My Build - I blame you lot for this....!

[HiltonSteve]

Try service metals...They just quoted me happy on a piece of 800x420x30mm plate....Just crept into 3 figures!

Thats a good price.....

[HiltonSteve]

Photo of same logo in aluminium.....

3mm cutter
600mm/min

took about 10 mins.

I think I could seriously speed it up by taking less material in one cut and up the feedrates, going to have another go now...

[John S]

Dunno what the problem is cutting metal on a router ?

I bought my little Isel for small metal jobs and engraving.



Done as a demo but look at the tails of the g's, every one is perfect and finishes up as a feather edge.

Any lost steps, loose screws etc would have meant that it lacked consistency.

.

[HiltonSteve]

Nice job john, what cutters did you use for that??

Just had another go at the MYCNCUK logo with different method -

3mm coated carbide cutter running at between no.3 and no.4 on the kress.
Finish depth 3mm both times.

1st time -
Rough it out with 1.5mm depth of cut @ 600mm/min leaving 0.5mm on the sides then finish it at same speed. Time taken - 10mins

2nd time -
Rough it out with 1mm depth of cut @ 1000mm/min, fancy ramping moves instead of plunging, leaving 0.3 in the bottom and 0.5 on the sides, finish cut at the same speed. Time taken - 11 mins

Problem is cutter keeps getting clogged up, did not stop it just tried to dodge the large clogged up bits coming off the cutter now and again.

Will be buying some proper cutters for aluminium tomorrow, see if thats any better.

[John S]

Try LanfairPG :rofl:

[John S]

Steve,
The problem is recutting chips, the less flutes the better as it's not the cutting action that's the problem, it's the space for the chips to go.
A single flute router cutter works best in alloy unless you buy special cutters.

Even then you need coolant, well more lubricant to be precise to stop the welding to the tool.

WD40 is advise for aleoy and it works well but being tight I make my own, 75% paraffin and 25% ATF or any light hydraulic oil.

Modify an oild spray gun to give you plenty of air but just a dribble of knacker laqueur.

.

[Lee Roberts]

Problem is cutter keeps getting clogged up

I can’t find the link now but I did read on a wiki page awhile ago that this because the cutter is cutting/braking the chips up to fast and that the flutes can't remove them from the job quick enough.

I also tested this when I had my Rockcliff running, I started off with a speed that was ok and seemed to work, I then turned the speed up on the router and that’s when everything went a wee bit Pete Tong!

Sure enough the cutter started to clog and then started to jam in the Ali, the end result was this:

Click the image for a bigger view !



Now it may have pushed on but I was using some spring clamps to hold the Ali down and as soon as the jamming started the Ali plate started to move and the E-Stop was the call of the day.

I have looked for the "right" speeds for different size cutters but everyone seems to run different to the next man. I think you basically have to work out what works for you in different materials and then log the data for next time you want to do the same kind of job.

Lee

[Lee Roberts]

John replyed as i was typing my reply out.

[John S]

Learn to type faster.:nope:
.

[HiltonSteve]

Been playing with my machine again trying to get aluminium to cut nice and...

John, you were right. (No suprise there then! )

Tried a few different methods of profiling some 2mm aluminium sheet and came to the conclusion that slower is better with these 3 flute cutters that I have.

After various speeds and welding some ali to a 3mm cutter (is there an easy way to get it off without breaking the tool??) I ended up with the kress set on 1 and cutting at 100mm/min with a full 2mm cut straight through the plate, started chipping lovely, gave it a squirt of wd40 and vacuumed the chips up now and again.

I believe that any reasonably built router will be capable of cutting ali with the right speeds and feeds as the cutting forces are very low.

I think I will be able to go a bit quicker with the 2 flute ali master cutters that I have ordered but I will let you know tomorrow.

So here is a photo of my new Z axis sideplate.....