What Can Drill Mills Do?

[Geoffrey Less]

When it comes to milling tools, most cutters are only designed for a singular purpose. That is one thing that makes drill mills shine. These versatile cutting tools are designed to perform a wide range of tasks, making them a must have for any machining shop. These specialized cutting tools are designed with the cutting flutes of an end mill and the pointed tip of a drill bit, giving them some of the strengths of both of these cutting tools.

Drilling
One of the most obvious advantages of using a drill mill is the fact that it can perform drilling operations. Most end mills excel at side milling, but have difficulty forming drilling tasks. You can easily use these tools to drill small holes, though they will rarely have the length needed to drill deep holes in your workpiece.

Spotting
The point on these cutters can also be used to spot drill locations for using longer twist bits. It is important to make sure that the point angle of your drill mill is equal to or greater than the tip angle of your longer drill bit in order to ensure that your bit will seat itself properly. This will help ensure that you produce clean and accurate holes.

Milling
Because of the flutes on these tools, they can also perform side milling tasks. The point can be used to side mill V shaped notches quickly and easily. If you have a sacrificial material underneath your workpiece, you can easily drill through it and begin the milling process.

Chamfering
The pointed tips on these tools also makes them well suited for chamfering and beveling. Many people confuse these two terms. Chamfering involves removing part of a corner in order to create a third intermediary plane between the original two sides. Beveling involves removing material in order to change the angle at which two sides meet. The pointed tip of a drill mill can perform both of these operations.

Finishing
Along with chamfering and beveling, you drill mills can be used to perform a few other finishing operations. You can use the point to trace along your workpieces edges to deburr them with the sharp point of the cutter. You can also use the points on these tools to perform simple engravings when you are finishing your piece.

If you need some of these useful cutters for your machine shop, then you need to visit www.onlinecarbide.com. Online Carbide manufacturers all of their tools from solid carbide tool stock. This means that you can expect a longer tool life and superior edge retention to similar tools made from steel alloys. Their drill mills are available in a range of sizes and with either a polished carbide finished or coated in TiAlN. All of their tools are available at manufacturer direct prices. If you have any questions about any of their tools, feel free to send an email to [e-mail].