High Performance Endmills

[Aeroguy]

Well I am sure I will get blasted by some here, but I like Guhrings RF line of cutters for some of the tougher stainless and titanium. Hanita Varimill II are the best of course, but availability can be a bit of an issue sometimes.

[jeff]

Well I am sure I will get blasted by some here, but I like Guhrings RF line of cutters for some of the tougher stainless and titanium. Hanita Varimill II are the best of course, but availability can be a bit of an issue sometimes.

 

There's a Varimill II????

SWEET!

I gotta try that.

If you're having a hard time finding a Varimill, check out this place and try out their HotMills.

They are the same as a Varimill, and a little cheaper. And have good delivery.

[Aeroguy]

Yeah, they have the original Varimills, but a few years back they came out with Varimill II. They kick some serious butt and the tool life is amazing. I just followed the speeds and feeds right out of the book, but backed off a tad in the depth of cuts they suggest.

 

There's a Varimill II????

SWEET!

I gotta try that.

If you're having a hard time finding a Varimill, check out this place and try out their HotMills.

They are the same as a Varimill, and a little cheaper. And have good delivery.

[jeff]

Funny, for the regular Varimills, I run them around 50% faster than they recommend.

I'll have to look at the Varimill II

[Rekd™]

Ok, the support from Widia (Hanita) is crap. A guy named Joe is "helping" me with the most vague answers I've seen in a long time. When did they switch to Widia? I never had this much trouble choosing which endmill to rough 303 stainless with. :twak:

 

Contacting True Broach and Fraisa USA as well. Maybe the service will be better there.

[Rekd™]

I asked for info and here's his first reply...

 

"Attached is the catalog pages of the VariMills. I would suggest using the 4 flute for slotting."

 

Really?

 

4 flutes? In stainless?

 

Thanks, Joe. I never would have guessed!

[Rekd™]

Maybe I'm just stupid... here's how this is playing out.

 

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Thanks Joe.

 

I’m afraid I’m not sure how to read the legend on the chart you sent, the same problem I had on your website, it’s not very user friendly...

 

I know a 4 flute will be used in stainless.

 

I’m doing 303 stainless, which is a yellow M on the chart, but what’s the 1,2,3?

 

What’s the difference between TiAlN - LT and AlTiN - MT and TiAlN - LW and AlTiN - MW and which would be better for stainless?

 

Matt

 

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Hi,

 

The 303 SS will fall under M14.1 group.

 

Regards,

Joe

 

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I don’t see that anywhere on the .pdf.

 

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Hi Mathew,

 

It is the M1 group. Some charts will have M14.1 and this number breaks the material into sub groups.

 

Regards,

Joe

 

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Joe,

 

I’m no closer to knowing what EM to order than I was Monday.

 

I will try Fraisa USA and True Broach.

 

Thanks for your time.

 

Matt

 

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:twak:

 

(Goderators, feel free to move this to O/T if you think it should be there, but I wanted to share my experience with Widia (Hanita))

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Thanks for sharing Matt... that's important to know. Generally speaking I get support from or talk to the OEM guys so I don't see the know nothing d-bags too often. The one time I had a horrible experience was with SECO. The d-bag was arguing and hung up with our secretary. Since then , they've been personna non-grata in my facility. The guy was fired after I had a talk with HQ. I may let 'em back in... I've got an application coming up that is right up their alley, but we'll see.

[Rekd™]

Not a problem, James. I've used Varimills before and the support we got was absolutely stellar. An Israili guy came to our shop when ever we had a question and showed us amazing things with the endmills.

 

I finally got a decent response from "Joe" after I told him I'd talk to the competition.

 

I've already got a great response from True Broach so I'm going to try them as well as Hanita.

 

Joe's a fool for not taking this seriously. We spend a large fortune on cutters in the US, Germany and 2 countries in Southeast Asia. A company that wins our business will be very happy they put the time into working with us.

[Joe788]

My tool supplier has started stocking IMCO, due to hints of degrading quality in the Hanita line. I think IMCO makes some of the best stuff out there, especially with dynamic paths. We run em on 17-4, heat treated 4140 and 4340, 303, etc.

[Rekd™]

Thanks Joe. I'm checking them out right now, waiting for the catalog to download.

[Joe788]

Thanks Joe. I'm checking them out right now, waiting for the catalog to download.

 

The catalog is very straightforward:

 

http://www.imcousa.com/catalog/download/enDURO_525_Catalog.pdf

 

Takes about 5 seconds to figure out the speeds and feeds. For slotting with a half inch 5 flute in 303: 275sfm, .0025ipt.

 

If you use the request technical support function on their website, you'll get an email and a phone call from a person that actually knows WTF he's talking about too.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Yeah, the Isreali guy knows his $#!+ !!! OFF THE TOP OF HIS HEAD USUALLY! Jonathan Saada I think his name was... Been a looooong time since I've spoken with him.

 

I have been using that Iscar High Speed/Feed spreadsheet. It's been fantastic with quality cutting tools in tough materials so far.

[Rekd™]

Jonathan! That was his name. Yea, the guy is brilliant.

 

We used to call him Dr. Mengele (kind of weird considering he was Jewish but he didn't seem to mind ).

 

We would run those Varimills like a bat out of hell. Machining flame-cut surfaces that were super hard it seemed like when a flute would break off it didn't slow it down at all.

[Jroc85]

Varimills all the way.

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

Give Carl at http://www.lakeshorecarbide.com/ a call. All his tooling is top notch and his prices can't be beat. Made in the USofA!

[tooljockey]

Again....

 

http://www.fraisausa.com/cms.php?id_cms=9

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/fraisausa

 

....is all i'm sayin.

[Len Wilk]

Using Seco Jabro and Sandvik Plura here, milling cast and ductile iron.

[Millertime]

SECO endmills put in work

[JAMMAN]

I will have to try the ones everyone has listed, I have tried the OSG blizzard on a suggestion from this forum and it is all I will use on aluminium now. Don't have a machine that can push it to it's limits so far.

 

I do know that niagra's are cheap, BUT.... well here's the story as short as I can be. We buy them, 2 flute 3/4" for a certain aluminium job we frequent. It does about 20 parts, full depth 1" then starts giving a bad finish, so we switch them out, not a big deal since we make money.

 

I sent a few out to regrind through fastenal, they came back .735. Something they did made a HUGE difference because we are on our 3rd or 4th run of 50 of these parts on one end mill and it cuts like new!

 

Moral of the story... might be the grind more than the material or manufacturer.

[Rotary Ninja]

I will have to try the ones everyone has listed, I have tried the OSG blizzard on a suggestion from this forum and it is all I will use on aluminium now. Don't have a machine that can push it to it's limits so far.

 

I do know that niagra's are cheap, BUT.... well here's the story as short as I can be. We buy them, 2 flute 3/4" for a certain aluminium job we frequent. It does about 20 parts, full depth 1" then starts giving a bad finish, so we switch them out, not a big deal since we make money.

 

I sent a few out to regrind through fastenal, they came back .735. Something they did made a HUGE difference because we are on our 3rd or 4th run of 50 of these parts on one end mill and it cuts like new!

 

Moral of the story... might be the grind more than the material or manufacturer.

 

If the Niagra's you are using are coated use a magnifier and look closely at the cutting edge of a used one. Niagra's coating may be to blame if it shows signs of wearing off. I have seen this on Data Flutes, but not until I've used them for a few months. So it may be something as simple as Fastenal gives you a better coating. But you may be right and it's just a better grind. Might be something to look into.

 

As for the Hanitas, we have used them. We cut a lot of 4130, 4140, and 1018, for a production government job we do. They do pretty good. We were running a 5/8" at 3150 RPM and 30 IPM slotting 1/2" deep in 4140. They leave a very nice finish too. I have never used the Fraisa so I can't comment. But based on all the responses I think I will mention them at work and see if we can try them out.

[uncle_dolan]

So it may be something as simple as Fastenal gives you a better coating.

 

Arent the majority of AL tools uncoated?

[Jayson Kramer]

Yeah, the Isreali guy knows his $#!+ !!! OFF THE TOP OF HIS HEAD USUALLY! Jonathan Saada I think his name was... Been a looooong time since I've spoken with him.

 

I have been using that Iscar High Speed/Feed spreadsheet. It's been fantastic with quality cutting tools in tough materials so far.

James I talked to Jonathan last week. I talk to at least once a year. if you ever need his number give me a text.

He is looking for help another sales guy.

[jeff]

Arent the majority of AL tools uncoated?

They typically have a polished/bright finish, yes.

[Tim Johnson]

Arent the majority of AL tools uncoated?

 

Grab your more used size uncoated AL end mill and send it out for a zirconium nitride coating (ZrN). When you get it back test it against the uncoated end mill. You'll never go back to uncoated again.