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13-01-2021 #11
Agreed. Also I’ve generally seen thin sheet as 1050 and thick sheet as 5000,6000,7000 series. I have not seen thin sheet at 5,6,7000 series but I might not be looking in the right places. There could be a technical reason for the alloys produced like that or just that thin stuff is often bent and fabricated.
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13-01-2021 #12
I've ordered some 6061 - let us see what that is like to cut when it arrives....
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14-01-2021 #13
I've got a few sheets of 6082T6 in 1mm/2mm/3mm thicknesses - not common as thin sheet, but it's out there. As ever, the problem is buying in small quantities - I bought a few sheets in each thickness to make it worth the suppliers while - Metalweb on that occasion. I use Smiths nowadays.
2014 and 7075 also machine well - bit pricier, though...
5 grade works, but I'd choose 6082 over it any day.
Wal.
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14-01-2021 #14
I had not considered brass, which is a more expensive material, but I wonder if that would be a better metal for an inexperienced operator to start with?
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14-01-2021 #15
C360 Brass (Free Cutting/Machining) is the benchmark for ease of machining...
https://www.metalsupermarkets.co.uk/...ass/brass-360/
It's a joy to use - CZ120, CZ121 etc. readily available, but like you say, not cheap...
If I were you, I'd stick with getting the right parameter sussed out for ali - you may as well. I've still got my beginner melty bits in a box of scrap somewhere, you need to break a few eggs to make that omelette. Get crackin'.
Wal.
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14-01-2021 #16
also what type of cutters are you using? are they polished flutes or are they coated? uncoated polished flutes are best for aluminium. Also with a 1mm cutter i would be looking to spin it as fast as possible, on my machine i would run that flat out at 24000rpm and about 100mm/min with 0.5 depth of cut.
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15-01-2021 #17
I'm using cheap Chinese two-flutes. Advertised as carbide, but who knows...?
The calculators say run at about 10,000, and the earlier suggestions that I was melting the Ali make me think that this may be too fast. I can run up to about 18,000 on my system.
I have not tried running much above 20mm/min, since I am concerned about breaking the cutter (which is why they are cheap!). I have been cutting at about 0.5mm - perhaps if I cut at 0.2mm I can try running a faster feed....
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