In the vast world of machining, milling stands as a cornerstone technique, vital to the production of precise and high-quality parts. At the heart of the milling process are two prominent methods: Face Milling and Peripheral Milling. Whether you’re a seasoned machinist or a budding enthusiast, understanding the fundamental differences between these techniques can be pivotal to your projects.

Facemilling

The nature of the cut is determined by the tool’s diameter, the number of teeth or flutes, and the feed rate. The outcome is generally a series of ridges or marks on the workpiece, which might require a finishing process if a smooth surface is desired.

Plain milling

Face milling, often simply queried as “what is face milling”, is a machining process where the primary cutting is done using the face or end of a milling cutter. The cutter is typically mounted on a spindle, and as it rotates, the cutting edges on its face shear off material from the workpiece’s surface, creating a flat or contoured finish.

Face milling’s primary focus is on achieving a flat or contoured surface. The orientation of the cutter ensures that a larger area of the tool engages with the workpiece, often resulting in a smoother finish. The facing machining process allows for intricate contours and shapes, given the right setup and tool selection.

Peripheral milling

I get almost all my endmills from Enco ( http://use-enco.com ), have for at least 10 years. I only use carbide (other than specialized cutters like Woodruff etc. for T-slots), and they sell Atrax brand which are usually on sale in one size or another (it might be Enco’s "house brand) and are good quality for a low price. It is easy to find free shipping codes for $25 orders if you search a little online so it is worth buying several of a size when they are on sale to make the $25 cut.

Milling, by definition milling, refers to the machining process where the cutting tool rotates and moves to cut away excess material from a workpiece, shaping it as required. While both face and peripheral milling fall under this definition, their individual processes, applications, and outcomes differ vastly.

Choosing the right tool for peripheral milling is essential for achieving the desired outcome. The primary tools include:

End MillCutter

I order my cutters from a guy on EBay - Drillman1. I know that doesn’t address your question, but it’s quick and easy to get great stuff from him.

Ordering cutting tools seems really weird and indirect. I found a dovetail cutter with the dimensions I wanted from Harvey Tool (though I had this same experience at a lot of other sites as well). They have a price and even a stock check (they have 15 “available”). But you can’t order one from their website - you have to find a distributor. So I found the closest distributor (Western Tool and Supply). Western Tools’ website is kind of a bear to navigate, and even when you eventually find the dovetail cutters, they are listed in what appears to be totally random order (size, length, manufacturer totally randomized across 34 pages of listings), so the only reasonable way to find the item you want is simply to search for the item code that was on Harvey Tool’s website. Anyway, I eventually found the item and ordered it online from Western Tool,

I’ve bought a lot of end mills, drill bits and collets from Lakeshore Carbide and Maritool. Both great sources that sell direct.

End mill vs face millpros and cons

As the world of machining continues to evolve, staying informed and leveraging practical tips, especially for techniques like face milling, can greatly enhance production outcomes. For businesses looking to dive deeper into these processes and find reliable equipment, companies like Worthy Hardware provide invaluable resources and products that resonate with the industry’s best standards.

Face milling, while versatile, requires a meticulous approach to ensure optimal results. Here are some essential tips and best practices tailored to face milling:

End mill vs face mill vscutter

For those prioritizing a smoother finish or flat surfaces, face milling emerges as the obvious choice. But for projects demanding deep cuts, grooves, or slots, peripheral milling can prove indispensable. In making this decision, factors such as material type, desired finish, tool availability, production volume, speed, and costs should always be taken into account.

While face milling focuses on the cutter’s face or end, peripheral milling centers on the use of the cutter’s periphery or circumference to remove material from the workpiece. In simpler terms, in peripheral milling, the cutting action occurs primarily at the sides and the circumference of the milling cutter, making it particularly effective for producing deep vertical, horizontal, or diagonal grooves and for side-milling tasks.

Facemilling machine

And then I got an invoice which said “Direct from Harvey Tool”, which means they (I assume) just called up Harvey Tool for me and got them to ship it to me directly.

Side milling

Face milling is a machining process where the cutting action occurs primarily on the end or face of the cutter. It’s typically used to create flat surfaces or profiles on a workpiece.

This setup seemed not that unique - I’d find a website that would list some tool I’d be interested in, and then I’d have to “find a distributor” even though they’d have a price and remaining stock listed.

While face milling focuses on producing flat or contoured surfaces, profile milling is used to machine the external contours of a workpiece.

I had the exact same experience ordering a keyseat cutter from Harvey Tool. My understanding of the machine tool world is either you sell direct to consumers and only direct … or you go through distributors. Seems like a really outdated business model in this day and age especially when Harvey Tool is just drop shipping them anyway. Silly stuff.

Face milling is employed for flattening the top surface of a workpiece, achieving a smooth finish, and preparing a surface for further machining processes.

Is there some legacy reason for why it’s set up this way? Some laws protecting the distributors (like auto dealerships)? Some leverage by the distributors on the manufacturers (don’t sell your items directly, otherwise we won’t sell your items for you)?

End milling uses the cutter’s teeth on the circumference and face for cutting, while face milling primarily uses the face of the cutter for machining.

In peripheral milling, the cutting edges are distributed along the circumference of the cutter. This means that at any given point, only a small part of the tool is in contact with the workpiece, leading to deeper cuts and grooves.

But I can relate to your frustration - it seems like certain industries are way behind the curve with regard to online ordering. With tools I guess they are used to selling to local distributors who supply local hardware stores (type thing) and are perhaps either inequiped or unwilling to sell in small volumes to individuals.