Deciding on a tool

[f350ca]

Not familiar with the term side cutting mill. If you use an end mill I like to use as large as possible, less deflection, chatter, or chance of breakage. Cut close to full depth and index in, on the last pass go full depth and clean up all the marks. If you index down your doing all the cutting with a narrow band at the bottom of the tool and never wearing the sides, with full depth cuts your distributing the wear.