End mills

[Tuscan8]

Hi All

I am new to the hobby so please forgive the new boy questions so here goes.

What would you use a two flute end mill for and what would you use a four flute for. I have a set which contains both and it would be good to know there different uses.

Thanks

Steve

 

[Swifty]

Two flute cutters, slot drills as they are called in Australia, allow you to plunge down into your workpiece. They are sharpened on the end to allow this, where as four flute cutters, end mills as we call them, cannot plunge into your workpiece as they don't cut all the way into the centre.

Paul.

 

[kuhncw]

If your four flute end mills are "center cutting", they can be used to plunge straight into the work. Not all four flute cutters are center cutting.

Hopefully, this link will show an image of both types.


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...xGUISaMomgqgGjm4DQCQ&ved=0CFwQ9QEwAw&dur=1021

Regards,

Chuck

 

[kvom]

Two- and 3-flute cutters have more space between each flute, and thus more room for chips to clear. For sticky material like aluminum, these are preferable to 4+ flute cutters.

 

[lensman57]

Hi,

A two flute cutter is a slot drill, a 4 flute cutter is an end mill you can plunge cut with a slot drill, as well as a center cutting 4 flute end mill but not all end mills are center cutting.

More importantly, if you wish to plunge and cut a slot then only use a 2 flute, slot milling cutter as it will cut to exact size of the cutter, ie: 5/16" for example. If you try and cut a slot with a 4 flute cutter you will always end up cutting larger than the diameter of the cutter.

Use an end mill for cleaning up surfaces or side milling subject to the capacity of your milling machine.

There is also a 3 flute cutter called mini mill that is supposed to be able to combine the best qualities of the 2 and 4 flute cutters, in general the more flutes a cutter has the better is the rate of material removal.

Hope this helps a bit.

Regards,

A.G

 

[kvom]

I would not rely on a precise slot in one pass even with a 2-flute mill. If you need an accurate 1/2" slot rough it with a 3/8" and then make finish passes.

 

[dmac]

This was a very timely question as I was just down in the shed milling a 6mm slot in the lathe. I reached for the 6mm four flute cutter and paused, should I use the two flute cutter I thought. Must ask my HMEM when I go back in the house, and here it is.

I used the four flute cutter on the presumption that is was Stainless Steel I was cutting and the additional cutting teeth would lessen the load.

Dave.

 

[kvom]

The chipload (defined as feed per tooth) on a cutter is a function of feed rate. A 2-flute endmill will have the same chipload as a 4-flute if fed at half the rate.

 

[Tuscan8]

Couldn't ask for a more complete answer, thanks all, be prepared for many more questions !

Steve