Feeds & speeds for 1/8" Square End 2 Flute Up Cut in aluminium

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wittrup @wittrup

Rep: 1

Posted: Jan 20, 2026

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Feeds & speeds for 1/8" Square End 2 Flute Up Cut in aluminium

Hi,

We are running a WorkBee Z1+ CNC with a Duet 2 Ethernet (RepRapFirmware 3.3) and are looking for recommended feeds & speeds for aluminium using the following tool:

Tool type: End Mill
Units: inches
Diameter (D): 0.125 inches
No. Flutes: 2
Tool: 1/8" Square End, 2 Flute, Up Cut

Material: Aluminium plate, 5 mm thick
Spindle: WorkBee Router Head (manual dial 1–6, approx. 13,000–33,000 RPM)
CAM: Vectric VCarve

Below is the exact parameter order as shown in VCarve, and we would appreciate confirmation or correction of suitable values for aluminium on a WorkBee:

Pass Depth: ?
Stepover: ?

Spindle Speed (RPM): ?
Feed Units: inches/min
Chip Load: ?
Feed Rate (XY): ?
Plunge Rate (Z): ?
Tool Number: 1

We previously snapped a 1/8" tool and want to make sure we are running conservative but correct settings for aluminium on a belt-driven WorkBee.

Any real-world recommendations from Ooznest users would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance!

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Peter @peter Rep: 1 · Answer 1 · 2026-04-01T01:32:38-07:00

1.8" tooling is a lot less rigid than 1/4" for example, so the tool itself is likely to deflect or even snap. If you can, try clearing the majority of the cut with larger, more rigid tooling - then use the 1/8" for cleanup of smaller features

With the 1/8th" tool, we'd recommend a feed of around 600mm/min with no more than 1/16th" depth of cut.

For slotting (where tool face is 100% engaged) try not to exceed 0.5-1mm depth of cut. That lowers the radial engagement forces and helps with tool deflection/breakage

Remember:

Increasing DOC [Depth of cut](axial) → linear force increase

Increasing WOC [Width of cut] (radial) → exponential spike in load - slotting engages more of the tool, than say skim pass, or using a trochoidal type toolpath (Fusion 360) that limits engagement.

The machine is capable of much more, the endmill choice is the main limitation here. Larger tooling will be more rigid and more effective

Feeds & speeds for 1/8" Square End 2 Flute Up Cut in aluminium

Cutting Parameters

Feeds and Speeds

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