Ran a 4 flute carbide on aluminum for a month because 'that's what was in the holder', switched to a 2 flute and felt like a fool

Mia Harris · 2026-09-26T01:55:04.518301+00:00

I was cutting 6061 brackets for a month with a 4 flute rougher, and the chips kept welding to the cutter so I was stopping every few parts to pick them off with a hook. My lead finally walked by, looked in the window, and asked why I wasn't running a 2 flute for the chip clearance. Swapped it out on the same program, same feeds, and the chips started flying out like popcorn with almost no buildup on the tool. Spindle load even dropped a bit, so I bumped the feed and still finished cleaner than before. Anyone got a rule of thumb for when you'd actually reach for a 3 flute on aluminum, or do you just run 2 flute and never look back?

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Ran a 4 flute carbide on aluminum for a month because 'that's what was in the holder', switched to a 2 flute and felt like a fool | CNC Operators - Discusd