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02-03-2014 #1
I need to cut some brackets out of 2mm and 3mm aluminium and have ended up with 1050 grade but its terrible. As soon as I started cutting there was just lots of noise and very little cutting, it just pushed it out of the way and clogged the cutter. Now after multiple speed/feed tests I still haven't made a single chip and I'm ready to break out the scissors
Any ideas, I have cut 5083 before and even when I messed up the settings that would cut fine. This stuff is shite but its thin enough for what I need and I already have it. :)
-I
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02-03-2014 #2
Just dug out some 5083 that I normally cut at 0.4mm doc 800mm/m 15krpm. I took Jazzcnc advice about pushing it to see what your machine can handle and with a 6mm carbide(2 flute, 22k rpm and 800mm/m I have reached 1.5mm doc and it looks clean. I could probably push it a little more but I was getting sprayed with hot aluminium chips. It actually sounded better with the deeper doc.
Too bad the 1050 isn't 5083 :(
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02-03-2014 #3
I was going to say, aren't the 1000 grade pure aluminium and is like trying to cut butter, in the fact it'll just move and clog everything?
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03-03-2014 #4
Use a small single flute cutter, like 1/8th.
I've been cutting a lot of sheet alu lately and they're really great.
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03-03-2014 #5
Then your cutting something like correct because you want the heat to leave with the chips and not stay in the material or cutter. That said 22K and only 800mm/min is a little fast and slow. You could try lowering the Spindle speed a little to around 15K or up the feed rate.
1050 is a pain in the Arse and I don't cut enough so still haven't found the balance but I've had most success with twin flute slot cutters and cut full depth in 2.5mm sheet.
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03-03-2014 #6
I've ordered some 3mm single flute cutters, but I have never used a cutter that small on aluminium. How do I adjust speeds/feeds to match? Half of what I use for 6mm?
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03-03-2014 #7
From a popular F&S calculator tweaked for my machine (see my build log) in 1060 (no 1050 option sorry) I am getting 19,268 RPM and 684 mm/min using a single flute 6mm carbide cutter (20mm stick out) slotting at 2mm DOC.
I had some 3mm aluminium sheet, which I had before moving onto 6082 and likely to be 10x0 grade that cut OK using the above.
Softer stuff is a pain though.
5083 H112 (a softer variant) is coming up with 17,193RPM and 610mm/min with the other parameters above the same.
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26-05-2014 #8
I cut some parts from 1050 the other week. Yes, it's a bit of a devil to cut but I found the slower the better... These are the parts I cut:
And here's a clip of the machine at work. (Yes, that is the alu sheet bending while getting spot drilled - I was feeling my way around the RPMs needed...)
And here are some cutting details - all very conservative:
Spot drill - 10k RPM
HSS Through Drill - 5k RPM
3mm 2 Flute Carbide Cutter - 10k RPM
1mm 2 Flute Carbide Cutter - 13k RPM
Plunge rates at around 0.75-1mm/sec
Feed rates no higher than 3.5mm/sec
WD40 - a must. The cutter squeals a bit without it...
Wal.
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26-05-2014 #9
Nice parts and vid - subscribed :-)
Also that's a good collection of bass guitars on your channel - I've been toying with the idea of cutting a new neck for my strat on my machine.
Cheers
Chris
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26-05-2014 #10
Cheers Chris.
Hehe, I got into the whole CNC thing because of wanting to build my own bass. So far I've built the machine that'll help me build the machine that builds the bass..!
I could really do with getting rid of some of my (ahem... 11...) basses - but there's an excuse for keeping every one of 'em.
Would love to see your progress should you decide to make the neck - a worthy challenge for sure!
Wal.
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