Tried climb milling on a worn out end mill and got a mirror finish

Everyone says climb milling on a dull tool is asking for chatter and a ruined part. I ran a 3/8" carbide end mill with 0.005" wear on some 6061 aluminum at 12 IPM and got a finish better than any fresh tool I've used. The spindle load stayed steady and the part came out at 63 microinches. Has anyone else had a worn tool outperform a new one?

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2 Comments

xena8865mo ago

Respectfully, I see things differently... that finish might look good now but a dull tool generates more heat and can work-harden the aluminum surface. That could cause problems down the line if you need to do a secondary operation or the part gets stress tested. Fresh tools might not give that mirror finish right away, but they're way more predictable and consistent across multiple parts.

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troy_reed5mo ago

Work hardening is a real concern, but what's your typical DOC on aluminum?

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