So I just got my machine and managed to smoke 2 of the 3 endmills I ordered(1/32). They cut great, but dropped one and lost the tip, and the other snapped when it hit my t track clamp.
Anyone use anything other than the ones here? Any decent places to buy bulk bits?
Thanks for the info!
I buy from drillman1 pretty much exclusively for anything under 0.25in.
Here is what I have purchased before. A ten pack of 1/32" bits for $37.50.
It’s fun to browse the 2 flute endmill selection and find ones for less than $4.00/ea. I usually buy them 10 at a time because “have them and not need them vs need them and not have them” is so true.
How are their quality? Any suggestions for roughing bits under .25?
Drillman1 is good as suggested by @MadHatter. https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ssn=roguesystemsinc&_pgn=2&_skc=50&rt=nc Are another good source for a wide variety of reasonably priced mills.
As far as the quality, they are all solid carbide, so they stay sharp for a long time, but they are brittle compared to HSS. I have never done machining until I got my SO3, and I was told about drillman1 and have been buying mainly from “him” (since I have no idea who it actually is running the store) but the bits I have purchased:
0.0120, 0.0150
0.0177, 0.0197
0.0236, 0.0276
0.0315, 0.0394
0.0472, 0.0625
0.0630, 0.1250
0.1875
Have all been just fine. I don’t cut metal, and most of the wood I cut is exotic hardwoods (purpleheart, katalox, wenge, pau ferro, chechen, chakte viga, zebrawood, leopardwood) as well as cherry, and laminated bamboo. The bits last a long time, but sometimes I forget to reduce the cutting depth of the smaller bits and break them off when I try to make a 0.04" deep cut with a 0.0120" bit. Let me tell you, it does not work well at all.
Overall, I like the bits. They last long enough I think I am getting my moneys worth out of them, but if I break them due to “operator head space and timing issues” I don’t feel bad, because it was only like $4.00.
If you want to drill a lot of holes (like for a cribbage board for instance), the solid carbide drills are also a good deal. I can drill ~2,000 holes before the bit gives out. I use the 0.1250" and 0.0781" drill bits mainly for my cribbage boards.
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.