TheFarmerInAdell
Gold Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2018
- Messages
- 396
- Location
- Adell, WI
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson 2706E, Massey Ferguson GC1705
The idea behind using a smaller cutter on thin material is based on the amount of surface contact you have (diameter contact vs vertical contact). A smaller cutter will cause the material to chatter less than a large cutter. Chattering material will chip your cutter. Yes, you could profile it and drop it out as well. Full width milling can leave a rough finish, just plan for a clean-up pass around it. As good as that full radius looks, you don't really need it. Just use a 1/4" bit and leave the back square. When you don't have coolant flood (like in a CNC machine) you want to slow down spindle speed significantly because stainless generates quite a bit of heat and you don't have enough cooling mass to remove that heat. If you must use stainless, 400 series would be a better choice when milling, as it lacks nickel. I've milled my fair share of tool steel - A2, D2 and 4140PH being the main ones - and I'd rather mill tool steel than 300 series stainless.