Collection: Endmills

2-flute for slotting and plunging (best chip evacuation). 3-flute for aluminium roughing (strong flute geometry). 4-flute for steel finishing and side milling (better surface finish, more cutting edges). 6+ flutes for finishing hard steel or high-feed production work.

HRC rating indicates the maximum workpiece hardness the end mill is designed to cut. HRC 45 end mills handle most production steels. HRC 55 end mills are for tool steel, pre-hardened mold steel. HRC 65 end mills are premium-grade for hardened steel, die steel, and extreme applications — they cost more but last in conditions where lower-rated end mills shatter.

Ballnose end mills cut with a hemispherical tip — used for 3D contouring, mold and die work, curved-surface finishing. Cannot be used for flat-bottom slotting. The effective cutting diameter changes with depth of cut, so surface finish and feed calculations are different from flat end mills.

You can, but they are not the best choice. Solid carbide is brittle — it needs rigid toolholding, consistent feed (no hand-hesitation), and minimal deflection. On a manual mill with collet holding, you will shatter a solid carbide end mill much faster than an HSS or cobalt equivalent. For manual work, HSS or cobalt end mills are more forgiving.

TiAlN (black) for steel milling. AlCrN for stainless and interrupted cuts. Uncoated polished for aluminium and non-ferrous. Diamond coating for Al-Si alloys and CFRP. Match coating to workpiece — the wrong coating can shorten life despite good substrate.