From my own experience – I'd go for a few cheapish10mm diameter end mills to start with. [I assume as you specify a metric ER32 chuck, you'll be working in that system.] I have a small drawer full of 10mm cutters, in varying states of bluntness, awaiting a session on the grinder. Once you get used to the new mill and what sort of feeds and speeds it will cope with, then I'd go for something of superior quality. They'll last longer and cut better, too. Later, when you've gained enough experience to actually build something, you'll doubtless find you need cutters of different dimensions, even ball-ended, dovetail or tee-slot ones perhaps.

Enjoy your Christmas presents,

John

One answer would be "Milling: A Complete Course", by Harold Hall. 10mm end mills would get you started quite nicely.

Steve

John

An endmill as you say has 2 flutes, one flute extends over centre of the cutter so it can cut when plunging into material.
Also end mills can have 3 flutes or 4 or more, 6 flutes are quite common.
For cutting slots it is best to use the 2 flute cutter.

Emgee

I would buy one of the assortments from arc , from what i have read elsewhere on this forum Ketan has sourced acceptable quality cutters at a reasonable price . If you can swing it i would get a set each of slot drills and 4 flute endmills that top out around 10 or 12 mm dia a lot or these sort of set usually have 4 ,5,6,8,10 and sometimes 12 mm cutters in a set.

I did the same thing when i got my first mill and as they got blunted or broken ( it will happen – trust me !) i kept my eyes open for top quality cutters on ebay that are going for the right price and buy them as replacements .

Edited By XD 351 on 02/11/2017 23:14:08

Yes all from China but ARC has the generic set which are fine for newbies and general use they also have premium cutters i believe they sourced from a manufacturer in China .

There is nothing wrong with the Chinese made stuff so long as the person or company that is importing them knows what they are looking for in regards to quality , consistency and can sort the good manufacturers out from the crowd which i believe Ketan has become very proficient at !

I usually keep an eye out on ebay for sutton cutters here in Australia , sometimes they pop up dirt cheap and i buy the lot .

One thing i have learned to avoid are cheap carbide cutters though !

XD

I had good luck with lathe tools and inserts from Banggood. I also bought some insert type milling cutters. I haven't much use of them yet but they seem OK. They call them boring tools and use APMT inserts. They have ridiculously shanks, 200mm, and need to be cut down for use as a milling cutter. Ridiculously cheap.

Beware banggood. I have bought lots of items from them and been pleased with the value for money. BUT, if one has a complaint for rubbish products they are USELESS as far as sorting it out. So if you get something that is duff, don't expect to easily get a replacement or your money back.

I bought a W type toolholder and either 10 or 20 inserts I ordered right hand, They sent me left hand, They let me keep the first tool and sent me an identical set with a left hand tool. The boxes the tools came in were maked right hand. The tool inside was left hand. I pointed out to Banggood the tool was i n the wrong box. They refunded all my money and let me keep the tools and inserts, I ordered the correct tool from another 'asian vendor

Hi Nigel If you haven't got a small angle plate and a couple of G clamps they would be an ideal present as I find mine so useful and couldn't machine some things with at them and a fly cutter.

David

A few years ago I would have said a selection of FC3 'throwaway' cutters of various sizes.

Now I mostly use cutters of ~10mm in various materials and styles. 11mm ones seem to be easy to pick up cheap at shows

The FC3 cutters are useful though, for example a 1/8" or 3mm one will be invaluable for the slots in the back of your slide valve and a 3/16" or 1/4" one for the little 'pockets' at the ends of the cylinder steam passages. Because they are short they tend to survive better than normal ones and the design allows them to plunge and cut to width like a slot drill, but the extra flute lets you cut a bit faster like an end mill.

Neil

…I had no problems with the tools I bought from CTC..

​Same here; I've bought a set of ER25 collets plus three collet chucks, MT2/3/4, plus various cutters from CTC & cannot complain at all about their quality & price.. usual disclaimer applies.

George.

Edited By mechman48 on 03/11/2017 09:55:34