Re: Ripples in surface finish
What's your spindle speed, depth of cut and and your feed rate on your finish pass? Are you trying to do your finish cut at 5100 RPM?
If you're trying to make your finish cut at 5100 RPM, that's your problem. I learned a long tome ago to slow down the RPM and the feed rate for the finish cut and I have been getting some very nice work ever since.
Another factor could be the type of cutter you are using. If you're buying a cutter from an industrial supplier, then he's going to tell you that what he sells is the absolute best cutter on the market.
If you are using Monster end mills, I would bet money that's your problem. Those have to be the absolute worst cutters I have ever used, and I have been doing this for a LONG time.
I bought some Monster end milld a while back and they turned out to be the absolute worst end mills I have ever used. They would chatter at anything over 1,000 RPM. I mean at 1050 RPM, they provided a really piss poor finish.
You can buy GOOD PARTS or you can buy CHEAP PARTS, but you can't buy GOOD CHEAP PARTS.