I finally noticed why my surface finish looked like crap after 3 years

Been running a Haas VF-2 for a local job shop in Cleveland. Last week I swapped from HSS to carbide end mills on aluminum parts and saw the finish go from rough to mirror smooth in one pass. Did I just waste years fighting with the wrong tooling?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivanross1mo ago

Huh, I see it a little different @alicehernandez. Carbide isn't always the answer, especially on aluminum. HSS with the right feeds and speeds can give you a mirror finish too, you just gotta dial in your settings.

alicehernandez1mo ago

Wait, you're telling me I could've been getting mirror finishes all along and I just needed to switch to carbide? I used to swear by HSS but this is making me rethink everything lol.