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Milling from a sheet

How do I pack up a sheet to mill?

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Geoff Theasby08/11/2011 15:36:04
615 forum posts
21 photos
Hello,
 
I want to use the milling machine to cut out a square from a piece of 1mm steel sheet.
I will need to pack it up to protect the bed from the milling cutter.
I have melamine faced chipboard or plain 3-ply to pack it with, would the 3-play be a better bet as less likely to slip, even when clamped, even though it would be thinner? Is there anything else I need to be aware of?
 
Regards
Geoff
JasonB08/11/2011 16:33:50
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I'd go for the ply because melamine is very abrasive, I often cut it with TCT router bits and can get through a few of teh disposable tips in a day, there is a distinct notch where the carbide cuts teh melamine so your HSS cutters will suffer even more. Not to mention the c**p that you get in chipboard.
 
Just watch that the cut piece does not get caught by the cutter as it is released from the clamped part.
 
J
John Haine08/11/2011 16:54:31
5563 forum posts
322 photos
Try Melamine with double-sided tape all over to stick down the sheet as well as clamps, keeps it flat as well as holding down the cut-out piece. Depth of cut so it only just kisses the melamine surface to minimise the abrasive problem. And, do you mean melamine of the modern plastic-foil covered stuff? With this the smooth layer is much thinner and I suspect much less robust, which is good for us as it should minimise cutter wear.
JasonB08/11/2011 17:04:09
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Yes I do mean the "Conti" board type MFC (Melamine faced chipboard) though I use a far better quality board, just having the tip of the cutter kissing the board will soon take the corners off it.
 
Foil and Vinyl wrapped boards are a differnt product.
 
J
Geoff Theasby08/11/2011 17:09:14
615 forum posts
21 photos
I wondered about double sided tape.
Thanks for the detail about melamine being abrasive.
I don't know its origins, it was in the garage when I moved in.
I am worried about how to get the sheet square with the bed before I stick it down with the double sided tape. Or should I mill out a piece irrespective of the size of the original material?
DAVID POWELL 408/11/2011 17:13:07
26 forum posts
Would anyone consider using a magnetic chuck?
 
Can you saw it? Good excercise as well.
Tony Pratt 108/11/2011 17:17:59
2319 forum posts
13 photos
I used to use a few sheets of A4 paper for this type of job, about .005" thick for each one if I remember correctly.
Tony
Gray6208/11/2011 18:13:39
1058 forum posts
16 photos
Don't use Melamine faced board as a 'packing' or underlay board for this process. As Jason has said, Melamine is extremely abrasive and will destroy HSS cutters, it has a detrimental effect on carbide cutters!
 
I would agree with the use of ply or even MDF, although both of these can cause premature cutter wear due to the nature of the adhesives used to bond the particulates which constitute these man made boards.
 
For best results when machining thin materiels, i use a sacrificial aluminium plate beneath the workpiece and a smaller mdf plate above the work to provide support and prevent lifting of the workpiece.
 
regards
 
Graeme
Stub Mandrel08/11/2011 20:01:02
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4318 forum posts
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If you have some decently flat pine board, that's (i)deal.

Neil
 
(Wandering off into the distance chuckling at his own little joke).
Terryd08/11/2011 21:36:50
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1946 forum posts
179 photos
Hi Stub,
 
Is that red i(deal) or white i(deal). I'm 'pining' for an answer.
 
Regards
 
Terry
Terryd08/11/2011 21:36:58
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1946 forum posts
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Sorry about the double post, My browser was hanging.
 
Regards
T

Edited By Terryd on 08/11/2011 21:37:52

Terryd08/11/2011 21:41:48
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1946 forum posts
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Posted by DAVID POWELL 4 on 08/11/2011 17:13:07:
Would anyone consider using a magnetic chuck?
 
Can you saw it? Good excercise as well.
 
 
Hi,
 
You could always use a cold chisel and a vice. Don't laugh, it can be very accurate and fast. Sharp corners and accurate. Probably faster than setting up a machine. Much underused and underrated these days is the chisel.
 
Terry
Andrew Johnston08/11/2011 22:40:04
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7061 forum posts
719 photos
Well shiver me timbers, is that a square deal, or just a pine in the ash? I surely hope it wood be, so it will be plane sailing for yew.
 
 
Andrew
_Paul_09/11/2011 01:42:10
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543 forum posts
31 photos
Posted by Andrew Johnston on 08/11/2011 22:40:04:
Well shiver me timbers, is that a square deal, or just a pine in the ash? I surely hope it wood be, so it will be plane sailing for yew.
 
 
Andrew
 
Leaf it out....
 
P
Springbok09/11/2011 05:27:25
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879 forum posts
34 photos
Hi lads
Do not think you can get anymore puns out of this one so seriosly
Geoff
I am presuming you have a mill with a bed withT slots so
A bit of scrap ply then put your work on top
use your T clamps and 2 scrap bits of steel clamped down to avoid marking the work
carefuly align the job and only when you are happy that you have the X Y
correct start gently cutting down a few thou at a time. You will end up with
round corners so then go to your vice if it has serated jaws once again use packing to avoid marking job.
On the matter of cutters, I use the Fleabay offers of bulk lot of say 10 new "high quality"
joke cutters for this type of work and keep all my Dormer cutters separate for more precision work.
Hope this is of minor help
 
Bob
_Paul_09/11/2011 08:04:28
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543 forum posts
31 photos
I must ask why does this sheet have to be cut on a mill? @ only 1mm thick will there not be buckling/distortion problems if any significant heat is generated.
My personal choice for cutting shapes out of thin sheet is to cut with an air nibbler and then true the edges up with a file.

Regards
 
Paul
Terryd09/11/2011 10:48:18
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1946 forum posts
179 photos
Hi Geoff,
 
How big is the sheet?
 
Regards
 
Terry
Geoff Theasby09/11/2011 14:35:46
615 forum posts
21 photos
Hi all,
 
The sheet is 300 mm square. I could saw it, but I thought that the mill would produce straight cuts and sides at 90 degrees first go. I don't have an air nibbler. My hand operated nibbler isn't man enough for steel sheet.
 
Regards
Geoff
The Merry Miller09/11/2011 15:03:09
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484 forum posts
97 photos
 
 
Anyone remember the "Goscut", that could manage 1.0mm bms easily.
(sorry to digress).
 
Len. P.
modeng200009/11/2011 16:11:30
340 forum posts
1 photos
Yes, I've still got one that gets used from time to time.
 
John
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