Totally get that about zoning PDFs being a nightmare. I had the same thing happen trying to find the rules for a backyard chicken coop. The county website was a maze of broken links, but one call to the planning department and a real person walked me through the exact ordinance line by line.

My old Marshalltown from college is still going strong after 15 years. It feels like everything is made to break now so you have to buy it again. I see it with kitchen tools, even phone chargers. That cheap stuff costs more in the long run because it just ruins your day when it fails.

What about the stepover? I've seen guys push single flutes hard on feed, but they keep the stepdown light. Like maybe 10% of the tool diameter. That keeps the load manageable even at high speeds. Running a 1/4 inch tool, I'd take a 0.025 inch deep cut at 100 ipm all day in aluminum. It's not just feed rate, it's how much you're asking the tool to eat.

Wow, I used to get super nervous when a machine ran too quiet. Thought it was just lulling me into a false sense of security before blowing up. But then our old lathe had a flawless two-year run after a major rebuild. Sometimes things are just... right. I'd say enjoy the win and keep up whatever checks you're doing.

I mean it worked for my hydrangeas last summer.