Routing Aluminum Plate

[rst]

I rout 6061 aluminum storefront material with old 3 1/4hp Makita, 1/2" ball end mill cutter, and WD-40.  I cut out for electronic locks and various accessories.  I have also used my drill press and a cross feed table in as thick as 3/4" stock.

 

[Cheese]

[member=25351]rst[/member]
What's your technique when using the router? Also, do you use a lot of WD-40 or just a quick spray now & then?

 

[Richard A.]

[member=25351]rst[/member]
What's your technique when using the router? Also, do you use a lot of WD-40 or just a quick spray now & then?

  Before PVC conduit (yes, I'm old), we had to thread all our electrical conduit. When we would thread steel, we would use cutting oil. But, when we would thread aluminum, we would use shaving-cream. Shaving-cream is basically soap in an aerosol tin. Shaving-cream be it foam or gel adheres to the aluminum. It makes the treading process very easy as it stays right in the cutting head be it a manual or electric threader. Also, as it does not run or drip out, you need far less soap than you would if you would be using cutting oil. And the last benefit is that it is a lot easier to clean up when you are finished.

  I would think that shaving-cream would also work very well for milling aluminum.

- Rich

 

[Tayler_mann]

The easiest way to figure out how deep you can cut is using your chip load calculations. As any machinist should know this is the most important part of determining how clean the cut is and the life of your tools edge. For aluminum I prefer a chip load of .011 - .007. I have found the higher chip load produces a higher polished edge, however, the feed needs to be much higher. Here are a few of the formulas to figure out an endmill chip load.

Chip load = feed rate/(rpm x # of cutting edges)
Rpm =feed rate / (# of cutting edges x chip load)
Feed rate = rpm x # of cutting edges x chip load

Another very common rule to follow is to never make s deeper cut than the bit diameter at hand. Also, as stated earlier in the thread cutting lube is very important for your bit life not so much to cause melting but it will hear your tool up and round the cutting edge over.

Something else to think about is if there is any wobble since you are doing it by hand. A .01" wobble will cause a very odd cut. Lots of things can happen at that point since it would be affecting your feed rate, chip load, and in some cases aye of thinking your RPM.

Truly the best way to machine aluminum with an endmill would be on some type of mill or CNC. However, a great cut is obtainable through a hand router there is just a lot of variables. I am guessin when you tried to take more than a mm the reason for a unclean cut was the router having wobble. In my CNC I use a .25" single flute up cut aluminum bit by Onsrud and I make a .25" pass with it no problem. However my rpm is around 20000 and my feed rate will vary between 150 and 210 IPM. In other words a deeper cut is obtainable but not likely with a hand router.

I really like the work you have done with a hand router that's really inventive and cool.

 

[rst]

I rout 1/8" by through plunging with a 3/8" ball end mill, just occasionally spritzing the WD-40.  Aluminum is a metal that galls easily, collecting on the bit or saw blade.  Only a little lube is necessary to keep the bade or bit clean.  When I bandsaw aluminum, afterwards I cut a small piece of brass to clean the blade, I've been using the same 1/4" blade (a good one) for twenty some years on wood,metal and plastic.