Dry Aluminium Cutting Problem

[JAZZCNC]

I cut aluminium dry all the time with just blown air and the odd squirt of WD40 and it's not a problem for me. I have mist and flood but both are messy. Flood obviously sprays every where and mist can be fumey depending on whats used. I only use them when finish is important but mostly I cut with just blown air.

What grade aluminium are you using because looking at those pics and the way it's grabbed and furred up it looks very much like the soft shity 1020 stuff you find in thinner sheets.
The grade of aluminium makes a massive difference and this soft stuff is like milling cheese strings and will defiantly need coolant.!

What size cutter, feeds/speeds and DOC are you using.?

[Robin Hewitt]

I cut aluminium dry all the time with just blown air and the odd squirt of WD40 and it's not a problem for me.

That might be simply because Jazz chose the tool, chose the material, built the machine and set it up.

I get the same thing with my customers trying to connect USB, as soon as the computer realises I am on the other end of the phone it knows the jig is up and gives in gracefully.

You might think it is just "air and the odd squirt", but experience tells you when to blow and when to squirt

[Jonathan]

You might think it is just "air and the odd squirt", but experience tells you when to blow and when to squirt

I find a syringe works well for this as you get better aim. Before I got the aluminium bed I would have to slow down for thin parts, or lots of parts at a time. I don't always use flood coolant with aluminium, as it does make such a mess and isn't worth it for a lot of things.

[Chas]

Shouldn't the chips be taking all the heat away?

I don't want the mess of flood coolant on my SX3 & have never had a problem by simply brushing parrafin onto the cutter & using a shop vac to evacuate the chips.

The only time I've had the material furring up on a cut edge like that is when the cutter's gone dull, which can happen quite rapidly.

[JAZZCNC]

That might be simply because Jazz chose the tool, chose the material, built the machine and set it up.

Yes some of that is true Robin. It's simple really I have the Chip load dialled in correct for my machine and the material I'm cutting which is mainly 6082-T6 or Ecocast.

I could tell my cutting conditions but that won't mean much and chances are they won't work for other machines. Each machine has it's own resonant frequency or sweet spot and finding it is harder than the mystical G spot.!! . . . But when you do it's nearly has satisfying just without all the effort. .

I think Often people(Which I ounce was.!) are scared to cut deep and the noise puts them off but often it's exactly because they are cutting too shallow they can't find the sweet spot regards resonance and chipload.!

Put some ear plugs in and try cutting deeper and see what happens.? You may get a shock at how deep you can go and the finish you achieve. I always use full depth 0.2mm finish pass when finish is important so the deep roughing pass often doesn't matter.

The key and secret to cutting anything is Chipload and when done properly the heat will leave with the Chip. The Odd squirt is just that one blast at start to put a light film on oil cutter and depending on length of Job then maybe one half way thru.!! I certainly don't stand watching, like now it's cutting and I'm in the house.
Another very important thing regards Aluminium in particular is chip clearing, you must limit chip re-cutting to absolute minimum other wise the tool will heat up from rubbing and pounding cut chips into material.