PSA: I was convinced a 3-flute end mill was just for aluminum, but it cut 304 stainless way better than my usual 4-flute.

Ran a test piece after a machinist in Cincinnati swore by it, and my surface finish improved by about 15%. Anyone have a go-to tool for stainless they thought wouldn't work?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael66923d ago

Read somewhere that fewer flutes can help with chip clearance in gummy stuff. Makes sense if it was loading up before.

mia70023d ago

Yeah, that tracks completely. I was fighting some nasty 6061 the other day and switching to a two-flute made a world of difference. The chips just couldn't get out of the way fast enough with more flutes, everything just packed in there. It's one of those things you don't really think about until you see the mess it makes.

taylorshah23d ago

Wait, you found a machinist in Cincinnati who actually gave out real advice instead of just grumbling about coolant? That might be the real miracle here. I'm stuck with the old guys who treat tooling choices like state secrets. The three flute thing makes total sense for chip clearance, but I'm just shocked you got a straight answer from someone.