Aluminium Billet

I have 2 aluminium Billets 176 mm O.D by 150 mm long and I need to "slice" off a piece 25mm thick

they are too big to use any of my parting tools

they are too large a diameter to use my band saw

Any idea's as I don't really want to spend my life facing off down to the correct width

Thanks

Trevor, start on the lathe and put in a groove as deep as you can with a parting tool. You can then carry on with a hacksaw by hand or transfer it to the bandsaw using the groove as the starting point. You will probably have to come up with some ingenious way of holding it in the bandsaw vice. Unless of course you can't actually get a parting tool to the periphery, in which case I am out of ideas save perhaps a rear toolpost mounted parting tool. One of those sabre saws might work although getting a straight line might be difficult!

John

Edit: slightly misread the question re parting tool access?

Edited By Journeyman on 15/02/2018 12:22:38

Phone a friend who has a bigger saw, alternatively seek help from a small engineering firm.

Emgee

Hi John, I was thinking along the same lines, the only other option I am considering is if I can get a large dia slitting saw that I can put on my Milling Machine.

Think its going to be a combination of all of them at the moment

cheers

Hi Emgee,

wish I knew someone who has that kind of equipment

Trevor, had another idea How about using a wire saw fix one end somewhere behind the lathe bed, drape the saw wire over the billet, attach weight to loose end of wire, run lathe slowly. Might be worth a try the saws are cheap (see link).

John

Start off by any of the above methods as deep as you can go.

If you need to finish off by hand, rather than a hacksaw, which will have limited travel and never clear the swarf, use a length of bandsaw blade in a gardener's bow saw. The initial groove will guide the blade and help stop it twisting. Also  regularly rotate the work-piece and also swap it round left to right.

If lacking a spare length of bandsaw blade, I've even had success with a wood cutting blade in the bowsaw ( just pick one where the set is even, or if you have a pair of saw setting pliers, ensure it is to save the blade wandering

This way you get a long cutting stroke, which readily clears the swarf .

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 15/02/2018 14:56:35

Edited By peak4 on 15/02/2018 14:57:45

You may have just solved a problem for folks who have been bemoaning the discontinuation of abrasaw blades.

Neil

Neil, you can get Vitrex Tile Saw blades which are very similar to the old Abrafile blades but they are short so fit things like coping saw frames or piercing saw frames rather than a full size hacksaw.  These wire saws are much longer and more floppy!

John

Edit: Spelling

Edited By Journeyman on 15/02/2018 16:05:53

I always thought that these wire saws were only for use on wood, although on aluminium it might not be too bad. However reading the feedback from some of the purchasers it would appear that thef break easily. I'm just glad that I've still got a number of Abrafiles that I collected back in the dim and distant past.

Phil

If you have a mitre saw or can hire one from a hire shop _ better than messing up your own one!!!!

--Make a channel shape out of plywood about 2 ft long so your hands are well clear. Clamp the billet in tightly with a G clamp across it. Put an aluminium cutting blade in a mitre saw & just cut into the billet bit by bit rotating it every so often. Do some cuts side by side so the blade does not jam. Then face it up in the lathe

Thinking laterally, If you know someone with a forge & have means of melting it--You could just melt it down & cast it into 1 inch billets!!!

If you are anywhere near Nottingham they would fit in my bandsaw. Failing that there must be a workshop near you who would help for a few quid.

Regards.

David.

Many thanks to all for the constructive suggestions

I will try them and as a last resort find a local eng co to help

Thanks again

Part it down to the maximum you can then bore the centre out .

A while ago I had to part off a piece from a 6" round. I used a parting tool (HSS) until I was afraid to go deeper. I left the part in the chuck and used a reciprocating saw (Sawzall) to finish the cut. I rotated the work occasionally so the saw blade was working on a fairly narrow edge. Too much blade engagement really slowed down the cut.

If your bandsaw is a 6" x 4" horizontal/vertical one, it will cut off a 7" bar. I have not tried aluminium, only steel, cut down a little over half way, rotate the bar keeping the blade in the slot, cut then repeat. If your saw is reasonably well set up you should not be too far off. For aluminium you want a coarse blade, and run at top speed, a bit of compressed air is helpful in both cooling and chip removal.

Ian S C

I'd go for Emgee's answer. Faced with cutting a short length of 6in aluminium bar into 1in slices, I took it to a small engineering shop on the local industrial estate. They let the apprentice do the job on a big power hacksaw, at 50p a cut. That cost me £3, which they let the apprentice keep as it wasn't worth raising a bill for such a small amount.

+1 for a 6x4 bandsaw, worked for me on a 6" billet of aircraft grade aluminium allot.

Hi

Thank you for your comments and suggestions, I have parted off as much as I dare and have now transferred it to the band saw

all going well

next I hope to finish it with a modified coping saw - basically fitted a course hacksaw blade to the holder

once done I can then return it to the lathe for facing and a light cut to true it up

thanks again