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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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Milling acrylic
Every now and then I have to mill air channels into 1/4 acrylic sheets,
which afterwards are being glued up for air manifolds. The pieces are strips of 2" X 18" and I need to make 17" long slots 1/4" wide all the way thru as well as 3/4 depressions about .050" deep. Once I did this on a router but it is too fast and gums up the material. Now I try a milling machine, but I am still wondering about the right speed/feed as well of course about a clever way to hold down such shapes on the table. I would appreciate help in this matter Uwe |
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"Jaggy Taggy" wrote in message ... Every now and then I have to mill air channels into 1/4 acrylic sheets, which afterwards are being glued up for air manifolds. The pieces are strips of 2" X 18" and I need to make 17" long slots 1/4" wide all the way thru as well as 3/4 depressions about .050" deep. Once I did this on a router but it is too fast and gums up the material. Now I try a milling machine, but I am still wondering about the right speed/feed as well of course about a clever way to hold down such shapes on the table. I would appreciate help in this matter Uwe Several options come to mind -- if it is a straight slot, you can use a table saw with a dado blade in it. I have used a router with acrylic before, but the solution is somewhat counter-intuitive -- you have to go FAST not slow. Use a sharp cutter and feed it fast -- if you go fast, the chips carry the heat away - if you go slow, you get "melted pizza cheese" mikey |
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"Jaggy Taggy" wrote in message ... Now I try a milling machine, but I am still wondering about the right speed/feed as well of course about a clever way to hold down such shapes on the table. Tried double stick tape ? -- SVL |
#4
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Jaggy Taggy wrote:
Every now and then I have to mill air channels into 1/4 acrylic sheets, which afterwards are being glued up for air manifolds. The pieces are strips of 2" X 18" and I need to make 17" long slots 1/4" wide all the way thru as well as 3/4 depressions about .050" deep. Once I did this on a router but it is too fast and gums up the material. Now I try a milling machine, but I am still wondering about the right speed/feed as well of course about a clever way to hold down such shapes on the table. I would appreciate help in this matter Uwe For holddown a vacuum table would be ideal, with a raised frame around the perimeter of your application.. Easy to make one custom for your application. -- - - Rex Burkheimer WM Automotive Fort Worth TX |
#7
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Jaggy Taggy wrote: Every now and then I have to mill air channels into 1/4 acrylic sheets, which afterwards are being glued up for air manifolds. The pieces are strips of 2" X 18" and I need to make 17" long slots 1/4" wide all the way thru as well as 3/4 depressions about .050" deep. Once I did this on a router but it is too fast and gums up the material. Now I try a milling machine, but I am still wondering about the right speed/feed as well of course about a clever way to hold down such shapes on the table. I would appreciate help in this matter Uwe Its ALL about the tooling with Acrylic and many other plastics. Have a look around at this site: http://www.antaresinc.net/ There is a link that shows industrial tooling, and then sharpened tools. You will have excellent success with their Parallel single flute "D" blank cutters. They have some really good information in their "fact Sheets" link. Others sell "D" blank tooling, but that is the only quick site I could connect you with. (crown cutters is another) Chris L |
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