Fasten carbide inserts directly to these end mills for a hold that's strong enough to handle the high speeds of a CNC machine. Replaceable carbide-insert end mills reduce waste and cost in high-volume jobs—when the cutting edges dull, replace the carbide inserts instead of the entire tool. End mills have a square cut style for milling square slots, pockets, and edges. All are noncenter-cutting for operations where the sides of the teeth do most of the work, such as shoulder milling, contouring, and finishing. They cannot be used for plunge cuts.

Carbide inserts have a positive rake, which means the cutting edge is angled to reduce vibration and prevent thin workpieces from bending. All have chip breakers that prevent the creation of long chips, which can damage tooling and restrict the flow of coolant. Use uncoated inserts for general purpose milling and short production runs. Use aluminum-titanium-chromium-nitride (AlTiCrN) coated inserts for demanding, high-speed jobs in hard material. They’re harder and more wear resistant than uncoated carbide inserts.

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.

These tools create a wide, shallow cut on the face of the workpiece. They're often used to level spoilboard so it lies perfectly flat for accurate routing and milling. When the cutting edges dull, replace the carbide inserts rather than replacing the entire tool.