Anyone here got any experience of milling Ally?

Bit odd this one but i have to make up quite a few machined ally cases
had a quote in from a couple of people, lot of money suspect they don't
want the job.

Can't afford a proper mill but i once used a Trend router to trim up
some ally with a wood bit and it produced a very good edge finish. We
have acquired a decent stand holder for a spare Trend router, a Wolf
drill stand and a X-Y compound table and the whole works very well and
stable for what it cost.

However using a fluted end mill with helical cutters on the edge
machining the face as it were its fine, a good finish. However if we now
try to put a machined edge on say a lump of ally flat 100 mm square
around 7 mm thick the edge finish is rather more akin to a barstard
file

Using yet again a wood bit a very much better finish is obtained but
there is still a light ripple difficult to measure it but if you hold
that edge to the the light with an engineers set square the variations
were very small in that they'll only show a very small amount of light
show thru. the metal is square and all that but just spoilt by the
slight ripple. I'm taking light cuts at around 20,000 RPM with a
lubricant tried a few faster slower, left to right and right to left
cuts much the same result.

Its just about good enough for what is needed but anyone any suggestions
on what bit might be used to get it flatter and smoother?.


These ones have been used but they put a very rough edge on the metal
compared to the straight flute wood bits!


https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/...eries-Carbide-
Cutters.html


Cheers..



--
Tony Sayer

The cutting edge angles on carbide tools is usually wrong for aluminium.

On 12/12/2018 23:11, tony sayer wrote:
Anyone here got any experience of milling Ally?

Bit odd this one but i have to make up quite a few machined ally cases
had a quote in from a couple of people, lot of money suspect they don't
want the job.



Are you using a cutting fluid? Soluble oil or mineral oil is usually
recommended for milling and turning, you might get away with paraffin or
WD40.

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
However using a fluted end mill with helical cutters on the edge
machining the face as it were its fine, a good finish. However if we now
try to put a machined edge on say a lump of ally flat 100 mm square
around 7 mm thick the edge finish is rather more akin to a barstard
file

My Makita sliding saw produces an excellent edge on ally plate. Just take
it gently. With the standard wood blade.

--
*How much deeper would the oceans be without sponges? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 13/12/2018 11:00, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
However using a fluted end mill with helical cutters on the edge
machining the face as it were its fine, a good finish. However if we now
try to put a machined edge on say a lump of ally flat 100 mm square
around 7 mm thick the edge finish is rather more akin to a barstard
file

My Makita sliding saw produces an excellent edge on ally plate. Just take
it gently. With the standard wood blade.

Similarly the Evolution, with it's multi use blade. But this doesn't
help the OP.

In message , tony sayer
writes
Anyone here got any experience of milling Ally?

Bit odd this one but i have to make up quite a few machined ally cases
had a quote in from a couple of people, lot of money suspect they don't
want the job.

I have a milling machine, but have never used it for ally, so can't help
directly.

However, I think I may have asked here about my son and his need for
ally frames for some device he was making, which needed accurate, clean
45 degree cuts to form the corners.
I suggested sign makers as many years ago I had used one locally to
produce large, accurately cut sheets of ally to form new top decks for
some tape machines (Revox A77's that all had that bizarre raised front
section that hindered editing).

However, when I went round the current sign makers, only one said they
would take on the job and he couldn't guarantee the finish or the price.
In the end, I went to a manufacturer of aluminium frontages for
buildings who said they never had anyone walking in asking for tiny jobs
like that. The production manager was very friendly and arranged to have
the cuts made.

Unfortunately, it all ended in disaster, as they managed to cut things
in the wrong order, producing one 4 sided frame and one with 3 sides and
a gap. The basic frame material, from IKEA, turned out to be no longer
available, no cash changed hands, my son turned his nose up at having
non matching frames, so I've ended up with 1 3/4 frames in the enormous
"might come in useful" pile in the garage.

I seem to be having a run of bad luck with tasks recently.
--
Bill

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com

In article 6,
DerbyBorn scribeth thus





The cutting edge angles on carbide tools is usually wrong for aluminium.

OK then do you know of what's better?.

--
Tony Sayer

In article ,
newshound scribeth thus
On 12/12/2018 23:11, tony sayer wrote:
Anyone here got any experience of milling Ally?

Bit odd this one but i have to make up quite a few machined ally cases
had a quote in from a couple of people, lot of money suspect they don't
want the job.



Are you using a cutting fluid? Soluble oil or mineral oil is usually
recommended for milling and turning, you might get away with paraffin or
WD40.

Yes WD40 has been tried as well as Machine Marts cutting fluid no
difference in either case!..
--
Tony Sayer

In article ,
newshound wrote:
On 13/12/2018 11:00, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
However using a fluted end mill with helical cutters on the edge
machining the face as it were its fine, a good finish. However if we
now try to put a machined edge on say a lump of ally flat 100 mm
square around 7 mm thick the edge finish is rather more akin to a
barstard file

My Makita sliding saw produces an excellent edge on ally plate. Just
take it gently. With the standard wood blade.

Similarly the Evolution, with it's multi use blade. But this doesn't
help the OP.

A sliding saw to cut 100mm of 7mm ally ain't going to cost much. And will
get plenty other use. ;-)

My problem was the smaller ones weren't big enough for my sort of use.
Hence ending up with the current one.

--
*Pentium wise, pen and paper foolish *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
In article ,
newshound wrote:
On 13/12/2018 11:00, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
However using a fluted end mill with helical cutters on the edge
machining the face as it were its fine, a good finish. However if we
now try to put a machined edge on say a lump of ally flat 100 mm
square around 7 mm thick the edge finish is rather more akin to a
barstard file

My Makita sliding saw produces an excellent edge on ally plate. Just
take it gently. With the standard wood blade.

Similarly the Evolution, with it's multi use blade. But this doesn't
help the OP.

A sliding saw to cut 100mm of 7mm ally ain't going to cost much. And will
get plenty other use. ;-)

My problem was the smaller ones weren't big enough for my sort of use.
Hence ending up with the current one.


Its not cutting as such Dave its finishing the cut edge to a finer
square level finish!..

--
Tony Sayer

On 13/12/2018 14:41, tony sayer wrote:
In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
In article ,
newshound wrote:
On 13/12/2018 11:00, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
However using a fluted end mill with helical cutters on the edge
machining the face as it were its fine, a good finish. However if we
now try to put a machined edge on say a lump of ally flat 100 mm
square around 7 mm thick the edge finish is rather more akin to a
barstard file

My Makita sliding saw produces an excellent edge on ally plate. Just
take it gently. With the standard wood blade.

Similarly the Evolution, with it's multi use blade. But this doesn't
help the OP.

A sliding saw to cut 100mm of 7mm ally ain't going to cost much. And will
get plenty other use. ;-)

My problem was the smaller ones weren't big enough for my sort of use.
Hence ending up with the current one.


Its not cutting as such Dave its finishing the cut edge to a finer
square level finish!..

tungsten carbide peramagrit tool



--
€œBut what a weak barrier is truth when it stands in the way of an
hypothesis!€�

Mary Wollstonecraft

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
A sliding saw to cut 100mm of 7mm ally ain't going to cost much. And will
get plenty other use. ;-)

My problem was the smaller ones weren't big enough for my sort of use.
Hence ending up with the current one.


Its not cutting as such Dave its finishing the cut edge to a finer
square level finish!..

Which is exactly what my saw does, Tony. Far better than I could achieve
with the finest file.

--
*Gravity is a myth, the earth sucks *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

tony sayer wrote:
Anyone here got any experience of milling Ally?

Bit odd this one but i have to make up quite a few machined ally cases
had a quote in from a couple of people, lot of money suspect they don't
want the job.

Can't afford a proper mill but i once used a Trend router to trim up
some ally with a wood bit and it produced a very good edge finish. We
have acquired a decent stand holder for a spare Trend router, a Wolf
drill stand and a X-Y compound table and the whole works very well and
stable for what it cost.

However using a fluted end mill with helical cutters on the edge
machining the face as it were its fine, a good finish. However if we now
try to put a machined edge on say a lump of ally flat 100 mm square
around 7 mm thick the edge finish is rather more akin to a barstard
file

Using yet again a wood bit a very much better finish is obtained but
there is still a light ripple difficult to measure it but if you hold
that edge to the the light with an engineers set square the variations
were very small in that they'll only show a very small amount of light
show thru. the metal is square and all that but just spoilt by the
slight ripple. I'm taking light cuts at around 20,000 RPM with a
lubricant tried a few faster slower, left to right and right to left
cuts much the same result.

Its just about good enough for what is needed but anyone any suggestions
on what bit might be used to get it flatter and smoother?.


These ones have been used but they put a very rough edge on the metal
compared to the straight flute wood bits!


https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/...eries-Carbide-
Cutters.html


Cheers..



Strikes me you are going far far too fast. Try somewhere in the region
of 20 metres per minute tip cutting speed. Paraffin, diesel or wd40 are
suitable lubricants.

In article , Bob Minchin bob.minchinREMOVE@
YOURHATntlworld.com scribeth thus
tony sayer wrote:
Anyone here got any experience of milling Ally?

Bit odd this one but i have to make up quite a few machined ally cases
had a quote in from a couple of people, lot of money suspect they don't
want the job.

Can't afford a proper mill but i once used a Trend router to trim up
some ally with a wood bit and it produced a very good edge finish. We
have acquired a decent stand holder for a spare Trend router, a Wolf
drill stand and a X-Y compound table and the whole works very well and
stable for what it cost.

However using a fluted end mill with helical cutters on the edge
machining the face as it were its fine, a good finish. However if we now
try to put a machined edge on say a lump of ally flat 100 mm square
around 7 mm thick the edge finish is rather more akin to a barstard
file

Using yet again a wood bit a very much better finish is obtained but
there is still a light ripple difficult to measure it but if you hold
that edge to the the light with an engineers set square the variations
were very small in that they'll only show a very small amount of light
show thru. the metal is square and all that but just spoilt by the
slight ripple. I'm taking light cuts at around 20,000 RPM with a
lubricant tried a few faster slower, left to right and right to left
cuts much the same result.

Its just about good enough for what is needed but anyone any suggestions
on what bit might be used to get it flatter and smoother?.


These ones have been used but they put a very rough edge on the metal
compared to the straight flute wood bits!


https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/...eries-Carbide-
Cutters.html


Cheers..



Strikes me you are going far far too fast. Try somewhere in the region
of 20 metres per minute tip cutting speed. Paraffin, diesel or wd40 are
suitable lubricants.

Tried that and very little difference at all! In fact the faster it
goes the better, this has been borne out by a Youtube video.

Phoned Trend support their consensus was that if a wood bit works then
use it!

In fact i found another Youtube bid demo'ing that very thing!

The actual surface ripple will do, an engineers square up against it
shows almost no light coming thru and i did try a quick rub across a bit
of 300 ish grit wet and dry paper and its as good as i think its going
to get so i think we'll leave it there it's good enough for the purpose
i need it for

cheers..

--
Tony Sayer