Our old Haas at the community college shop would smoke cutting 6061 dry. I swore by flood coolant for years. Then I saw a demo with those new variable helix end mills, the ones with the crazy chip flutes. They ran a half-inch tool at 18,000 rpm, dry, and the chips just flew out blue. It wasn't even that loud. The finish was like glass. Totally changed how I see chip control.

What newer stuff actually made you change your mind?

Yeah the sagging thing is real! I actually had to think about the weight of the string itself, not just the lights. That long run of paracord can get heavy in the middle and pull down. I ended up adding a few clear plastic hooks along the fence line for extra support, just to take the strain off.