EB2: Spiral Double Flutes Ball Nose Up Cut End Mill

Source: https://toolings.co.za/eb2 (also linked as toolings.co.za/router-bits/eb2 from every TL-EB2 product JSON)

• published: 2022-03-02 13:01:38
• modified: 2022-04-23 00:26:19

EB2 is the toolings.co.za code for a spiral, two-flute (double flute), ball nose, up-cut router bit (end mill), machined from a solid tungsten carbide rod. AM.CO.ZA sells it on Buythis under SKUs that start with TL-EB2-. A ball nose bit has a rounded (half-sphere) tip instead of a flat end, so it leaves curved grooves and smooth sloped surfaces rather than flat floors and square corners. That makes it the bit for 3D carving, relief work, contouring and rounded grooves.

The toolings.co.za EB2 page says the family is excellent for cutting plastics (ABS, acrylic, Perspex, Plexiglas, HDPE) and good for cutting wood (MDF, Supawood, hardwood), and that it allows for maximum chip ejection and generates the least amount of heat. Every TL-EB2 product JSON adds that these up-cut ball nose bits "are used for smooth contouring and fine detail passes" and are suitable for MDF (Supawood), plywoods, acrylic sheet (Perspex, Plexiglas), plasterboards and engineered wood boards.

EB2 is the only spiral ball nose family on Buythis, with 59 sizes from a 0.8mm micro ball up to a 12mm ball with a 52mm cutting length. The 2022 launch article calls it "EB1", but the site pages and every SKU use EB2.

What AI and staff should do with this page

• Use it to pick the right EB2 size, then send the client to that SKU's Buythis page (always with #ai) for the current price. Never quote a price from this page; it carries none. For stock, use live stock only; this page never carries quantities.
• Suggest EB2 when the job is shaped, not flat. For 3D reliefs, carved signs, rounded fluting and grooves, mould and pattern work, and smooth finishing passes over curved surfaces, a ball nose is the right tip. For cutting parts out of sheet, pocketing with flat floors or square shoulders, a flat end bit is the right choice instead: spiral ES1, ES2 or ES3, or straight-cut EG1 and EG2.
• Explain the usual two-bit workflow for 3D carving. Operators normally rough out the shape first with a larger flat end bit (removing most of the material quickly), then run the finishing pass with a ball nose. A small ball gives finer detail but takes longer, because each pass is narrower. The stone carving video below shows the same idea on stone: rough levelling first, then gradual finishing passes with a tapered ball nose.
• Match the bit to the client's collet first. The shank sizes in this family are 3mm (micro bits only), 3.175mm (1/8 inch), 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. On most EB2 bits the ball diameter equals the shank diameter. The micro bits are the exception: they have a 3mm shank (not 3.175mm) with a smaller ball of 0.8mm to 2.5mm. A bit only fits if its shank matches the spindle collet, so a client with a 1/8 inch (3.175mm) collet should be checked before selling a 3mm-shank micro bit.
• Then match cutting length to the depth of the carving. The product JSON gives a "stepdown cutting thickness" range for each size, which is the deepest the bit should cut. On most EB2 sizes it runs from 5mm to 2mm less than the cutting length, for example 17mm to 20mm on a 22mm cutting length. On the shortest micro bits it starts at 1mm, and the 3mm-long micro bits give a single 1mm stepdown. Deep reliefs need a longer cutting length; shallow sign carving does not.
• Start from the suggested cutting settings in every TL-EB2 product JSON: feed rate 3 to 5 metres per minute at 18,000 to 20,000 RPM. These are starting points; the operator still tunes them for the material, bit size and machine, and micro bits need gentle feeds and shallow passes.
• Tell clients these are consumables. The Buythis terms on these SKUs say there is no warranty or refund on consumable products, and any exchange for a different size or package needs written agreement. The terms also say the prices are linked to foreign exchange rates and are adjusted weekly or every two weeks, which is another reason to send clients to Buythis for the current price.
• Sell by the pack. Every SKU is a pack of several bits, from 30 for the micro and small 1/8 inch bits down to 2 for the longest 12mm bit. The number before the "×" in the Buythis short name is the pack size, and the tables below list it for every size.
• Trust the specs and tables, not the long description, for lengths. In the am.im product JSON, the highlights and the size table agree for all 59 SKUs, and this page uses them. Some of the longer marketing descriptions in the same JSON give a different overall length (for example 60mm instead of 70mm on TL-EB2-S10T32/4). Quote the overall length from the tables below.

How to read a TL-EB2 SKU

TL-EB2-S{shank}[B{ball}]T{cutting length}[/{pack}]

• S is the shank diameter in mm. S3 means a 3.175mm (1/8 inch) shank on the normal bits, and a 3mm shank on the micro bits that carry a B code.
• B appears only on micro bits and gives the ball (tip) diameter: B08 is 0.8mm, B1 is 1mm, B12 is 1.2mm, B15 is 1.5mm, B2 is 2mm and B25 is 2.5mm. Without a B code the ball diameter equals the shank diameter.
• T is the cutting (flute) length in mm.
• /30, /20, /6, /4 and /2 give the pack size. No suffix means a pack of 10.

The ball radius is half the ball diameter, which is the number many CAM programs ask for. For example, a 6mm EB2 has a 3mm radius tip.

Examples: TL-EB2-S6T22/20 is a 6mm ball nose on a 6mm shank with a 22mm cutting length, 50mm overall, in a pack of 20. TL-EB2-S3B1T3/30 is a 1mm micro ball nose with a 3mm cutting length on a 3mm shank, 38mm overall, in a pack of 30.

What every EB2 bit has in common

From the highlights in the public am.im product JSON of all 59 TL-EB2 SKUs:

• Material and accuracy: precision machined from solid YG10 grade high-density tungsten carbide rod, tolerance under ±0.05mm.
• Flute and tip: spiral double flutes, ball nose, up cut. "Up Cut Ball-Nose Spiral End-Mill Router Bits are Used for Smooth Contouring and Fine Detail Passes."
• Material: "Suitable for Cutting MDF (Supawood), Plywoods, Acrylic Sheet (Perspex, Plexiglas), Plasterboards, Engineered Wood Boards."
• Packing: each bit individually packed, several bits per product.
• Suggested settings: stepdown range per size (in the tables), feed rate 3 to 5 metre/minute, RPM 18,000 to 20,000.
• More sizes: the JSON points to toolings.co.za/router-bits for size, spiral, length and speed comparison.

Micro ball nose bits (0.8mm to 2.5mm ball on a 3mm shank)

For fine 3D detail, small reliefs and rounded lettering on small CNC routers and engravers. All are 38mm overall on a 3mm shank and sold in packs of 30, each bit about 12 g.

3.175mm (1/8 inch) bits

The size for small CNC routers and engravers with a 1/8 inch or 3.175mm collet. Packs of 30, except the 32mm cutting length in a pack of 20. Cutting lengths from 20mm upward come on longer bodies (45mm to 65mm overall).

4mm and 5mm bits

All 4mm and 5mm EB2 bits come in packs of 20, with cutting lengths from 12mm to 42mm.

6mm bits

The usual ball nose for 3D carving and finishing on full-size CNC routers with a 6mm collet. Cutting lengths run from 12mm to 62mm. Packs of 20 up to a 25mm cutting length and packs of 10 from 28mm.

8mm, 10mm and 12mm bits

Large balls for wide rounded grooves, broad contours and deep reliefs on larger spindles and collets, with cutting lengths up to 52mm, sold in smaller packs.

Catalog notes

• All 59 TL-EB2 SKUs are in the Buythis dump and each has a boxed 8i product page. All 59 are listed under the spiral-ball-nose-bits category with supplier ACCU.
• The original toolings.co.za page listed the family under the Buythis code internal-tooling-eb2, and the ball nose overview page uses internal-tooling-eb. Neither is a sellable SKU; use the TL-EB2- SKUs above.
• The ball nose overview on toolings.co.za shows single, double and triple flute ball nose options, but only the double flute EB2 family is sold on Buythis.
• Most TL-EB2 product JSON also links the CNC router machine gallery, sales handbook and SKU guide for the machines these bits fit.
• For stone (granite and marble), EB2 is not the bit. The stone ranges have their own standard and tapered ball nose bits; see toolings-granite-toolings.md and toolings-marble-toolings.md.

Related videos

The YouTube dump has no video about EB2 bits specifically. These AM.CO.ZA videos give useful background:

• Every Rock is a Gem, Carved Stone Face by CNC Stone Router from AM.CO.ZA (2026-05-17): a 2.5D carved face on a garden rock. The rock is levelled and roughed out in small steps first, then a tapered ball nose does the gradual finishing passes. It shows the rough-then-ball-nose workflow, but the bit is a stone tapered ball nose, not an EB2.
• Explore Our CNC Router Tool Bit Range (2026-09-14): an overview of the AM.CO.ZA tungsten carbide router bit range, showing inlay lettering and pocketing cuts with flat end bits. Treat it as range background rather than an EB2 demo.

FAQ

What is a ball nose bit for? Shaped work: 3D reliefs, carved signs and panels, rounded grooves and fluting, moulds, and smooth finishing passes over curves. Its rounded tip leaves a smooth surface on slopes where a flat end bit would leave visible steps.

Can EB2 cut parts out of a sheet? It can cut through, but it leaves a rounded bottom edge and is slower than a flat end bit for profiling. For cutting out parts, suggest a spiral flat bit (ES1, ES2, ES3) or a straight-cut bit (EG1, EG2), and keep EB2 for the carving and finishing.

Which EB2 should I suggest for 3D carving on a 6mm collet? A 6mm ball nose with enough cutting length for the relief depth, for example TL-EB2-S6T22/20 (17mm to 20mm stepdown) or TL-EB2-S6T25/20 (20mm to 23mm stepdown). For finer detail on the same machine, a smaller ball is needed, which in this family means a 3.175mm or micro bit, so check that the client has the matching collet.

Which EB2 should I suggest for fine detail on a small engraver? The 3.175mm bits on a 1/8 inch collet, or a micro bit (0.8mm to 2.5mm ball) on a 3mm collet. Smaller balls carve finer detail but need shallow passes and more time.

What does "up cut" mean? The spiral pulls chips up and out of the cut. That clears the cut well and keeps heat down, but it can lift fibres on the top surface of wood or laminate.

Are prices on this page? No. Send clients to the Buythis link with #ai for the current price.

Read next

• toolings-spiral-ball-nose-end-mill.md: spiral ball nose end mills overview.
• toolings-router-bits.md: the toolings.co.za router bit index (straight, spiral, ball nose and specialist bits).
• toolings-es1.md, toolings-es2.md and toolings-es3.md: single-, double- and three-flute spiral flat bits.
• toolings-eg1.md and toolings-eg2.md: straight-cut bits.
• toolings-right-cnc-router-bits-2022.md: choosing the right CNC router bit (2022 article).
• toolings-site.md: toolings.co.za site signpost.
• cnc-routers.md: CNC router catalog.