End Mills

Cheez Dawg

Cheez Dawg

Flawed Perfectionist
Silver Member
Is it a realistic idea to drill holes for joint pins and inserts with the proper size end mill?
I don't know if this has been mulled over before, and the search didn't help me at all.
Pros and cons?
Suggestions?

Thanks!!
 
I used to drill but as of late I have come to prefer the consistently tight fit I get by boring the hole. First drill then bore.
If you do it some other way and the results are good that is what counts.
I changed because I think boring gives me more control over the depth and size of the hole regardless of the material.
 
An end-mill is not a good tool for this operation. They have no point to them (to center themselves) and it would have to be one of the 'center-cutting' type. If you had even the slightest mis-alignment btwn. the tailstock and the chuck, your hole would be oversize by twice that amount. The end-mill will not flex and will bore where it's told to bore, regardless of whether it's on center or not.

If you have a high degree of confidence in your lathe's alignment, try a carbide drill bit. They don't flex either.
 
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