The beginner doesn’t always need a whole range of differing mills and frankly the costs start to get pretty high when you’re looking at sets. If you’re still in a position where you’re working with the absolute basics then something like this six-piece set makes sense.

Fluting affects how quickly a bit cuts while you’re running it in your machines. The more flutes, the quicker the cut, which makes it tempting for some people to try and go with the highest number possible.

Aluminum is a soft material, which tends to heat quickly and have large chips separate while the end mill is in motion. This means that you want to lower the number and cut a bit slower to ensure a smooth and accurate cut and avoid “tearing” which will leave you with a rough cut.

There’s also the matter of coating, which is particularly important for high-speed steel tools. Many of the new commercial coatings can reduce friction by a ton, keeping the bit cooler while it runs and decreasing the friction which can cause clogs in a soft material like aluminum.

Here’s one final solution that works well when making large holes. It’s a great approach if you, say, need to use a hole saw to make a space for a new knob and a handle.

A hole saw uses a pilot bit to register itself. When there’s an existing hole, there’s nowhere for that to cut into. So, give it somewhere to attach by adding wood to each side of your work surface. A thin piece of plywood or luan is fine. Really, any scrap will work, but you’ll have to cut through it entirely, so choose something thin but sturdy.

To the non-DIYer, dedicating an entire blog post to this process may seem like overkill. But anyone who wields their cordless drill on the regular can attest: the issue of making an existing hole larger comes up all. the. time. Whether repairing something around the house, replacing a part or piece of hardware, or just because you didn’t quite get it right the first time, any maker, woodworker, or generally handy person knows how frequently one needs to enlarge a hole, and how surprisingly difficult it can be to pull off.

A tapered reamer can help you easily enlarge a hole in wood, metal, or plastic. Designed to help de-burr metal, this is conical tool with several cutting edges, and can be had anywhere for well under $10. You simply insert and twist, and it will cleanly and easily remove material.

Potential Drawback: Using a rasp will require access to both sides, or at least clearance behind. The new hole will not be even all the way around.

Machining is a delicate art, which means that you’re going to need the proper tools for the job. For a hobbyist or professional, making items out of aluminum requires a specialized set of end mills.

I hope our article will give you a fundamental base from which you can achieve the latest knowledge and information about sheet metal fabrication field.

Coming with 10 2-flute end mills in a single box and fantastic titanium based coating to keep the friction coefficient to a minimum, this is a fantastic set for nearly anyone. There’s also a wide range of different shanks for the individual pieces, meaning that each is sized properly for the width of the bit you’ll be using.

This particular set comes with six pieces, all of the end mills have shank diameters of 3/8”. This end mill has a center cutting type with a right-hand cutting direction. Give it a shot, especially if you only have a couple of specific tasks you need to get done.

If you have one, a drilling guide will help keep the bit from spinning out. A  guide like Milescraft Drill Block only costs around $8, and has countless uses. The solid edges prevent the bit from wandering, allowing you to bite into the surrounding material. You’ll want to clamp both the work and block securely to keep everything aligned.

If you’re looking to find the right end mill for aluminum, you’re in the right place. We have found four that should cover the needs of pretty much anyone.

So what to do to enlarge a hole? They actually make tools designed to do this called step drill bits. They work fairly well for certain applications, though not all, and if you have one, you probably already know this. But if you’re in the midst of a project and the store is closed and you don’t want to wait two days to order one online, there are several other ways to go.

Below are our recommendations for the top 3 best end mills for aluminum fabrication on the market as reviewed by Australian General Engineering Vietnam which is one the precision sheet metal fabricators in Vietnam.

Chuck in the next larger bit into your drill. Then, flip the drill into reverse mode using the button above the trigger. With the drill turning counterclockwise, it greatly reduces the chance that the cutting edges of the bit will bite into the wood and cause tearout or scarring.

While we don’t recommend using the 4-flute mills for aluminum, the cost of the entire set would be great even if you only got the ten 2-flutes (see full specs) and you’re sure to be happy with this set. Think of it as adding a bit of steel capability for when you need it and you’ll see why we’re so pleased to present this kit. These are among the best endmills for an aluminum period.

While they might seem a little bit expensive at first glance, this is actually a great set of end mills for beginners. Ball nose pieces are quite easy to work with and we strongly recommend working with a 2-flute mill when it comes time to dig into some aluminum.

An end mill is a type of milling cutter, a cutting tool used in industrial milling applications. It is distinguished from the drill bit in its application, geometry, and manufacture. While a drill bit can only cut in the axial direction, a milling bit can generally cut in all directions, though some cannot cut axially.

High-speed steel is the “inferior” of the two materials but a good quality end mill will still last for a long time in a hobbyist’s shop. This steel is designed to withstand the high RPMs of your machines, after all.

When it comes time for your next machining project, we want to make sure that you have the best endmill for aluminum possible. All of our choices are respectable, of course, but there’s a whole world of bits out there to explore once you get into the hobby. Have fun and be safe, but most importantly make sure that you have the right tool for the job. Good luck!

Essentially, you’re actually using the flutes of a drill bit like a rasp, slowing removing wood to make an exact sized hole.

And, you can imagine what happens: the spinning bit will wander around, looking for a place to land. This can, at minimum, provide a raggedy edge, and at worse, tear up the surround surface of your workpiece.

Clamp everything securely, and then insert the pilot bit on your mark. As you drill, the pilot bit is captured by both outer pieces of wood, so when it starts to score the workpiece, it’s stable. It also helps to protect the surface in case the saw does skitter a bit, and helps to prevent tearout on the back side. For best results, you can also use the pilot bit hole to drill in from the other side.

Similar to the reamer, a round rasp will help you remove material from the inside. You’ll have a hard time making the new hole perfectly round, but if its covered with a washer or the head of a bolt or screw, this wont really matter. If you dont have a round rasp, a length of threaded rod works great in a pinch.

Among those respondents who said their buying criteria was to find the endmills with the best performance regardless of cost, the top brands were:

Carbide, on the other hand, will stay sharp practically forever and is ideal for professionals. Of course, a single carbide piece might cost as much as an entire set of high-speed steel bits.

This is a great solution when the area will be visible. I use this all the time when I work on upgrading parts in my electric guitars. Reverse drilling allows me to increase the existing hole for new pots or tuners, without damaging the finished surface of the instrument.

This means that the ideal aluminum bit is going to come with two or three flutes. Once you get any past that you’re running the risk of messing with your cuts, which isn’t good for anyone.

Machining relies on slowly taking chips off of the material, although you can end up with a pretty smooth cut at the end of the day. Aluminum breaks differently than steel and has a tendency to clog up when used with the same bits as you’d use to machine steel. This is mostly due to the softness of the material.

Potential Drawback: Of course, a tapered tool will produce a tapered hole. If you simply need a clearance hole for a bolt or a screw, this is totally fine — you just need to make space for the hardware to pass through. But know that your holes won’t have straight sides, and this will be increased with the material’s thickness. But it works great.

This set has six pieces which range from 1/8” to ½” (see full specs) and should be able to meet most people’s needs. Of course, these are high-speed steel which is a great material but for those looking to use their endmills on a daily basis, these might not make the cut. The hobbyist will find these to be perfect, however, and the wide range of sizes and lower price makes them a great way to learn.

Potential Drawback: Of course you’ll only be able to size your hole to 1/16″ or even 1/8″ increments, so this won’t work when you need just a bit more space.