Milling deep into 6062 T6

[dudz]

Thanks. The reason I say I'm thinking about using a 20mm dia cutter, is the doc. if I'm going 35mm in one pass, then tool deflection could be an issue ?. So I thought about using the 20mm endmill do take 95% of the material away, then go to a 10mm dia endmill to do the finishing passes at full depth. I have a 50mm shell mill. A bit nervous about doing anything else but surfacing with it.

[Muzzer]

I have a 50mm shell mill. A bit nervous about doing anything else but surfacing with it.

Here's a 50mm shell mill doing 3D adaptive roughing. Safer / easier than using a long series carbide tool, which would otherwise be needed to reach the bottom of the stock.


Deflection of a carbide cutter shouldn't be an issue, as they are designed to be used that way.
Here's an example of a long series cutter taking a good DOC. And showing the importance of good chip evacuation! making loads of chips in a corner with nowhere for them to go almost guarantees a breakage. The chips get "recut" and melt onto the tool.

[dudz]

Ok thanks, I get that, being its a long tool with sideways force. But if that was a 20mm or 25mm dia tool using compressed air, it more than likely wouldn't of snapped eh ? The shell mill was impressive in that video. But if the space was tight and you were forced to use an endmill, maybe a reduced neck endmill would be the go ? Speaking of which, I cannot find reduced neck endmills on aliexpress.