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Doug White

wrote in news:qhn3c7psi4auog48k4bhppb63rvdulbrj8@
4ax.com:

On Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:08:05 -0800 (PST), Searcher7
wrote:

On Nov 14, 10:39*am, wrote:
On Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:55:51 -0800 (PST), Searcher7

wrote:
I was wondering if it was common to use powered metalworking tools
on
plastic.(Nylon, Delrin, ABS, UHMW, PVC, *etc.).

I assume that as long as melting your way through the stock is not
an
issue then it is ok.

But is it plausible to expect decent accuracy/tolerances this way?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
snip
That slot will be easy. You can probably get away with just an air
blast to remove the chips and keep things cool. To insure a good
finish and accurate size use an undersized endmill, 5/32 would be
good, and climb cut both sides of the slot instead of just plunging in
with a 3/16 cutter. But at such a shallow depth you might get away
with 1 pass with a 3/16 cutter. Just make sure you use a sharp cutter.
To help with getting a good finish on the bottom of the slot stone a
small radius on the sharp corners of a new endmill. .005 radius is
adequate. Can your slots have a small radius in the corners? If you
use a brand new cutter with sharp corners the bottom of the slot may
end up kind of furry.

Rather than an air blast, use a vacuum cleaner with a small nozzle to get
a good velocity. It will help keep the cutter a little cooler, and it
also keeps the stringy chips from piling up.

Doug White