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I've never worked with metals before and want to see if anybody with machining experience can give me some advice. I machined a profile I need out of 1/2 inch aluminum and would like to knock the sharp edges off and chamfer the holes for a counter sink bolt. Can I use a counter sink wood bit for the holes and a small round over bit to fillet the edges? I machined it with a router, but I used a straight spiral carbide bit so I don't know how a profile bit will work out. If the round over bit will work I assume I'll still need to make very light passes. If it won't does anyone have a suggestion?? I attached a pic to see what I'm working with. Thanks!!  ??
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My experience is that all tooling for wood works on aluminum just fine. My opinion about the round over is to use a file or sanding block at 45 degrees.
Steven Sivak
w:?? ? ? p: 248.860.3228
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On May 31, 2024, at 8:06?PM, Chad75 <shouldercords@...> wrote:
I've never worked with metals before and want to see if anybody with machining experience can give me some advice. I machined a profile I need out of 1/2 inch aluminum and would like to knock the sharp edges off and chamfer the holes for a counter sink bolt. Can I use a counter sink wood bit for the holes and a small round over bit to fillet the edges? I machined it with a router, but I used a straight spiral carbide bit so I don't know how a profile bit will work out. If the round over bit will work I assume I'll still need to make very light passes. If it won't does anyone have a suggestion?? I attached a pic to see what I'm working with. Thanks!!
<20240531_184806.jpg> ??
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I have limited experience as I used carbide bits (for wood) to make big squeeze clamp housings. If your wood tooling is carbide, I personally wouldn’t hesitate to try the 2 operations you described keeping the feed rate in check.
I however don’t have enough experience to tell you to go and do it ?
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On May 31, 2024, at 8:07?PM, Chad75 via groups.io <shouldercords@...> wrote: ?I've never worked with metals before and want to see if anybody with machining experience can give me some advice. I machined a profile I need out of 1/2 inch aluminum and would like to knock the sharp edges off and chamfer the holes for a counter sink bolt. Can I use a counter sink wood bit for the holes and a small round over bit to fillet the edges? I machined it with a router, but I used a straight spiral carbide bit so I don't know how a profile bit will work out. If the round over bit will work I assume I'll still need to make very light passes. If it won't does anyone have a suggestion?? I attached a pic to see what I'm working with. Thanks!! <20240531_184806.jpg> ??
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I run woodworking bits on aluminum all the time, have for years.
Brian Lamb blamb11@... lambtoolworks.com
On Friday, May 31, 2024 at 07:39:12 PM MST, imranindiana <imranindiana@...> wrote:
I have limited experience as I used carbide bits (for wood) to make big squeeze clamp housings. If your wood tooling is carbide, I personally wouldn’t hesitate to try the 2 operations you described keeping the feed rate in check.
I however don’t have enough experience to tell you to go and do it ?
On May 31, 2024, at 8:07?PM, Chad75 via groups.io <shouldercords@...> wrote: ?I've never worked with metals before and want to see if anybody with machining experience can give me some advice. I machined a profile I need out of 1/2 inch aluminum and would like to knock the sharp edges off and chamfer the holes for a counter sink bolt. Can I use a counter sink wood bit for the holes and a small round over bit to fillet the edges? I machined it with a router, but I used a straight spiral carbide bit so I don't know how a profile bit will work out. If the round over bit will work I assume I'll still need to make very light passes. If it won't does anyone have a suggestion?? I attached a pic to see what I'm working with. Thanks!! <20240531_184806.jpg> ??
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I run woodworking bits on aluminum all the time, have for years.
On Friday, May 31, 2024 at 07:39:12 PM MST, imranindiana < imranindiana@...> wrote:
I have limited experience as I used carbide bits (for wood) to make big squeeze clamp housings. If your wood tooling is carbide, I personally wouldn’t hesitate to try the 2 operations you described keeping the feed rate in check.
I however don’t have enough experience to tell you to go and do it ? ?I've never worked with metals before and want to see if anybody with machining experience can give me some advice. I machined a profile I need out of 1/2 inch aluminum and would like to knock the sharp edges off and chamfer the holes for a counter sink bolt. Can I use a counter sink wood bit for the holes and a small round over bit to fillet the edges? I machined it with a router, but I used a straight spiral carbide bit so I don't know how a profile bit will work out. If the round over bit will work I assume I'll still need to make very light passes. If it won't does anyone have a suggestion?? I attached a pic to see what I'm working with. Thanks!! <20240531_184806.jpg> ??
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I use router bits often for milling operations. ?Here is a CMT carbide-tipped router bit cutting round-overs in 316 stainless steel. ?Aluminum is a piece of cake compared to this.
David Best
DBestWorkshop@...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/collections/
https://www.youtube.com/@David_Best
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On May 31, 2024, at 5:06?PM, Chad75 via groups.io <shouldercords@...> wrote:
I've never worked with metals before and want to see if anybody with machining experience can give me some advice. I machined a profile I need out of 1/2 inch aluminum and would like to knock the sharp edges off and chamfer the holes for a counter sink bolt. Can I use a counter sink wood bit for the holes and a small round over bit to fillet the edges? I machined it with a router, but I used a straight spiral carbide bit so I don't know how a profile bit will work out. If the round over bit will work I assume I'll still need to make very light passes. If it won't does anyone have a suggestion?? I attached a pic to see what I'm working with. Thanks!!
<20240531_184806.jpg> ??
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David, it looks like your using a proper mill, but I'm using wood working tools. I'm not so concerned with the bits ability to cut the material as I am the safety concern of machining using a profile bit with a router used for wood. I was always a "let her rip" kind of person until i lost half a finger, but now I always like to ask people with more experience before I try something new. I'd love to have the skills to run a proper mill. I've been thinking about getting a small Tormach, but I'm still on the fence. I don't have the time to learn to use a manual mill, but I'm good with cad software, and I'm certain I could learn cam relatively fast. I'm holding off because I'm sure there's more involved than learning software. I got a 3d printer and found I probably enjoy designing new tools more than I do using the tools to build things. ? ?
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Sorry, I misunderstood your question. ? A handheld router is not a substitute for a mill simply because you can’t slow it down enough, control the tool path, or keep the part cool. ?I do use a handheld router in a fixture specifically designed for chamfering and deburring the corners of parts (details here: ?https://flic.kr/s/aHsmCSkwqP ), but I wouldn’t attempt much else with a handheld router or than round-over and chamfering. ?I have successfully cut aluminum plate on my Felder sliding table saw, but it requires tremendous care and constant retraction and cooling, otherwise the off-cut chips will weld to the saw blade tips.
If you think diving into a Tormach CNC mill is a way to skip over the knowledge required to be successful as a manual machinist - think again. ? IMO, the knowledge and expertise required to be successful with a Tormach is a superset (not subset) of what you need to know to run a manual mill. ?You still need ?the same metallurgy knowledge and a lot more. ?Since you like 3D printers, you might explore building a Voron Cascade (https://www.reddit.com/r/VORONDesign/comments/1cenzzr/new_voron_model_cascade_cnc_machine/) or RatRig Minimill (https://ratrig.com/cnc-kits/mini-mill-configurable.html) instead of getting a Tormach. ?
David Best
DBestWorkshop@...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/collections/
https://www.youtube.com/@David_Best
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On Jun 1, 2024, at 4:15?PM, Chad75 via groups.io <shouldercords@...> wrote:
David, it looks like your using a proper mill, but I'm using wood working tools. I'm not so concerned with the bits ability to cut the material as I am the safety concern of machining using a profile bit with a router used for wood. I was always a "let her rip" kind of person until i lost half a finger, but now I always like to ask people with more experience before I try something new. I'd love to have the skills to run a proper mill. I've been thinking about getting a small Tormach, but I'm still on the fence. I don't have the time to learn to use a manual mill, but I'm good with cad software, and I'm certain I could learn cam relatively fast. I'm holding off because I'm sure there's more involved than learning software. I got a 3d printer and found I probably enjoy designing new tools more than I do using the tools to build things. ? ?
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The hole chamfering should not be an issue at all.? I have done aluminum round overs with a router before I had the right machine tools.? The biggest issue is that it creates a mess -- if I had to do it again I would move to the garage instead of getting fine aluminum mixed up in my wood shop.? I used a bigger router for the additional mass and control and stayed with small bit (I think it was only 1/16th). That way I could run this in one pass.? Since you have already done the hard part with a straight bit this should be comparatively easy.?
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If all you need to do is make the machined edges soft to the touch, a hand-held deburring tool is quick, effective, and the traditional way to do it. ?No electricity involved. The chamfering of the drilled holes is just as easy with a through-hole chamfering bit in a drill press at slow speed or in an electric drill.?
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Michael Fortune cuts aluminum on a table saw. ?The key is lubricating the blade by touching the running blade with a block of paraffin.
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On Jun 2, 2024, at 1:16?AM, David P. Best via groups.io <dbestworkshop@...> wrote:
Sorry, I misunderstood your question. ? A handheld router is not a substitute for a mill simply because you can’t slow it down enough, control the tool path, or keep the part cool. ?I do use a handheld router in a fixture specifically designed for chamfering and deburring the corners of parts (details here: ??), but I wouldn’t attempt much else with a handheld router or than round-over and chamfering. ?I have successfully cut aluminum plate on my Felder sliding table saw, but it requires tremendous care and constant retraction and cooling, otherwise the off-cut chips will weld to the saw blade tips.
If you think diving into a Tormach CNC mill is a way to skip over the knowledge required to be successful as a manual machinist - think again. ? IMO, the knowledge and expertise required to be successful with a Tormach is a superset (not subset) of what you need to know to run a manual mill. ?You still need ?the same metallurgy knowledge and a lot more. ?Since you like 3D printers, you might explore building a Voron Cascade () or RatRig Minimill () instead of getting a Tormach. ? On Jun 1, 2024, at 4:15?PM, Chad75 via groups.io <shouldercords@...> wrote:
David, it looks like your using a proper mill, but I'm using wood working tools. I'm not so concerned with the bits ability to cut the material as I am the safety concern of machining using a profile bit with a router used for wood. I was always a "let her rip" kind of person until i lost half a finger, but now I always like to ask people with more experience before I try something new. I'd love to have the skills to run a proper mill. I've been thinking about getting a small Tormach, but I'm still on the fence. I don't have the time to learn to use a manual mill, but I'm good with cad software, and I'm certain I could learn cam relatively fast. I'm holding off because I'm sure there's more involved than learning software. I got a 3d printer and found I probably enjoy designing new tools more than I do using the tools to build things. ? ?
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As others have said, machining aluminium with wood working tools is fairly successful. The only thing I'd add is that the chips go everywhere and it's noisy, so eye and ear protection are essential. A while ago I had the chips get into the cooling holes on a chop saw and destroy it, so make sure you shield the holes of any power tool.
Dave
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imran
David P. Best