Best deals on aluminum cutting end mills

I would think an aluminum end mill would have trouble cutting butter.

Have you tried ebay search for HSS "2 Flute" Tin Coated endmill?

I'll share my eBay search with you

it notifies me on new listings. Got quite a pile of deals this way.

Garr is top quality, replace with another vendor if you'd rather.

You might look at Shars.com On the website they add more postage for each part, but if you call them, they will use a flat rate box and charge accordingly.

Dan

Travers Tool just sent me a flyer yesterday. I can't say the prices are really good, but they aren't horrible. Of course, you don't want end mills made of aluminum, but for cutting aluminum. I use

1/8" solid carbide because thay can be had cheaply. For larger sizes, I usually use cobalt-containing HSS, such as M42. Thses are only a dollar or so more than plain HSS, but last 3X longer, or more. Avoid the Chinese crap in blue plastic tubes, they are the worst stuff I've ever seen.

Jon

I've had pretty good luck and can get pretty good material removal rates with 3 Flute Alu-Power end mills. I buy them on Ebay usually.

Mari-Tool sells some nice carbide end mills and they are located fairly local to you. If the IL state tax bothers you, try Lakeshore Carbide.

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Speaking of buying new tools, I stopped by HF for a couple of multifunction tools. One was for my spare, the other for my sister. I took it over to her and gave it to her, then was going to use it to install her rain barrel set. Those SOCK CUCKERS are shipping them with no blades whatsoever now. The box shows all that it can do with the 6 various blades, but all that's in the package is the machine, the allen wrench, the holddown bolt and washer, a manual, and a set of brushes for the motor. Talk about embarrassing. There is a small block on the box which says "! Accessories sold separately." in half the size print that the ads use. Bastards.

Caveat Emptor.

How are the tools themselves? One of my summer projects is replacing the bottom ends of a few corner boards that have rotted near the ground. I'd rather trim a foot or two from the bottom than pull off an entire 16 foot 1x5. A Fein seems like overkill for something I'll probably only use a few times, even if I find a used one on Craigslist.

What about the HF blades?

You could buy 25 sets of tool/blades for the price of 1 Fein. The only difference is that the Fein vibrates your hand less. That's nice, but not 25x nice, knowwhatImean,Vern?

I've used this HF multifunction tool for about 3 years now and it has never skipped a beat. I bought a spare because of the price, but this one may last forever. (My cheap HF 4-1/2" angle grinders seem to.) And the cheap little TIG purrs nicely every time I fire it up. I only wish it had a hi freq section to start the arc. It's a scratch start, or "lift start", as I just heard someone say here.

Very good on wood, iffy on metal, but I've cut nails holding cabinets together with them. They have a new bimetal blade, but I just picked it up and don't yet know its longevity. Expect to lose teeth within inches of cutting concrete siding. BTDT and it cost me, but it did cut the crap.

I bought a Genesis (Princes Auto - Canadian version of HF) brand that had been used to the extent that one of the sandpaper sheets showed some use, for $5 a couple years ago. Second son complained that the mostly round saw blade was starting to get a bit dull so I shelled out the ten bucks to replace it!

You talked me into it. Do you have a preference among the three corded models HF sells? The two single-speed units are on sale for $20.

I haven't tried the variable speed models, but that's just something else to go wrong with them. I have the basic 68861 corded unit. The cordless looks interesting, but I'm seldom without 120v power.

Weight differences make me think the heavier 68861 has a more powerful motor and/or transmission/housing than the 60428, but that's just a guess. If it's possible to get a few extra windings on a Chiwanese motor, I want 'em.

Make sure you check through all the plethora of coupons available from HF. Maybe able to save a few more $

If nothing else use one of the 25% or 20% off one item...

I don't think I trust the listed weights - the shipping weight shown is less than the weight of the tool . I could visit an HF store and hope they have both in stock to compare. But for what the trip would cost in gas, time and aggravation I could buy both online.

What do you have up (down?) there for tool suppliers now?

I've visited Liberty Tool and the hardware store / antique shop east of the top of Penobscot Bay, but not found much else.

Doesn't matter, I suppose. The relatives left Deer Isle. jsw

And that would be giving yourself a backup -plus- still being 10.8x cheaper than buying a Fein.

Liberty Tool is the closest good place for used tools, about 1-1/4 hr away. I'm not familiar with the other place. East of the top of Penobscot Bay would be somewhere between Bucksport and Elllsworth, no? The only place that comes to mind is the Big Chicken Barn books and antiques place.

On the other side of the bay, in Searsport, is another place owned by Skip Brack, the guy who owns Liberty Tool. I'd love to know how much of my money he's pocketed over the years. The first thing I bought from him was a Wilton machinist's vise circa 1976. He was in Jonesport back then. I hitchiked home from Bar Harbor to Boston with that vise in my duffle bag.

Have you been to Young Engineering in Salem MA? It was a wonderful place until the mid 80s or so, when the original Mr. Young's son took over. I don't know if it even exists anymore. BTW, Mrs. Young was from Deer Isle.

Pretty much my reasoning.