On 3/15/2012 9:39 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Tom wrote in message
...
I have to mill 32 round pockets into an AL plate. The pockets range
from 2.125" dia. x .180" deep to 2.625" dia. x 1.80 deep. This plate
will be a mold for injecting Urethane into thin wire wheel brushes
that are used to clean grooves and such. This encapsulating process
is done by another company that is a trading partner and good
friends. They just don't have much machining capability. In return,
I get a hot stamping machine that I have good use for.

Very much like this:
http://atdtools.com/8245

My first thought is to use a large end mill and do the center of the
pocket then enlarge the dia. with a boring head. Any other ideas?

If I had to make it on my manual machines, I'd subdivide the plate
into pieces I could bore out on a lathe faceplate, to get a better
surface finish than milling, and bolt them to a subplate.

I'd make some spares as replacements or to change the size mix.

jsw


Interesting concept. I see the pockets are .180 deep. Wonder if the
largest pocket has an error on the depth? 1.80 deep? If they are ALL
..180 deep, then you could bore the hole completely through and then
reduce the rim to .180.

Paul