Switched from a 4 flute to a 3 flute end mill in aluminum and the chips finally quit welding
I ran 6061 brackets for two weeks with a 4 flute carbide and kept getting built up edge and gummed up flutes, even at 3000 rpm with coolant. A guy on the next machine told me to try a 3 flute with more chip room and a higher feed, so I swapped it in on Tuesday. The chips started coming off as fat curls instead of paste and my finish on the side walls cleaned up right away. I bumped feed to 40 ipm and the part count went from 12 an hour to 17. What flute count are you all running in aluminum, or do you just flood it and deal with the 4 flute?