Subject: Re: Seeking more help, small diameter milling in soft alum.

From: [email-masked] (CBear81438)
Date: 28 Jul 1996 12:52:17 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Ed
Chejlava) writes:

>>This news group deserves great credit for content and educational value
>:>to novices. I look forward to future involvement.  Perhaps we can help
>:>with issues related to electronics and control systems, though we do
not
>:>have a machine tool background.
>:>
>:>Please respond with posts to this group, E-Mail address not ready yet.
>:>
>:>Thanks,  Steve Stallings
>:>
>Steve

Steve
I have not followed this thread lately, but if you are trying to cut
aluminum, could you use a carbide saw blade on a table saw, or modify the
speed on a small bandsaw and use a guide..

I would be happy to try to help you on this.   I am also trying to connect
a small X-Y table to a computer for CNC.

I am not sure if you are milling slots, or trying to cut, in your
application.  Please give me a reader's digest  version, I will be glad to
offer my $.02.

Cecil in OK

---

From: [email-masked] (Ed Chejlava)
Date: 27 Jul 1996 19:58:14 GMT

In message <[email-masked]> - Steve Stallings <> writes:
:>
:>Many thanks to those who have taken the time to reply to my question about
:>milling in soft aluminum panels. (Electronics, complex shapes, 1/8" dia.
:>milling cutter, 0.050" soft aluminum panels)
:>
:>Responses lead me to offer more details.  Usage is in a small (5 person) 
:>electronics company needing to cut many copies of same panel.  We have the 
:>ability to deal with CNC in a roll-your-own fashion, and have cheap access 
:>to a good XY table, but are novices at metal working. Efforts at cutting
:>with our 2400 RPM mill (vertical head on EMCO V10P using power feed on
:>lathe to move table) and a 2 flute cutter succeed only at feed rates
:>that seem to take forever!
:>
:>Carbide cutters running at a higher SFM rate and dry cutting would be nice
:>to speed up cutting and keep mess to a minimum.  Maybe a shop-vac could be 
:>rigged to remove chips and cool the cutter and aluminum at the same time.
:>
:>Still interested in "alternative" spindle approaches to use with a roll-
:>your-own CNC setup.  Are the bearings in a router or die grinder up to 
:>the side loads?  Do all routers and electric die grinders have series or 
:>universal motors that are subject to major speed variation with load?
:>Would even consider opening motor and rewiring to proper DC controls
:>for shunt mode operation if a knowledgeable source verifies that this
:>is reasonable. Routers seem to offer acceptable collet arrangments and
:>are small enough to manage in some sort of "Z" axis arangement. Other 
:>ideas for "spindle" are welcome.
:>
:>Yes, punching has been considered.  We even have a small manual turrent
:>punch, but .... custom punches cost a fortune (we would need over a dozen
:>sets at appx. $500 per set) and step/repeat (nibbling) does not work well 
:>in a manual punch (and risks damaging punchs as noted by Mr. Hoffmeyer).
:>
:>This news group deserves great credit for content and educational value
:>to novices. I look forward to future involvement.  Perhaps we can help
:>with issues related to electronics and control systems, though we do not
:>have a machine tool background.
:>
:>Please respond with posts to this group, E-Mail address not ready yet.
:>
:>Thanks,  Steve Stallings
:>
Steve:

Just visited my brother who had modified a plasma cutting machine to serve as 
a plasma arc for a chemistry experiment.  We played with the device a bit and 
if you don't need real "machined" tolerances, it looks like it might be worth 
a gander.  Tool Crib has a similar machine for about $1k.  Basically, its a 
small nozzle with air blowing through it, and you generate an arc between the 
nozzle and the workpiece that melts the work, which is then blown away by the 
air..... really fast - cut as fast as we could move our hands in a sheet of 
about 1/32" steel......   

Ed C.

When I grow up, I want to be an HVAC guy.  

..Any job where duct tape is the CORRECT tool has to be great.

---

From: Len Gilmore <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Jul 1996 22:47:19 -0500

Ed Chejlava wrote:
> ..Any job where duct tape is the CORRECT tool has to be great.ED,
Depending on the thickness of the alum.
I would laser cut it. My laser will hole a tolerance of .002"
And we can cut at a pretty good feed rate.
It might me cheaper than you think and the edge is good
quality if you nitrogen and not bad if you use oxygen which is
alot cheaper.
Any questions email or fax me
[email-masked]
or
Klymore Specialties
Paynesville Mn 
1.320.243.3146
                              Len