PaulT
Stainless
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2002
- Location
- Brisbane, CA, USA
I had to make a cover out of a chunk of 1-1/2" thick piece of 6061, requiring me to mill a big pocket 1.2" deep. I used a 1/2" carbide endmill with a 1" flute length to do this, taking .200" deep passes since that's about all my BP clone type cnc will handle, particularly in the beginning of each cut pass where it has to do full width slotting for a while.
I've seen references in the forum to not milling deeper slots or pockets than the flute length on the endmill, at least not without a reduced neck on the endmill.
However I've always broken this rule as I did above (although only by .2").
Obviously you can't take a deeper step cut than your flute length, but as long as you abide by that what is supposed to go wrong when your total cut depth is more than your flute length, I've never had a problem with it and I'm not sure what the dangers are.
Paul T.
I've seen references in the forum to not milling deeper slots or pockets than the flute length on the endmill, at least not without a reduced neck on the endmill.
However I've always broken this rule as I did above (although only by .2").
Obviously you can't take a deeper step cut than your flute length, but as long as you abide by that what is supposed to go wrong when your total cut depth is more than your flute length, I've never had a problem with it and I'm not sure what the dangers are.
Paul T.