I am finally getting back to my MPCNC after a hiatus. I am printing the new part now and will be picking up a 660 as well. My question is what is a good endmill to start with? I plan to do wood and aluminum so I am looking for something that is multipurpose if that exists.
I see a few options in the store and I know that there are a ton on amazon but I am just not sure what would be best for my purpose.
Probably a 2 flute 1/8 for the wood… maybe a downccut for the first pass if you’re worried about the finish. What all do you want to do? I wound up with some ball nose and v-bits after a little while. If carving or engraving is in your future, might as well get a couple of those too. Oh, maybe something bigger for surfacing your board if that’s an issue.
I can’t say much about the aluminum, as I haven’t tried to cut any. Probably a single flute, especially if you can’t control the RPM on your spindle.
ok great. Do you know if there are any bits that are ok for both wood and aluminum?
Sorry, no. Most of the endmills I have are rated for aluminum and wood, but I’ve never cut any aluminum on mine. Maybe somebody with more experience could weigh in.
Any bit that works on aluminum will work on wood, but there are wood specific bits that do a better job. There are so many different kinds of end mills it is very confusing. I end up getting what I think is rigthh and just sticking with it. That is why I don’t have a huge selection in the shop, all the bits in there cover most of the bases without getting crazy.
There are some super tuned wood mills out there for $100+ they have a tight spiral on the very end and a big wide spiral for the rest to cut well and kick out the chips faster. But that is a whole different rabbit hole.
If you are new to it, just get a single or double flute end mill and it can work for all materials. Specialized bits offer faster cutting and better surface finish usually.
Yea, The number of options are a little overwhelming. I am thinking about starting with this one: https://vicious1-com.myshopify.com/collections/sharp-stuff/products/1-8-2-flute-endmill
What do you think?
Exactly, that is the standard endmill. But start by learning on foam, then wood, then plastic, then metal. You will see how feeds/speeds and depth of cut matter more and more as you make that progression. Trust me way better to take the time to learn the progression.