1/4 inch milling cutter loading with aluminum t6061

WD40 or kerosene, 2 or 3fl carbide endmill, run it as fast as you can!
 
For what it's worth, a pro opinion of 4 flute in ali:


Forward to the 16 minute mark and watch a couple of minutes. I don't mind running 4 flute in the larger sizes myself, but can't disagree when running smaller end mills. +1 on the WD40 as cutting fluid. It's essentially modified kero anyway, but you gotta love the smell! Lol
 
That's interesting, I hate the smell of WD-40 but like the smell of Liquid Wrench
-M
 
Aluminum likes to pack the flutes of smaller cutters, just a fact. Couple things that help (in rough order of importance):

  • DON'T SLOT WITH THE CUTTER (if you can avoid it)
  • Reduce feedrate/chip load per tooth
  • Lubricate the cut (WD40, synthetic coolant, isopropyl alcohol)
  • Reduce cutter angle of engagement (width of cut)
  • Use a 2 or 3 flute endmill
  • Extract chips from cutting zone (compressed air, vacuum)
  • Use a larger endmill
  • Use an endmill with a larger gullet designed for aluminum
  • Use an endmill with a flute and gullet polish, designed for aluminum
  • Reduce spindle speed (less heat = less gummy chips)
My go-to recipe: YG1 Alu Power 3F carbide endmill, 3/8" 1"LOC, designed for aluminum. 5000 rpm, 15-25% stepover, 1" depth of cut, 0.002-0.003"/tooth chipload (45in/min, 0.09" width of cut). Note that this is not a slotting cut! Lubricated with manually applied coolant and compressed air to clear chips as needed.

Not saying this is exactly what you should use, but it is an example of what works.
 
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This is pointing to two widely differnent speeds. The second calculator showed an rpm of about 100 from 3 feet per minute for aluminum. Did I totally enter bad info?
 
dansawyer said:
This is pointing to two widely differnent speeds. The second calculator showed an rpm of about 100 from 3 feet per minute for aluminum. Did I totally enter bad info?
Click to expand...
When you are talking about speed, what you are referring to is Surface Speed, or the linear distance traveled by the tip of one of the cutter teeth per minute.

Aluminum, being cut with HSS, has a recommended SFM (Surface Feet per Minute) of 200-1000 based on several online sources. 400-500 SFM seems to be a good middle ground. That is 6000-7500rpm on a 1/4 cutter.

Carbide SFM in aluminum can be crazy high.

Going too high risks melting chips and requires aggressive coolant flow and chip clearing. There really is no "too slow" in aluminum, only lost productivity. Some materials don't cut well when you go too slow.
 
For lube Tap magic aluminum works even better than wd and its also inexpensive provided you can stand the smell. Some love it some hate it.


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I use any penetrating type oil that can be found at yard sales etc. Aluminum does not seem to care, just so something is there.
 
Spend the money for a 2 flute with polished flutes designed for aluminum. Use WD40or kerosene for a lubricant. If you have problems with chip evacuation use an air blast. Use the speeds and feeds from LMS as recommended by 7miles up.
 
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