Calendar January 24, 2020 07:18

Too often machine shop owners are left with a difficult choice. Overpay for American made end mills that will last or save by importing unreliable end mills from overseas. At Online Carbide, we are offering a third option: buy your end mills from an American Solid Carbide End Mills Manufacturer at a great price. We believe that you shouldn’t have to deal with low-quality end mills just to keep your budget in line.

Online Carbide is a manufacturer of high-quality end mills and drill bits with facilities in CA, IL and SC. We are proud to offer our amazing mills to our customers at manufacturer-direct prices. Many of the big-name brands have to deal with middlemen in order to offer their products in stores. When you shop with us online, you don’t have to deal with these markups. We make all of our carbide cutting tools using the same high-quality carbide stock and five-axis robot fed CNC grinders as other leaders in the end mills industry.

The materials used to craft cutting tools make a huge difference in terms of quality. When operating at high speeds, metal tools will oscillate and can damage your workpieces. They will also heat and dull quickly, especially when being used on harder materials. Carbide, despite looking purely metallic, is actually a combination of cobalt metal and powdered ceramic tungsten carbide. This cemented material is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Carbide is stable at high speeds, holds its edge, and is incredibly strong.

We use our high-quality carbide to create a variety of high-performance carbide tools. Our inventory is constantly expanding to include more end mills to perform the jobs you need. We currently offer full form thread mills, single pitch thread mills, standard square end mills, standard ball end mills, variable end mills, end mills for Aluminum, 6 flute end mills, chamfer mills, drill mills, center drills, spot drills, stub drills, and jobber drills. If you need cutting tools that we don’t carry, or you need a custom tool made for your business, feel free to contact us.

To protect our end mills and increase their working life, we offer a few coatings on our tools. We offer the following coatings on select tools:

Bright - Our bright finish is simply a bright polish to our solid carbide tools. While this may seem entirely aesthetic, the smoothly polished finished helps assist in chip evacuation.

TiAlN - Titanium aluminum nitride is a coating designed to protect tools from the fatigue of high operating temperatures.

ZrN - This smooth golden ceramic coating on our end mills for Al helps to evacuate the fine chips from Al to prevent caking at the base of the end mills.

If your business is ready to start buying quality tools from a solid carbide end mills manufacturer, check out Online Carbide today! If you have any questions about our cutting tools, you can reach a member of our team at sales@onlinecarbide.com or 630-238-1424.

Posted January 24, 2020 07:18

Calendar December 30, 2019 07:25

When you are milling a piece, precision is the name of the game. When your workpiece necessitates drilling, you need to deal with the risk of having a drill bit miss the mark. The reason drill bits are such liability is that Drill Bit Manufacturers do not produce their tools to operate within the tolerance of end mills. If you are looking for drill bits to incorporate into your milling work, there are a few things to consider in order to make the right choice.

Standard twist drill bits are long enough to slightly oscillate while they spin. This can cause the bit to deflect when you attempt to drill a hole. This can not only destroy the piece you are working on but can also damage the bit in question. In order to reduce this risk, many shops will start each hole with a small rigid spot drill to give the long bit a starting point. This makes it easier for the bit to find where it should sit and drill the hole smoothly. 

In order to reduce the risk of a drill deflection, you should use shorter drill bits. Because they are not as long, these bits, commonly known as stub drills, have much less natural vibration at high speeds. If you need to achieve a hole depth that your stub drill cannot manage, jobber drills are also an option. Jobber bits are an intermediate length, offering superior control over a standard twist bit, but less rigidity than a stub drill. 

Another way to increase the accuracy or your drilling is to use carbide bits. Compared to stainless steel and cobalt drill bits, carbide bits will hold their edge longer and can drill through almost any material. Though they are slightly more brittle, machine drilling rarely involves the unexpected lateral forces that result in bit failure. 

At Online Carbide, all of our drill bits are made with the highest quality solid carbide stock. Unlike other drill bit manufacturers who only use carbide on their tips, we make sure our bits are tough all the way through. We offer three types of drill bits: spot drills, stub drills, and jobber drills. All of our bits can be purchased in a wide array of sizes. Our Jobber and Stub bits come in Letter, Metric, Wire Gauge, and Fractional sizes to ensure your holes are precise. We also offer our stub drills with a TiAlN coating to provide an extra layer of protection and keep them spotting for years to come.

Don’t risk your work by using the wrong drill bit. Short, high quality, carbide drill bits are the best way to create perfect holes in your milling piece. At Online Carbide, we are dedicated to making the best drill bits for getting the job done quickly and cleanly. If you want to know more about our inventory or which bit to use for your next project, give our team a call at 630-238-1424. We know that when you see the difference our bits make, we’ll become your favorite drill bit manufacturer.

Posted December 30, 2019 07:25

Calendar December 26, 2019 06:52

With its strength, light weight, and affordability, Aluminum is an ideal material for milling certain components. Though this material is widely used in machinists shops, without the correct end mills, Aluminum can quickly wear down your cutting tools. Having the right End Mills For Aluminum is crucial to making sure that you can reliably produce aluminum parts without having to deal with expected tool failure.

When you are milling Aluminum, you need a cutting tool that has a high metal removal rates. Though Aluminum is a softer metal than steel, it can quickly produce small particulate that can build up on your end mill. This material build-up can increase the friction on your end mill. When your end mill doesn’t remove metal efficiently, this increase in friction will overheat your end mill and lead to a significantly decreased tool life.

The correct end mills for aluminum are specifically designed to achieve superior chip evacuation compared to other materials. If aluminum isn’t expelled from the site of the cut quickly, the milled aluminum can easily heat and recompact. This can cause unsightly scratches on your piece and damage to the cutting edge of your tools. In order to avoid this, you need to be sure you’ve chosen the correct end mill before starting your project.

The key to achieving these features lies in flute design. Typical aluminum cutting tools feature 2 or 3 flutes to remove metal far more rapidly than end mills for steel which feature more flutes. The rake angles on these flutes also add to the end mills stock removal speed.

Aluminum is a sticky metal, so a high helix angle to your flutes will expel the shavings quickly. Ideal end mills designed to cut aluminum should feature a helix angle greater than 35°. This angle ensures that the shavings are rapidly expelled upward. High helix angles also make it easier to enter a cut, resulting in a quieter cut and an excellent surface finish.

At Online Carbide, we manufacture a line of end mills designed to make machining aluminum quick and easy. All of our end mills are ground from the highest quality carbide stock to ensure a long tool life and a sturdy cutting edge. These carbide end mills feature a 37° helix angle and a 3 flute design. We offer these end mills in diameters ranging from ⅛” to ¾”. All of our end mills for aluminum are coated with zirconium nitride, a ceramic material that provides excellent resistance to wear on the cutting edges of your tools.

So if your shop works with aluminum, make sure you have end mills that can stand up to this unique material. At Online Carbide, we pride ourselves in offering high performance end mills made right here in the USA. Visit us today to find the end mills your shop needs at manufacturer direct pricing. You’re sure to find amazing deals on all of the end mills you need for your projects when you visit our website.

Posted December 26, 2019 06:52

Calendar December 5, 2019 05:54

When it comes to machining components that need to have solid connections, you need to make sure that you have accurate thread mills. The process of thread milling requires making highly accurate cuts so that your components will be able to fit together as intended. If you want to ensure accurate results, you need to complete your work using Solid Carbide Thread Mills. Here at Online Carbide, we make all of our milling cutters to our exact standards using top of the line solid carbide stock. These tools are designed to perform the cuts you need within precise tolerances and can cut a diverse number of thread designs to meet any shop’s needs.

Thread milling is a tricky but necessary part of machining. This process used to only be completed using specialized tools call taps and dies. These tools can cut accurate threads, but often require the operator to cut the threads by hand, which can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Using thread mills is a great way to simplify this process.

Here at Online Carbide, we offer two styles of thread mills. The first style is our single pitch thread mills. These end mills are designed with a small shank and a round cutting head with a rough rhombus-shaped cross-section. These tools are suited to a wide range of thread cutting needs including medium to large internal threads of larger external threads, particularly on asymmetric components. They are also ideal for components that are not extremely stable, due to their small cutting surface. This makes them perfect for thin-walled parts or dealing with large overhangs. You can also use these single pitch mills to cut the same insert sizes, but with different thread pitches.

Our next option is our full form thread mills. These mills have a sturdy tapered cutting surface with threads and rows of triangular “teeth” between the threads. Unlike single pitch mills, these end mills are designed to complete your part’s threads using one 360-degree cut. As long as the thread pitch is identical, these end mills can cut multiple thread sizes with the same tool. They will also chamfer while they cut your threads.

We offer all of our solid carbide thread mills in a range of sizes. Our Single pitch thread mills are sold based on thread size and threads per inch. Our full form thread mills are divided based on UN, metric, NPT, and NPTF thread options. All of our thread mills are coated with a TiAlN layer to protect from heat and extend their tool life.

So if you work in a shop that regularly has to cut threads, it’s time to look into the high-quality solid carbide thread mills from Online Carbide. All of our cutting tools are made using the highest quality carbide stock and ground to exact tolerances using our robot FEC 5 Axis CNC grinders. If you have any questions about our inventory, feel free to reach out to a member of our team via phone at 630-238-1424 or email at sales@OnlineCarbide.com.

Posted December 5, 2019 05:54

Calendar November 28, 2019 22:34

While machining harder materials like steel can but some serious wear on your end mills, people often underestimate how difficult machining soft aluminum can be. If you go into an aluminum milling project without the correct cutting tools, you may damage both your cutter and your workpiece. We have looked at the challenges aluminum can pose and have created the Best End Mills For Aluminum in order to help our customers machine with ease.

Here at Online Carbide, we are dedicated to providing our customers with top of the line carbide cutting tools. We use the same high-quality solid carbide stock as other industry leaders, we never offer carbide coated or tipped tools. We use robot fed 5 axis CNC grinders to produce our cutting tools to precise tolerances. This helps ensure that every tool we sell will perform as expected. We also only sell directly to our customers. These manufacturer direct prices will help you avoid the mark up that most stores put on cutting tools after purchasing them from the manufacturer.

There are several aspects of aluminum that can make it a tricky material to machine. The biggest concern when working with aluminum stems from the small chips that are produced. The chips from aluminum are so small they are basically a powder. This means that if the chips are difficult to evacuate from the cutting area. If too much aluminum powder builds up about your cutter, it can easily start to cake up back into a solid mass. If this occurs it can severely damage your end mill.

In order to help with chip evacuation, the best end mills for aluminum will have a lower flute count compared to tools for steel. This gives the chips more room to evacuate. We make our end mills using a 37-degree helix angle which is also intended to increase the evacuation rate. These features make it much easier to work on aluminum without worrying about unexpected tool failure.

The final feature that makes our end mills the best end mills for aluminum is the coating. We coat all of our tools intended for aluminum with a layer of zirconium nitride. This is a golden-colored ceramic coating that has extremely low surface friction, making it harder for chips to stick. It also helps to greatly increase the life of tools by protecting the tool’s cutting surfaces.

If you work in a shop that regularly deals with machining aluminum, you know how important it is to attack every job with the right tools. If you’re ready to upgrade to the best end mills for aluminum, it's time to visit us at Online Carbide. If you have any questions about our end mills for aluminum or any of our other products, feel free to contact a member of our team at sales@onlinecabide.com or call us weekdays between 8-5 CST at 630-238-1424.

Posted November 28, 2019 22:34

Calendar November 7, 2019 01:32

CNC machines and other machine shop equipment use Tapered End Mills to save time on their piecework. Due to the increasing complexity of mill work and the demands being placed on machine operations to create curved interior surfaces and hollowed-out spaces within the machined piece, Tapered End Mills make it possible to create these hard-to-create results.

Many CNC machine operations require a “long reach” tool which can make the desired curves and voids with greater ease, however, the longer the reach of the tool, the more deflection which can take place as the tool is being used. This is where Tapered End Mills make a big difference. Because of the design of the tool, the tapering of the steel making up the tool adds to the resistance to deflect or “bow” under pressure. That means the workpiece will have cleaner cuts, less debris accumulation on the End Mill, and the tool will last longer.

Online Carbide manufactures the finest Tapered End Mills available on the market today. The company offers the following styles and specifications in End Mills:

Standard End Mills - sizes from 1/16th inch >> 1 inch in 1/16th inch increments

  •  2 & 4-Flute SQ
  •  2 & 4-Flute SQ - TiAlN
  •  2 & 4-Flute Ball
  •  2 & 4-Flute Ball - TiAlN
  •  2 & 4-Flute Long SQ
  •  2 & 4-Flute Long SQ - TiAlN
  •  2 & 4-Flute Long Ball
  •  2 & 4-Flute Long Ball - TiAlN

TiAlN = Titanium Aluminum Nitride

Variable End Mills - sizes from 1/8th inch >> 3/4 inch in 1/16th inch increments and all have TiAlN coating.

End Mills For Aluminum - sizes from 1/8th inch >> 3/4 inch in 1/16th inch increments and all are 37° Helix with 3-Flute design and have Zirconium Nitride (ZrN) coating.

6-Flute End Mills - sizes from 1/4 inch >> 3/4 inch in 1/16th inch increments and all have Aluminum Chromium Nitride (AlCrN) coating.

The true value behind Online Carbide’s Tapered End Mills is the factory direct prices customers pay. By selling factory direct, Online Carbide is able to bypass the middleman and the high markups they put on the products they handle. Sometimes that markup can be 40% to 50% more or higher. Added to the factory direct prices is the free shipping customers receive when they order $250 or more in products. In today’s world, that can add up to a lot of money really fast. Low prices and free shipping definitely get people’s attention, but it is also the quality of the products and the professionalism of the staff that keeps them coming back for more.

Online Carbide’s customers know they can trust in the quality of the products being extremely high. Online Carbide manufactures all their machine tools with a raw steel mix that includes 10% Cobalt Micrograin. When it comes to Carbide cutting tools with the best and longest lasting edges, nothing beats Cobalt Micrograin and by adding a 10% mix of it to the steel, Online Carbide removes any doubt as to the quality of their engineering or construction of the tools they sell. When you’re in the market for top-shelf Tapered End Mills, Online Carbide is the place to go.

Posted November 7, 2019 01:32

Calendar November 1, 2019 02:02

Chamfer cutters are one of the most frequently used end mills in a machinist’s toolbox. This is because they are perfect for finishing projects and taking care of small details. Chamfering is the process of adding a flat surface as a transitional edge between two faces on an object. The most typical form of chamfering is at a 45° on a 90° corner. Though Chamfer Mills are specifically designed for adding a chamfer to your edges, they can serve many additional functions that you might not have considered.

One of the chamfer mills obvious functions is beveling an edge. Many people actually confuse a chamfer and a bevel. While a chamfer affects only the edge where your sides meet, a bevel affects an entire edge. How effective your chamfer cutter will be when beveling an edge depends on your workpiece. If the piece is thin enough, you can easily bevel the edge by orienting the tip of your chamfer mill along the bottom edge of your piece. If you are dealing with thicker material, you can achieve a bevel with multiple passes of your chamfering mill.

Deburring is another job perfectly suited to a chamfer mill. When your milling is complete, you are bound to have some stray burs left on your piece. By tracing the edges you just cut with your chamfering mill, you can avoid the time-consuming process of manually deburring your piece. You can also deburr using only a small portion of the cutting head, meaning the job can be done quickly with minimal wear to the cutter.

Another excellent way to get some more utility out of your chamfer cutters is to use them for spotting and countersinking. Long drill bits tend to have a bit of flexibility to them. This can easily cause them to wander instead of placing your hole exactly on target. By spot drilling a dimple to receive the bit, you can avoid these deflections that can easily ruin your workpiece. Once your hole is drilling, your chamfer mill can also be used to widen the top of your hole to add a countersink. Instead of using three separate tools to spot and countersink, you can get it done using only your trusty chamfering mill.

With all of these functions, it’s clear that having quality chamfer cutters on hand is crucial to getting your work done efficiently. At Online Carbide, we manufacture our solid carbide chamfer mills here in the USA. When you buy chamfer mills from us, you get the mills made to the same high standards as the major brands, but without dealing with markup from middle men. You can purchase our chamfering mills in ¼”, ?”, and ½” diameters with either 60° or 90° tip angles.

We are dedicated to making the best carbide cutting tools on the market. No matter what you need to get your next job done, you can trust Online Carbide to provide the quality milling tools your shop needs at an amazing price.

Posted November 1, 2019 02:02

Calendar October 7, 2019 09:20

Machinists are always looking for ways to speed up the process of milling components. Between tool changes and running low speeds and feeds on harder materials, the process can be laborious. While standard end mills tend to experience chatter at high speeds, the invention of variable flute end mills has created a unique solution for dealing with high-speed chatter. If you are tired of running your end mills slower in exchange for stability, you need to try the variable end mills from Online Carbide.

Online Carbide is an independent US manufacturer of solid carbide high-performance end mills. Unlike major brands that deal with middlemen to sell through big box stores, Online Carbide sells direct to consumers so you can save big with their manufacturer pricing. They offer a huge variety of cutting tools for milling applications ground from solid carbide stock using state of the art robot fed 5 axis CNC grinders. You don’t have to buy from industry leaders to get the end mills you need.

Online Carbide’s variable helix end mills feature unique helix designs that make them ideal for high-speed milling. When standard end mills are run at high speeds, they begin to oscillate naturally. This can cause them to shake and create a loud noise, colloquially known as chatter. Variable helix end mills address this issue by creating irregular spacing between the cutting edges of the flutes.

A standard four flute end mill has equal spacing between each flute’s cutting edge. This means that as the flute contacts the workpiece, the time between cuts is uniform. Because of this, each strike adds to the oscillation of the end mill and increases the chatter. The irregular spacing of Online Carbide’s variable flute end mills means that the timing between each flute’s cutting edge contacting the workpiece is different due to the flute angles, not all being an even 90 degrees. This tiny difference helps to prevent the regular oscillation that causes chatter.

Because of their reduced chatter, these variable end mills can be run at higher feed rates without sacrificing efficiency. These end mills offer the same chip evacuation as standard fluted end mills but they are able to run faster and offer a superior removal rate. The variable end mills from Online Carbide are available in the following sizes:

  •  1/8” 4 Flute Variable Helix End Mill
  •  3/16” 4 Flute Variable Helix End Mill
  •  1/4” 4 Flute Variable Helix End Mill
  •  5/16” 4 Flute Variable Helix End Mill
  •  3/8” 4 Flute Variable Helix End Mill
  •  1/2” 4 Flute Variable Helix End Mill
  •  5/8” 4 Flute Variable Helix End Mill
  •  3/4” 4 Flute Variable Helix End Mill

Each of Online Carbide’s variable end mills features a coating of titanium aluminum nitride. This tool coating helps to insulate your end mills from the heat produced under high-speed milling conditions. When exposed to high heat, the coating creates a layer of non-thermally conductive aluminum oxide that helps to deflect heat away from the end mill and into the chips. This allows you to run at higher speeds without sacrificing tool life.

If you are having issues with tool chatter slowing down your machining, visit Online Carbide today. Their variable cutting tools can help you machine parts faster without having to deal with loud chatter. If you have any questions about these amazing end mills or any of Online Carbide’s other end mills, you can call them between 8am to 5pm CST at 630-238-1424 or email them at sale@onlinecarbide.com.

Posted October 7, 2019 09:20

Calendar October 3, 2019 01:56

If your shop regularly does mill work, you probably own several carbide end mill sets. While it is always useful to have a wide assortment of end mills at your disposal, there are always a few sizes and mill varieties that seem to just collect dust. If your workhorse end mills are starting to wear down, it’s time to replace those pieces of your sets with new quality carbide end mills from Online Carbide.

Online Carbide is a US based manufacturer of high performance solid carbide end mills and drill bits. Unlike many of the industry leading manufacturers, Online Carbide does not deal with a distribution chain. As a result, there are no middlemen between you and Online Carbide. This means they can offer their customers manufacturer direct pricing on tools make with the same solid carbide stock and advanced grinding equipment as other brands.

Each of Online Carbides tools begins with solid carbide, you will never find carbide coated steel or other cheap options when you buy their cutting tools. Solid carbide is one of the best materials for cutting tools because it combines the positive attributes of both metallic and ceramic tools.

Carbide’s incredible rigidity and edge retention make it the perfect choice for mill ends. This is because these high speed tools will experience incredibly high chatter from oscillating if they are made of metal. Ceramic tools are also extremely likely to shatter. Carbide is a cermet, a type of composite material made by fusing powdered carbide ceramic with a metal binder.

Online Carbide offers a huge selection of end mills. If you need a replacement for you carbide end mill set, you are sure to find the perfect option. Online Carbide makes end mills in the following categories:

  •  Full form thread mills
  •  Single pitch end mills
  •  Standard square and ball end mills
  •  Variable end mills
  •  End mills for aluminum
  •  6FL End mills
  •  Chamfer mills
  •  Drill mills
  •  Center drills
  •  Spot drills
  •  Stub drills
  •  Jobber drills

With all of these options in a variety of sizes and finish coatings, it’s easy to find the end mills and other cutting tools you need. You can also forgo buying carbide end mill sets just to save money on expensive end mills. With Online Carbide you can order exactly what you need without filling your shop with half used cutting tool sets.

So if you need some new carbide cutting tools, visit Online Carbide today. You can rest assured that you will receive a quality product made using the same robot loaded 5 axis CNC grinders as other major manufacturers. Online Carbide can also help your company create custom end mills if you cannot find a mill from them to get the job done. If you are interested in purchasing end mills or requesting custom work, you can reach their team by phone at 630-238-1424 or by email at sales@onlinecarbide.com. Experience the savings and quality you get when you deal directly with the manufacturer.

Posted October 3, 2019 01:56

Calendar September 11, 2019 03:26

For machinists, discovering ways to work faster and smarter is the name of the game. Ramping up your speeds and feeds might get the job done quicker, but doing so increases the heat and fatigue on your end mills. Making frequent tool changes is another time consumer. Having one end mill that can fulfill a multitude of functions is a great way to cut down on tool changes and keep your operation running smoothly. This is where drill mills come into play.

For those machinists who have never used drill mills, you’re not alone. They are not typically part of the standard end mills employed by most mill operators. Basically, these tools are a fusion of an end mill and a drill bit. They have the solid sharpened flutes of an end mill, but they terminate in a point like a drill bit. This means that they get the best of both worlds from each of these tools, and they can perform some unique functions.

Drill mills can side mill like a typical end mill, though they do have a sharpened point, which means that they cannot mill a depression without a chamfered inner bottom edge, so an end mill might be your best bet for heavy side milling. If you need to mill a V-shaped groove into your workpiece, drill mills’ drill-style tip makes them the perfect option. This angled tip also makes these tools perfect for chamfering edge and spot drilling your piece.

Another unique function of these cutting tools is their axial cutting abilities. Unlike typical mill ends, you can drill a hole with your drill mill. Unlike a typical jobber drill bit, these mills are short and stable. This means you can drill a hole in your workpiece without having to worry about the tip drifting off target and misaligning your hole. Whether you're spot drilling or just adding some small holes, these mills will get the job done quickly and easily.

At Online Carbide, we manufacture our own line of these versatile cutting tools from solid carbide right here in the US. We use the same high-quality carbide stock and grinding equipment as leaders in the industry, but we offer our tools for sale at manufacturer direct pricing. You can purchase our carbide drill mills in a variety of sizes and styles. You can choose from 2 flute and 4 flute options with tip angles of 60° and 90°.

No matter what style you choose, we offer sizes from ?” to ¾” so you can find the perfect tool for any job. We also offer two options for the finish on your tools, our bright finish, and our titanium aluminum nitride finish. The bright finish is polished carbide, which aids in edge retention and chip evacuation. For harder jobs, our TiAlN offers superior wear and heat protection to greatly extend the tool life of your drill mills.

If you want to cut down on tool changes and save yourself some time on your next job, visit our store for great deals on these versatile drill mills. Between these unique cutting tools and our other end mill options, you can find everything your shop needs at Online Carbide.

Posted September 11, 2019 03:26

Calendar August 28, 2019 01:55

Part of operating a milling machine is making sure your work is accurate. Modern milling machines allow end mill placement with pinpoint accuracy, making it possible to create incredibly intricate pieces with relative ease. When drilling into a workpiece, a walking bit can ruin all of your hard work. Instead of having to start an entire piece over because of a mechanical mistake, make sure your bit placement is accurate by starting with a spot drill. These simple little bits can help ensure that your drill bits provide the same accuracy you expect from your end mills.

The purpose of a spot drill is to get your workpiece reading for secondary drilling. Though these are drills of a sort, they are not used to create a full hole like a typical drill bit. Instead, spot drills are used to create a dimple in the workpiece to assist you in seating your drill bit perfectly. Spot drills have a short flute length and body to make them as rigid as possible. On rigid surfaces, traditional drill bits can easily be deflected off their target. This is because their length leads to a traditional twist bit being far too flexible.

Many machinists will try to get this effect using a cheaper center drill to start their holes instead of a spot drill. While center drills may look perfect for the job, preparing a piece for a lathe is different from preparing it to be drilled. There are two issues with this approach. First, the tip of a center drill is delicate, and can easily break while spotting, which can hold up your production. The second issue is that center drills typically have a 60° point angle. This is too narrow for most drill bit points and can actually lead to deflecting your bit.

The best tool for spotting is a true spot drill made from solid carbide. These bits are rigid and create spots with the correct angle to accept the tip of your drill bit without the worry of deflection. At Online Carbide, we make all of our spot drills here in the USA. We use the same quality carbide stock and grind equipment as industry leaders, but we offer our products at manufacturer direct pricing.

Our spot drills come in both 90° and 120° point angle options to accommodate the angle of your drill bit. You can find these spotting drills in sizes ranging from ⅛” to ½”. We also offer both our polished carbide bright finish and a titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) finish. Ordering a spot drill with our TiAlN can greatly extend the life of your bits by shielding them from heat.

If you want to avoid having a wandering drill bit ruin your hard work, take the precaution of spotting before you drill. If you need quality spot drills or end mills for your shop, you can save big and get amazing quality when you order from Online Carbide.

Posted August 28, 2019 01:55

Calendar August 5, 2019 06:59

The normal uses for a Variable End Mill include profiling, contouring and slotting. But there’s more to itthan meets the eye. Let’s take a closer look and see why Online Carbide makes the best Mill on the market.

Variable End Mills come in three types - Square Profile, Corner Radius, and Ball Profile. Square Profile has sharp, 90° edges that leave a flat surface. Corner Radius End Mills have a radius form that breaks up a sharp corner on a workpiece and leaves a smooth curve. Ball Profile tools have a round end and can work well on inside curves and corners.

The irregular helix on the Variable End Mill cutting edges is important and llows the tool to perform roughing, slotting, and finishing with excellent results. The “Variable” part speaks to the irregular helix and flute spacing of the cutting edge which prevents the tool from chattering while in use at high speeds ausing poor cutting performance.

Online Carbide manufactures their end millsto work at high speeds with the least amount of both deflection and cutting edge wear using premium carbide material, Online Carbide insures its customers that the tools they purchase will last longer and perform better than many other competitive tools available online. Because their products are all “Made in the USA”, the engineers at Online Carbide know their tools are being held to a higher standard by consumers.

There are other advantages to purchasing machine tools from Online Carbide. Some companies buy offshore products and re-package them to look like they are made in America. The American-sounding name and packaging can fool some people, but smart buyers know the place to purchase their machine tools is Online Carbide. For a quarter of a century the people at Online Carbide have been manufacturing and selling machine tools all over North America and the response has been amazing.

Online Carbide is proud to offer their Variable End Mill products with a 4-Flute Variable Helix and Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAlN) coating in sizes from 1/8th inch to 3/4 inch in 1/16th increments. The Online Carbide End Mill incorporates an irregular Helix design which allows the tool to be used in high-speed, high-capacity production environments and applications. The 4-Flute design is engineered to shed waste more efficiently while maintaining sharp cutting edges for longer periods reducing the time needed to switch out dull tools.

Customer support is the key to Online Carbide’s tenure and success. Customers can easily contact the company using one of three methods. First, customers can use the inquiry form on the company’s website contact page. Next, customers can send an email to sales@onlinecarbide.com with their question or request for more information. And finally, for customers who wish to speak directly with a customer support professional, there is the telephone number 630-238-1424 which customers can call Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm Central Standard Time. Whenever a customer needs help of any kind, they know they can count on the customer support professionals to help them.

Posted August 5, 2019 06:59

Calendar July 18, 2019 07:55

If your business involves milling machines, then you know that end mills and other carbide cutting tools are essential. These useful little components are what gives the business end of your mill its cutting power. Whether you’re working with wood or metal cutting machines, having a wide assortment of end mills will make finding the right tool for the job easier. When you need new end mills for your business, there are several factors to consider.

End mills will naturally wear over time. The level of this fatigue can be affected by the speeds and feeds you use, as well as the material you are milling. Even with the best possible settings, you will also notice a huge difference in tool fatigue based on where you buy your end mills. While cheap end mills can be found, typically from overseas manufacturers, these end mills are often constructed from low carbide grades. When these cheap end mills go up against a material as hard as stainless steel, the high temperatures will wear them down quickly. Quality tools made from high-quality carbide will outlast these cheap end mills every time.

When choosing a manufacturer for your carbide cutting tools, your best option will always be an American company that grinds their carbide tools from the highest-quality solid carbide. At Online Carbide, we specialize in making the best carbide tools right here in the US. We pride ourselves in using the same carbide stock and grinding tools as industry leaders, but at a fraction of the cost.

The reason you can buy our carbide tools for less is simply because when you buy from us, you are buying directly from the manufacturer. Most big brands sell their tools wholesale to middlemen, who then mark the products up before selling them to your shop. Instead of dealing with this unnecessary markup, Online Carbide offers our customers manufacturer direct pricing so you don’t have to overpay for the end mills you need.

With our assortment of end mills and drill bits, you will be able to find the perfect tool for any job. We offer the following categories of products: full form thread mills, single pitch thread mills, variable end mills, end mills for aluminum, 6 flute end mills, chamfer mills, drill mills, center drills, spot drills, stub drills, and jobber drills. You can find cutting tools with a carbide finish, as well as tools with treated cutting edges for increased performance and extended tool life.

Next time your business needs carbide cutting tools, trust a quality manufacturer. At Online Carbide, we know our mills are second to none and our prices will beat out the major brands. Whether you need a new chamfer bit or a variable mill to power through steel, our products will amaze you with their resilience. Don’t overpay for quality or try to save by buying cheap. Your shop deserves only the best end mills, and that’s exactly what Online Carbide is here to offer.

Posted July 18, 2019 07:55

Calendar July 16, 2019 07:41

There are quite a few companies which are Drill Bit manufacturers but none like Online Carbide. The engineers at Online Carbide weren’t going to settle for the average, ordinary Drill Bit. They wanted a superior product with enhanced and upgraded materials and maximum longevity. In other words, the engineers wanted to design, engineer, and manufacture the best Drill Bits available. They did it.

Making the Most Out of the Best
Manufacturing a quality machine tool like a Drill Bit isn’t exactly rocket science, however, there are some significant differences between products and machine shops, production floor managers, and manufacturing plant managers know the differences. What those customers want is a Drill Bit that doesn’t flex or bend, has cutting edges that will last longer, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Online Carbide meets all those requirements and more. The engineers at Online Carbide decided to utilize10% Cobalt Micrograin which made their Drill Bits rigid. They also incorporate materials like Zirconium Nitride, Titanium Aluminum Nitride, Aluminum Chromium Nitride, and Bright Finish which keep cutting edges sharp and longer lasting. And they sell their carbide tools at factory direct prices that save their customers a lot of money.

Online Carbide are the Drill Bit Manufacturers With All the Right Sizes
Producing a full line of Drill Bits for machining operations gives Online Carbide an edge over many of their competitors who only manufacture a limited number of designs and sizes. Online Carbide offers Drill Bits in the following configurations:

  • Drill Mills
  • Center Drills
  • Spot Drills
  • Stub Drills
  • Jobber Drills

Each Drill Bit style comes in sizes from 1/16 inch up to 1 inch, increasing in size by 1/16th inch increments.

Online Carbide are the Drill Bit Manufacturers with the Right Prices
Selling factory direct to customers means there is no middleman markups or handling charges. Those added costs can raise the price of machine tools by 40 to 50% or more. When customers purchase their Drill Bits and other machine tools from Online Carbide, they also get free shipping in the continental United States for orders over $250. And customers can check out Online Carbide’s website at www.onlinecarbide.com to find sales and product specials in addition to their already low prices. Excellent products at great prices with free shipping makes Online Carbide the best resource for all machine tools.

Great Customer Service Seals the Deal
One-man machine shops and machining operations that span entire production plants both count on the same thing when purchasing their Drill Bits or other machining tools - great customer support. They know a company that not only manufactures excellent carbide tools at low prices but that can also support their customers with top-shelf customer service will be their first choice when it comes time to order what they need. Online Carbide connects with customers easily by using their email contact at sales@onlinecarbide.com or having customers call them at 630-238-1424 Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm Central Standard Time.

Posted July 16, 2019 07:41

Calendar June 18, 2019 08:06

Chamfer Mills perform a variety of tasks in machine shops and machine production plants across North America. Used in CNC machines for a broad range of machining functions, the applications are endless. The choices of manufacturers and retailers can be pretty extensive as well. One thing that is important to consider when making the decision to buy machine tools is what are you really paying for; machine tool, dealer markup, or advertising campaign?

It may not be foremost in mind when it’s time to issue a purchase order for more cutting tools, but it’s worth a few moments consideration. Many cutting tool sellers aren’t the manufacturers and in many cases, the manufacturers are offshore in China or India. It’s hard to tell because the packaging looks good and the name sounds American. Online Carbide manufactures all their tools in the USA so there’s no messing around with machine tools from dubious vendors.

Chamfer Mills are generally used for removing sharp edges on workpieces in a CNC machine or by machinists working on a production line. It’s a commonly used tool and because of that high usage it is a tool which many machining operations purchase on a regular basis in large quantities. Engineering mills properly means finding ways to increase the tool’s longevity while in use. Online Carbide accomplishes this task by utilizing premium carbide to make the tool stronger and help the cutting edges to remain sharper for a longer period of time. This is important because inferior machining results or switching tools too often leads to production delays and increased production costs.

Online Carbide manufactures the highest quality Chamfer Mills available anywhere and they’ve been able to capture a number of customers because of their commitment to producing long-life, dependable cutting tools and their commitment to supporting their customers with the best customer support team in the industry. The company recognizes it has grown because of two factors; they consistently make excellent cutting tools and they are always focused on customer support. Nothing else is acceptable.

Online Carbide manufactures their mills with a 2 ½ inch Overall Length and Bright Finish in the following sizes:

  •  1/4 inch 60°
  •  1/4 inch 90°
  •  3/8 inch 60°
  •  3/8 inch 90°
  •  1/2 inch 60°
  •  1/2 inch 90°

Online Carbide saves money by selling their Chamfer Mills and all their other machine tools at factory direct prices online. Customers who go to www.onlinecarbide.com are always pleased with finding excellent prices for high quality machine tools but they are also happy to find exceptional deals like free shipping for orders over $250. Customers with any questions or with large orders are encouraged to contact the company using the sales@onlinecarbide.com email address or by calling the professionals on the customer support team at 630-238-1424 between 8am and 5pm Central Standard Time.

Posted June 18, 2019 08:06

Calendar June 15, 2019 08:23

Selling carbide tools on the internet isn’t a new idea but it is a better idea than buying from local tool retailers or distributors. A Carbide End Mill Set can perform many tasks in a machine shop environment but purchasing tools locally can raise the prices significantly.

Buy Machine Tools Online and Save
Carbide tool manufacturers sell their products many different ways. In many cases, purchasing name brand tools from local distributors can raise the cost of the tools by 40% to 50% or more. Purchasing carbide tools online saves money and time. Customers can go online to www.onlinecarbide.com and find the machine tools they want at factory direct prices. Online Carbide also offers Free Shipping on orders of $250 or more which saves even more money.

A Carbide End Mill Set That Beats the Competition
Online Carbide proudly offers the best Carbide End Mill Set on the market today because they manufacture their tools with Premium10% Cobalt Micrograin Carbide. The remium material helps keep the edges sharper for a longer time, reducing the need to change tools. Online Carbide beats the competition because their customers get more tool for less money.

Standard End Mills in Two Styles
Online Carbide manufactures different styles of End Mill. They offer Standard End Mills in 2-Flute and 4-Flute designs in the following configurations:

● Reg SQ
● Reg SQ TiAlN
● Reg Ball
● Reg Ball TiAlN
● Long SQ
● Long SQ TiAlN
● Long Ball
● Long Ball TiAlN

*TiAlN = Titanium Aluminum Nitride

Variable Helix End Mills
Online Carbide manufactures a Variable Helix Carbide End Mill Set in a 4-Flute design which enables the tool to clear the shavings from the workpiece more efficiently. All of Online Carbide’s Variable Helix End Mills come with TiAlN coatings which keep the cutting edges sharper for a longer time. The company offers their Variable Helix Carbide End Mills in the following sizes:

● 1/8 inch
● 3/16 inch
● 1/4 inch
● 5/16 inch
● 3/8 inch
● 1/2 inch
● 5/8 inch
● 3/4 inch

6-Flute End Mills
The company produces a 6-Flute Carbide End Mill Set which can be used on higher-tensile strength workpieces. The 6-Flute design enables longer tool life and less wear from heavier metal pieces. It can also be used as a finishing tool. All 6-Flute Carbide End Mills come with AlCrN (Aluminum Chromium Nitride) coating in the following sizes:

● 1/4 inch
● 5/16 inch
● 3/8 inch
● 1/2 inch
● 5/8 inch
● 3/4 inch

Carbide End Mill SetFor Aluminum
For machine shops that work on Aluminum workpieces, Online Carbide manufactures a separate set of End Mills. These End Mills feature a 3-Flute Design for faster and easier removal of cuttings. The 3-Flute design has a 37° angle and features a ZrN (Zirconium Nitride) coating which allows the tool to work at higher speeds without reducing the sharpness or longevity of the tool and keeping the tool temperature lower. The Aluminum cutting Carbide End Mill Set comes in the following sizes:

● 1/8 inch
● 3/16 inch
● 1/4 inch
● 5/16 inch
● 3/8 inch
● 1/2 inch
● 5/8 inch
● 3/4 inch

Contact Online Carbide
Customers with questions or who need additional information can contact Online Carbide by sending an email to sales@onlinecarbide.com or by calling 630-238-1424 between 8am and 5pm Central Standard Time.

Posted June 15, 2019 08:23

Calendar May 17, 2019 06:25

Online carbide has been providing customers with low-cost top quality carbide cutting tools for years. Unlike other manufacturers who sell at higher prices, our mission at Online Carbide is to cut out the middleman and sell products to our customers at a direct price. All of our products are high quality and made in the USA with 10% cobalt micrograin material on CNC grinders. While our inventory is constantly being expanded and updated, some of our current inventory includes standard end mills, drill mills, spot drills, and center drills. Because there are so many carbide cutting tools available to carbide consumers, some of our customers can sometimes feel confused or overwhelmed as to which tools they should be purchasing and using. While we’re always available to help you over the phone or through email with any questions you might have about our products, we’ve created a brief list featuring some of our most commonly purchased and utilized items below:

• Standard end mills: Our standard end mills are used for primary carbide cutting functions during milling, contouring, drilling, reaming, and counterboring. We offer several different options within our standard end mills category such as regular and long square, which are typically used for slotting and profiling, and regular and long ball, which are used for pocketing and milling contoured surfaces. Our standard end mills come in various flute sizes and can even be purchased with a titanium aluminum nitride finish (TIALN).

• Drill mills: Drill mills are best used for spotting, drilling, and chamfering. Unlike other types of mills, drills are great when it comes to precision, accuracy, and axial cutting. Our drill mills are available in 2FL or 4FL and can have a bright finish or a TIALN finish.

• Spot drills: These are primarily used among machinists to accurately spot a hole for a twist drill. These types of drills have a heavier weight in the shank of the drill, which allows the spotting motion to occur more smoothly. Using a spot drill will typically be your best bet if you need to ensure a hole will accurately be located and drilled. Our options for these drills include 90 degree angles and 120 degree angles in both bright and TIALN finishes.

• Center drills: Many consumers confuse spot drills with center drills and are unsure about when to use which drill for their purpose. Center drills are typically used in order to create a hole for a lathe center. They have a different shape than most drills since they have a two-part tip and come in angles like 60 and 90. Many machinists prefer center drills because they are usually a lower cost alternative for spotting functions. We have several options for center drills, including 60, 82, and 90 degree angles in either bright or TIALN finishes.

At Online Carbide, we hope to make thread milling a cost-efficient, simple option for you. Most of our items are available to ship within the same day of placement orders, so you’ll be saving time and money. Order online at OnlineCarbide.com or contact us at 630-238-1424. When you buy with Online Carbide, you buy with confidence.

Posted May 17, 2019 06:25

Calendar April 17, 2019 05:49

Machinists know that Stub Drills are extremely versatile tools which can be used with different types of piecework materials like iron, steel, aluminum, and plastics. Stub Drills with Carbide content can be utilized to perform reaming and spot drilling with the drill edges lasting from triple to five times as long as non-carbide drills. The carbide content in Online Carbide’s tools makes the difference between their tools and their competitor’s tool products.

Online Carbide Sells Stub Drills For Less
There are quite a few tool sellers on the internet, but the problem is determining whether or not they manufacture the tools they are selling or are they selling offshore products. Many tool companies put their own name on products they purchase from Chinese or Indian manufacturers in an effort to generate additional profit. Online Carbide doesn’t do that. They manufacture their Stub Drills and all their other products in the USA. But they don’t sell their tools at high, name brand prices. They sell Factory Direct to their customers saving money and saving time too. Customer orders over $250 also ship for free so the savings get even greater.

Time and Money As They Apply to Stub Drills
The time it takes to find a high quality resource with good prices can be hard to manager. Searching the internet or driving around to local tool distributors and retailers can yield poor results. That’s why Online Carbide makes it easy to purchase the tools you need. Factory Direct prices means the absolute lowest cost. The prices for Online Carbide’s tools are amazingly competitive. When customers consider Online Carbide puts 10% Cobalt Micrograin in their raw steel stock making their tools much more resistant to wear and degradation, they realize they are buying a top-shelf machine tool at a highly-discounted price.

Four Types of Stub Drills to Choose From

Online Carbide manufactures four different styles of Stub Drills. Those styles are:

● Fractional Stub Drills
● Letter Stub Drills
● Wire Size Stub Drills
● Metric Stub Drills

The Fractional Stub Drills come in sizes from 1/16th inch to 3/4 inch in 1/64th inch increments with 135° points and 15° RHH with Length of Cut running from 1-5/8th inch on the smaller diameter tools to 3-1/8th inch on the larger diameter tools.

The Letter Stub Drills come in sizes from 1/16th inch to 3/4 inch in 1/64th inch increments with 135° points and 15° RHH with Length of Cut running from 1-5/16th inch on the smaller diameter tools to 1-15/16th inch on the larger diameter tools.

The Wire Size Stub Drills come in sizes from .52 (.0635) in diameter to .10 (.2280) in diameter with 135° points and 15° RHH with Length of Cut running from 11/16th inch on the smaller diameter tools to 1-5/16th inch on the larger diameter tools.

The Metric Stub Drills come in sizes from 2mm to 12.5mm in diameter with 135° points and 15° RHH with Length of Cut running from 19mm on the smaller diameter tools to 56mm on the larger diameter tools.

Excellent Prices + Excellent Customer Support = The Best Deal Around
The folks at Online Carbide know low prices alone aren’t enough to take care of customers; it also takes great customer support. The customer support is second-to-none and it’s easy to contact the company if a customer has a question or needs further information about the tools. Customers can send an email to sales@onlinecarbide.com or they can call 630-238-1424 between 8am and 5pm Central Standard Time Monday through Friday.

Posted April 17, 2019 05:49

Calendar April 16, 2019 05:53

One of the most important possessions any worker has is their tool box, and if you’re going to be working a milling job, you’ll need good quality end mills. Shopping for mills online is one of the smartest decisions you can make when building up a tool box, but there are a few considerations you need to keep in mind when you find end mills for sale. After all, it’s not just important to have many tools in your toolbox but to have high quality tools as well.

The first consideration you should always have in mind is the type of the job. Depending on what material you’ll be milling, you might have different options at your fingertips. Always be sure to plan for the unexpected. While there’s a reasonable range of materials to expect onsite at any particular job, don’t assume that you’ll only end up milling one material.

The type of material you’ll be working with can not only have an effect on the material that the end mills you’re looking for is made of but also on the design. The fluting, for example, varies greatly in effectiveness depending on what material is being milled. Be sure to take the time to consider both of these factors when planning the job and looking at end mills for sale.

The next factor you’ll want to consider is how the end mills you’re looking at work with the milling machine you’ll be using. While many end mills are designed to work with multiple machines, there’s no doubt that some end mills work better with certain machines. Just take the time to do a little extra research before you buy, and you’ll end up with a much more satisfactory purchase.

The third consideration to keep in mind is the scope of your purchase. If you’re looking for a set of end mills that will last you a long time, you’ll want to look at the (generally) pricier models that contain higher grades of steel and stronger alloys. Not all jobs require the highest-grade alloys, though! While quality is always good, if you’re planning for a quick and simple job, don’t overspend! Be sure to realistically assess the scope of use you’ll have for your end mills; buying an expensive mill you’ll not use very much can be as frustrating as buying a cheap mill that wears out because you use it too much.

Once you’ve thought about each of these factors, you’re likely ready to make a purchase. We recommend checking out Online Carbide. Their simple, straightforward website makes choosing the right end mill an easy process. They have a huge selection of end mills for sale on their site, and their staff is experienced, knowledgeable, and professional. Don’t just take it from us, though! Go check out their site for yourself and see just how easy it can be to get the end mills you need without any of the extra nonsense. Online Carbide is the business for you if you like buying tools without all the smokescreens!

Posted April 16, 2019 05:53

Calendar March 20, 2019 07:44

America is a nation of possibility, where every day, hard-working people put in an honest day’s work and return home to their families. For many of these people, work is grinding every day, difficult, challenging and often requires exceptional strength to keep everything moving and operating properly.

In carbide drilling, you want parts that are as tough as you are. You want rugged and tested drill bits and stub drills to get the job done right the first time and leave you with the sense of security that you can cross it off your to-do list for good.

At Online Carbide, we’re an American company for the American people. What does that mean? It means that we want to provide the best for you because you deserve the best. We want to provide you with tremendous value. We want to give you the quality you deserve in a price that is set by the manufacturer, not a distributor. And we offer a large range of products to do that.

Our stub drills come in various sizes and styles to tackle any job.

Our fractional stub drills range from 1/16” to 3/4". Fractional stub drill bits are applicably named because they come in fractional increments.

Our letter stub drills range from Size A (.2340) to Z (.4130). These are very common twist drill bits with the sizes ranging from smallest to largest – A is the smallest bit we offer.

Our wire size stub drills range from 52 (.0635) to 1 (.2280).

Our metric stub drills range from 2.0MM to 12.5MM. These drill bits are measured in standard metric lengths with 2.0MM being the smallest.

Whatever the job is, large or small, simple and easy, or challenging and tough, we have the parts you need.

All of the drill bits sold by Online Carbide are made in the USA and we take pride in making sure that the quality we offer is second-to-none. We are always expanding our range and product catalog. We want to go above and beyond for you.

If you have any questions about our products or our website, feel free to contact us. We are available by phone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST and by email at sales@onlinecarbide.com.

Order online with us today. We accept all major credit cards and PayPal. Many of our items ship on the same day so you can get them as soon as possible. We will contact you regarding shipping and delivery information after you place your order. Contact us with any question about the items we have in stock.

Everyone wants to get the right product with the most value. We care about providing that experience for you. You work hard and expect the best in your shopping experience. Let Online Carbide be your source for all of your carbide cutting tool needs, with superior quality, customer service, and efficient costs. That is the American way, and we strive to be just a small part of that, making life better for our fellow Americans.

Posted March 20, 2019 07:44