Create your own versatile milling cutters. These kits include a cutter body, inserts, wrenches, and screws. Also known as indexable end mills, replaceable insert milling cutters remove metal at least two times faster than comparable high-speed steel milling cutters. When the cutting edges dull, replace the carbide inserts instead of the entire tool. The inserts come factory sealed from the manufacturer for maximum traceability.

Use with an R8 shank arbor (sold separately).

Titanium-diboride (TiB2) coated inserts reduce friction in nonferrous metals and composites, so you can use them without lubrication in material like aluminum, fiberglass, and plastic. Titanium-aluminum-nitride (TiAlN) coated inserts dissipate heat better than other inserts, especially at high speeds. At high temperatures, the coating creates a layer of aluminum oxide that transfers heat to the chips, keeping the inserts cool, even when used without lubrication.

Kits come with either octagon or square inserts. Use octagon inserts for general face milling. With eight cutting edges, they generate smooth cuts. Use square inserts to create a 90° corner when shoulder milling.

With larger diameters than end mills, these cutters remove greater amounts of material to create a smooth, flat channel in the face of a plate, bar, or other wide workpiece. Compared to fly cutters, they’re more rigid, which makes for a better finish. Also known as shell cutters. Cutters with fewer teeth provide better chip clearance for high-volume, high-speed cuts. Those with more teeth provide a finer finish and generate less vibration at high speeds.

High-speed steel cutters are good for general purpose milling in most materials including aluminum brass, bronze, and steel. Cobalt steel cutters have better heat and wear resistance than high-speed steel. They can run at higher speeds and provide better performance on hard material such as iron, stainless steel, titanium, and tool steel.

Use uncoated cutters for general purpose milling and short production runs. They stay sharper than coated cutters when used on soft materials like aluminum. Use coated cutters for demanding, high-speed jobs in hard material as well as for longer production runs. The coating reduces friction and vibration as they’re used, making them more wear resistant than uncoated cutters.

Titanium-nitride (TiN) coated cutters create less friction than uncoated cutters, which means they last longer when run at similar speeds. Aluminum-titanium-nitride (AlTiN) coated cutters dissipate heat better than other cutters, especially at high speeds. At high temperatures, the coating creates a layer of aluminum oxide that transfers heat to the chips, keeping the tool cool, even when used without lubrication.

Keep a variety of fly cutters on hand to tackle different sized workpieces. The fly cutters in these sets hold a lathe tool (sold separately) to shave a layer off your workpiece with each pass, creating a smooth, even finish. Use them with milling machines. Compared to end mills, these make a wider cut per pass. They also generate less heat, so you can run them at higher speeds. In the long run, these cutters will save you the expense of replacing entire end mills once they dull—you can either sharpen your worn lathe tool or just replace that one part.