Swiss machines are, in reality, early versions of multi-axis machining centers, developed for the mass production of clocks and watches in the 19th century. The addition of cutter rotation that can work alone or in combination with the part rotation in the chuck allowed the production of flat and square features on otherwise cylindrical workpieces, held still in the chuck and cut by the movement of rotating cutters. It wasn’t until the 1970s that lathes began to encompass these types of combined features, and it’s taken the development of 6-axis CNC machines to truly compete with the functionality of Swiss machines.

Climb and conventional are the two most widely used milling methods in manufacturing. Climb milling (sometimes called “down milling”) rotates the tool against the direction of the workpiece’s motion, so the tool moves in the same direction as the material feed, with the cutter climbing over the workpiece. This method offers smooth surfaces with hardly any material deviation, and it won’t overheat or quickly wear out your tools, either. It’s best for high-quality parts and thinner sections and can help you better manage chips.

So that's why I recommend brand new. This is going to cost you less than a thousand dollars for a good brand new student flute in many cases, far less than a thousand dollars.

And the second exception, if you are okay with taking the gamble, that it may sound great straight out of the box and it may last you a year or even maybe more, but you may get something dodgy right out of the box and that you are prepared for this gamble of not knowing what you're getting and also you're prepared for the confusion that it might cause you, if you don't have someone like a professional who can help you work out when it's not working and that you are okay with basically buying a disposable flute. So that's the second exception.

Milling is a type of machining that has its origins in food preparation. Originally, people milled grain into flour using quern stones: a set with one flat stationary stone, and one rotating stone with a hole in the middle. The grain was fed into the hole, ground down by the rotating quern (a basic hand mill), and exited the set-up as flour. Though extremely primitive, this is the origin of all rotating machinery. These days, the term mill indicates the rotating tool-cutting machines for wood, metal, plastics, and stone.Â

Of course, if you are in the elite level or you are getting very advanced, this of course is important because elite flute players, orchestra flute players, professionals, they're like Olympic athletes, Olympic athletes, no doubt spend thousands of dollars on a pair of shoes or a tennis racket, or probably even a swimming costume.

The manufacturing industry mostly uses milling to cut materials from a workpiece, and make lots of different items in many sizes and shapes. Milling machines are highly precise and have very tight tolerances. That’s important for industries where accuracy is essential; aerospace, for instance, more often than not needs lightweight and complex parts for its flight-engineered products. Parts such as airframe components, controls, jet and rocket engine components, and flight-surface actuator parts all come from milling. Similarly, being able to process a variety of material that is both biodegradable and easily sterilized make milling the common choice for surgical tools and medical implants.Â

I'm also going to tell you what to spend instead, because obviously you don't need to spend $10,000. And I'm also going tell you what I did with the a hundred dollars flute that I had last week cause I don't have it anymore. And I'm gonna tell you where it went.

So you’re taking a bit of a gamble when you buy one of these flutes. It might work okay for a few months. It might work for a year, but it might not work at all.

The process starts by loading the workpieces, then clamping them to the table with something like a vise. This will prevent accidental offset cuts and drifting or broken parts while you’re working on the piece. Next, you select the proper tool for the material and project at hand. Then you have to set up the machine, adjusting things like spindle speed and cutting depth. Once all that is set, you’re ready to start milling. The process can be automated or manual, but both need care and attention for an ideal finished product. Here’s an example of a part made via milling by the Xometry team.

Versatility of material is just one advantage of milling, along with the size, quality, and precision it provides. It’s super quick, and doesn’t produce much waste, either. It’s also economical and simple to automate. The milling process isn’t ideal if you need to cut hardened materials, and heavier cuts understandably take longer to do. The machines, although they’re clearly useful, can be challenging to use, and tend to suffer with wear and tear. They also generate a good amount of heat, chatter, and vibration.

When that happens, they're almost impossible to fix because they're not well made at all so they're not fixable. And good flute repairers refuse to fix them. If you actually have a good flute repairer that you go to, they will refuse to fix one of these cheap and nasty floats.

Now there are other brands that are good as well. So I recommend that you talk to a  reputable flute shop and get their suggestions for other brands as well.

Now you'll notice that I said brand new that's important because over time, flutes can go out of whack, which a good student flute it's okay, because they can be fixed.

The Flute Academy acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways of Australia.

The first exception is if you are in regular contact, for example, you have a flute teacher who can test it out for you and tell you when it has gone out of alignment and that it's worth throwing out because then you'll know that it's not you that's the problem. It's the flute.

So if you are wondering what happened to the a hundred dollars Audi flute that I had last week, my dad has been watching these videos that I make, and he's all keen to learn the flute now.

The content appearing on this webpage is for informational purposes only. Xometry makes no representation or warranty of any kind, be it expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or validity of the information. Any performance parameters, geometric tolerances, specific design features, quality and types of materials, or processes should not be inferred to represent what will be delivered by third-party suppliers or manufacturers through Xometry’s network. Buyers seeking quotes for parts are responsible for defining the specific requirements for those parts. Please refer to our terms and conditions for more information.

So that flute has gone to him. He has acquired and Audi flute. And he's in one of those exception categories where, because he has me that can constantly monitor this flute for him and at any point where he comes to me and he goes, Jane, I can't play my D, he'll know, straight away whether it's the flute or if it's him, because I'm there to try out the dodgy cheap flute for him and, and check that it's still in working order for him. So he's the exception, not the rule.

The biggest reason is because they don't last very long. I've seen them last six months. The best one, the best case scenario was it lasted two years, but that is rare. I have also seen them totally not work straight out of the box. So brand new and they do not work at all.

Professional flute players need an elite instrument for the elite sport of professional music. But you need a flute that is in mechanical working order for sure.

The first thing to do is rough up the material by making deep cuts that remove large, unwanted chunks so that it starts to take the form of the final part. It’s then semi-finished with slower, shallower, and more precise cuts, before moving onto full finishing. Once the milling is done, you have to unload the workpiece. Typically people clean the machine at this point too. After you unload the piece, check that the measurements and surface quality meet expectations. Finally, you’ll have to do some post-processing, which could include steps like deburring, heat treatments, surface coatings, and storing. Xometry’s suppliers take all these steps on behalf of our customers, should their projects require it.

This is why I am such a big advocate. And this is a big part of my teaching about investing in yourself as a flute player. Invest in your skills, your ability, your learning, combine that with a flute that works mechanically and you are going to sound pretty darn good. You're gonna get a lot better with the flute that you've got as long as it works, regardless of how expensive it is.

After last week's video of me trying out a "cheap and nasty" ALDI flute (that sounded pretty good for $100), were you left wondering:

I'm also going to explain the exceptions about when it actually is okay to buy a $100 flute, because I bought one, right? And I did a video on it last week.

Milling machine

Remember this, remember that once you have a flute that's in working order 95% of what you hear in the flute playing is the player, not the flute.

Luckily, I had some flowers hanging around my apartment and my peace lily looked healthy, so I slapped together this video response.

There are loads of different milling machine types, and we briefly explain the most common in the table below. Most of these machines are available through Xometry’s supplier network.

At its most basic level, a hardened steel or exotic material cutter rotates against the workpiece to remove material. Most commonly the cutter moves on a fixed X-Y-axis, but can be adjusted to move on the Z-axis as well. A 3-axis milling machine as described is the most basic option, but there are 4, 5, and even 7-axis machines available.

The second reason is because when they do stop working, so they mechanically go out of alignment and keys don't close properly. And the sound doesn't come out because the holes are not closed.

Good morning from Australia in this video. I'm going to answer the question so should I buy a $100 flute? Because I actually did get asked that in the last week, the short answer is no. And I'm going to tell you in this video about why.

But the problem is if someone has fixed a secondhand flute and they haven't fixed it very well, if you buy a secondhand flute and you don't have a professional that can try it out for you  and check that it's in good order, you are buying bad, potentially bad repairing of someone else's repair.

Conventional milling (or “up milling”) has the cutting tool rotating in the same direction as the workpiece, which makes the tool move in the opposite direction of the material feed. It works best with more malleable materials, and offers a faster machining process. It also results in a rougher finish, reduced precision, and increased tool wear.

Now, the exceptions for when I think it's totally okay and a good idea to buy a cheap and nasty flute, there are two exceptions.

Generally, all milling involves cutting with rotating tools that pass over a part. It precisely removes pieces of material as the teeth cut through the billet to “extract” the required part from a blank. Cutting as a standalone process usually involves a broaching type action, during which teeth pass over the surface of a part in a linear motion to remove an elongated kerf the entire length of the part, resulting in a slot being cut that separates the material into two parts. The motion can be reciprocating, like a saw blade using a cut and return sequence, or continuous. The continuous cut can come from a bandsaw blade that passes the material in one direction, or it can be a circular slitter/wheel saw that moves the part in a linear motion as it rotates. The distinction between milling and cutting isn’t super clear in many cases, because milling cutters are often used for simple cutting jobs. That said, linear cutters aren’t typically used in milling operations.

I explain the 3 reasons why you shouldn't buy a cheap flute, and hopefully enlighten you with the 2 exceptions of when it's actually ok to buy one.

So come and join me to improve your sound instantly. If you haven't already at www.flute.school/free and do a free minicourse that goes over three days to instantly improve your tone on the flute. And this is the beginning of investing in yourself.

How to mill small metal partsat home

Xometry works with more than 10,000 manufacturing partners, so whatever material or service you need, including CNC milling, we’ll be happy to help. You can either reach out to one of our reps, or get started straight away by uploading your designs to the Xometry Instant Quoting Engine®.

The first thing on your milling to-do list should be personal protective gear. This includes safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, etc.) Your work area should be clean and tidy, and well-lit. The settings, including the cutting speed and feed rate, will need to be adjusted according to the type, size, and thickness of the material you’re working on, and the workpiece should be clamped securely in place so that it doesn’t move around during the process. Keep hands and hair far away from moving parts at all times, and when you’re changing tools, make sure to switch the machine off first.

And the third reason why I do not recommend you buying a hundred dollars flute or  a cheap flute is because when they go out of alignment, mechanically out of alignment, you are going set yourself up for confusion because you don't know if it's your flute that's the problem, or if it's you, and that is no good for your learning. And it's no good for your confidence.

Now, if you're wondering what to spend, instead, you already know that I do not recommend spending thousands and thousands of dollars on a flute to make yourself sound better.

Milling allows you to make all sorts of shapes and contours in materials that can otherwise be difficult or even impossible with other machining methods. Lots of materials are compatible with machining, including metals like aluminum, steel, brass, and copper; acrylic, Kevlar, polycarbonate, nylon, Delrin, fiberglass, hardwood, softwood, ceramics, cermets, graphite, and glass, just to name a few.Â

You absolutely have to closely follow safety rules when using a milling machine. A strict maintenance schedule will help you keep on top of things and notice potential hazards, like damage, loose parts, and general wear and tear. Top of your checklist should be making sure all the safety features, like the stop buttons, are working properly, and that you—and everyone who uses the machine — know exactly where they are and how to use them. All technicians have to be well trained, particularly in the operation process, safety procedures, and possible dangers. It should go without saying, but please don’t sidestep the guards and interlocks—these are here for your safety.Â

I know it's free, but you are gonna be investing time goes for three days. Invest in yourself and improve your tone with the right skills. I'd love to see you there. See you later.