Milling Aluminium

This could be your problem. Could be any old soft, sticky and therefore hard to machine grade.

Try to get a bit of 6061 T3 if you can. Machines beautifully.

Edited By Hopper on 07/02/2017 01:31:42

Take your lump of alloy and a 1/4" sharp drill and belt a hole straight thru it using constant pressure all the way.

If when you turn it over it's got a small burr you can remove with a de-burring tool then it's OK.

If it's raised a big burr up like the Yellow Rose of Texas then it's T60softas$hit and needs throwing at next doors cat.

Simples.

The aluminium is Grade 5083 which is a high strengh aluminium used in ship building (which is where I got the plate from). The spec also says that because of the high strength, it has poor machining properties.

Higher strength is what I am looking for in this project so will perservere with it. Have re-installed my flood coolant pump from my old mill and will see if I get better results.

Paul.

I find 5083 actually machines better than 6082 the chips come off shorter, I always use flood on the cnc mill but somtimes use WD40 on the manual mill for finishing which I buy in 5ltr containers and apply with a spray bottle, cos I like the smell.........

The better grades of Ali tend to ring if you tap em with a spanner etc.

Shaun

left over engine oil brushed on the cutter stopped ali sticking to my 3" da 3/8 horizontal cutter in my Centec2A-, you really need to brush the swarf away though, makes quite a mess if you don't.

Same thing worked for the Dovetail cutter except swarf under the cutter is harder to keep away.

BTW I thought WD40 was mostly paraffin anyway.

Problem solved. Installed flood coolant system and no more of the aluminium sticking to the cutter.

Thanks for the advice from everyone.

Paul