![]()
#CNC ROUTER FEEDS AND SPEEDS FOR CUTTING 6063 ALUMINUM MODS#Typically I’ll use a 1/4″ endmill since my machine can handle it well I’ve done a few mods to make it a bit more rigid. Your cuts will look cleaner, and the tool won’t break as easily. This is why I really like using carbide 2 or 3-flute endmills whenever possible they have enough chip clearance to reduce the chance of the aluminum welding itself to the cutter through friction, but they’re much stronger than the 1 flute endmills. The best one to use is a cutter with a solid angle on the flutes that will lift the chips up and away from the cutter and gives a smoother shear to the cut. Straight-flute bits don’t work so great either – the whalloping impact as it cuts just makes for a nasty looking cut. Aluminum will just gum up if you use that. Up-cutting (higher helix) – for plastics, it’s common to see down-cutting tools, or tools that have a downwards cutting pressure.Smooth – since aluminum likes to friction weld itself on to cutters, it’s better for the surface finish of the cutter to be as smooth as possible to reduce the likelihood of something bad happening.The 1 flute endmills that are popular for plastics often aren’t strong enough for aluminum Strong tool – aluminum isn’t a hard metal, but you can still easily break a cutter on it.Great chip clearance – aluminum is gummy stuff that loves to plug up cutters, so the best way to handle it is with cutters with a lot of space between the flutes for the material to clear out while cutting.Here are the basic qualities you want out of a cutting tool for aluminum: They’re different from plastic-cutting tools. Small tools work much better – but even still you need to know what kind of tool to use for aluminum. Obviously, that wasn’t going to work for a little hobby router. Small Toolsįor the heavy duty CNC milling machines at work, my go-to was a 1″ diameter solid carbide roughing endmill for tough alloy steels. Not the end of the world, but I always like to let machines run without me babysitting them. ![]() To get it to lubricate further down, you need to reapply it in that recently-cut channel. If you’re doing deeper work with lots of Z levels, wax will do a better job of lubricating just the first pass. This works amazing for work that will be done at a single or shallow Z depth, like when you’re working with sheet metal or engraving. However, this works better in some application more so than others.Ĭutting wax can be smeared all over the top surface of where you want to cut, and it’s great because it sticks on – even a downward exhaust won’t take it off. I have a water-cooled spindle so it’s no problem for me, but it depends on your setup.Īnother great option is to use a cutting wax. It’s just a little annoying because the air will blow away any oil that’s more than an inch or two away from the tool so you have to monitor it closely. You can use those little red extension tubes that come with the can to help get the oil right to the tool. It can be pretty tricky to get a decent spray around that air blast. They’ll blow a ton of air all around the tool, without actually getting air to the tool. I mean like those big Porter-Cable types of wood routers that have lots of power. ![]() There is an area where this doesn’t work the best: if you have a router with a downwards exhaust. It you’re like me, you’ve probably already got 6 or 7 half-full cans of the stuff on your shelves and in your toolboxes. Probably the simplest is just hanging out while it’s cutting and giving it intermittent sprays of WD-40. ![]() While it definitely is my preferred way to cut it, there are a few alternatives that also work great. The whole package will cost you under $100 (assuming you have an air compressor), so if you use your router reasonably often it’s a really smart upgrade. All you need is a kit, compressed air and a bit of oil. I use mine all the time for plastics and metals. #CNC ROUTER FEEDS AND SPEEDS FOR CUTTING 6063 ALUMINUM UPGRADE#If you want to do the upgrade and have the resources to pull it off, I’d definitely recommend installing one. There are a lot of websites and forums that say that oil mist is required for cutting aluminum. If you’re planning on letting your router buzz away for 4 hours unattended, don’t expect your cutter to still be in one piece when you get back if it’s run dry. You can get by without anything for a short amount of time, but it’ll be riskier the longer you go without. You’re going to want to use some kind of lubrication for aluminum. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |