on a Bridgeport but not too well on my little mill.

I liked the little 1" ones much that I made a 5/8 and 3/4 diameter set of 90 and 45 cutters by copying the Valenite design that uses the same inserts, but just one insert each. They work well on the little mill for steels at 1700 rpm. I run same speed for aluminum and works good for that as well, despite not being "correct" speed.


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