Roughing endmills

[nickelback]

In a CNC Milling machine a roughing endmill is not to be cutting in a clockwise direction. Is this true? Even though a cnc has ball screws you are not supposed to run a roughing endmill any other than conventional milling. Is this also true?

[Jim Whipple]

Not that I've ever heard

I climb cut almost everything

Jim

[mold100]

Climb mill always, Its safer (Your cutter pushes away),You can feed more aggresively,You get a much better surface finish even with a roughing endmill,and last but not least longer tool life.I hope no one will argue these points.Maybe I could be wrong but alls well on the milling front here.

[gcode]

95% of the time climb cutting is prefferable

to conventional cutting.

I can think of two case where conventional cutting is better.

 

When cutting material that has been case harded or flame cut, tools will last longer with

conventional cutting. Climb cutting a hard surface will dull the endmill quickly because

it's hitting the hardened surface every cut.

Milling convetionally, the tool is cutting from the inside-out and is less effected by the hardened surface.

 

Another good place for convetional cutting is

when millling across the end of a thin wall.

The wall may chatter a little when milled conventionally, but climb millling it will pull the wall into the tool and bend it.

 

I'm sure the folks on this forum can come up with a few more.

[mold100]

Good points,I am sure there will be many more,The hard stuff I personally still climb only because of the wonderful tool coatings of today.I would more than likely try the rib also leaving a fair amount of stock during semi,then finishing all at once in smaller step downs with a back drafted cutter to relieve tool pressure.This is a hypothitical situation considering the smallest ribs I mill is 3/32 and usually always at least 1 degree of draft,Thats alot differant than what most others rib machine.

[MACHINEMASTERG]

we cut alot of plastics here an i always climb mill but for plastisc i conventional mill the finish pass- better finish and no little hairs on surface- kind of wipes it clean

[Kenneth Potter]

I learned that conventional cutting on those big Boring mills Like Devigle(SP?) is the only way to go.1-1/4 to 3" dia roughing end mills will snap if climb cutting.

 

Extream lenghts 3",,4",,,5",,,flute lenghts with dead slow rpms & feeds into corners might call for convention cutting.

 

Jm2cents

[TheePres]

Only on 2 situations do i conventional cut:

Roughing out Titanium and thin plate any material.