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IndustryArena Forum > WoodWorking Machines > DIY CNC Router Table Machines > Cutting stainless steel on a router
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    1166

    Cutting stainless steel on a router

    I'm bored waiting for fea to run on a frame design, so here's a 'what I did last week' post - I cut stainless steel using my router. Pics are below. I was working on welding oxygen sensor bungs (threaded bosses) to the stainless exhaust pipes on my motorcycle. My first idea was to drill the required holes in the pipes with a hole saw, so I got one at the hardware store. I made a test cut in a tube of 304 I'd bought to practice on before I tore into my bike's pipes. The hole saw melted on the stainless. Must have got a crappy one... Alright, so it was late at night and I want to make some holes. I ran inside, programmed a quick hole pocketing operation and put my pipe on my router. I cut 0.005" per pass at 10ipm with a 2 flute carbide endmill. It took about 20 minutes to cut a 3/4" hole (mostly due to the pipe being round, so I had to cut about 0.2" deep). It turned out nice. I'm not saying the surface finish is amazing, but the hole was the right size and considering I was welding to it, perfectly serviceable. The last pic is the finished part. Don't judge my weld to harshly - I'm still a beginner and this was my first stainless work ever.

    I couldn't figure out how to fixture the second pipe on my router, so I hacked a hole out with a dremel tool and grinding wheel and then made it round with a carbide burr in a foredom. That was probably faster than the router but not quite as fun.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails P1010001.jpg   P1010004.jpg   P1010006.jpg   P1010007.jpg  

    P1010015.jpg  
    CNC mill build thread: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/vertical_mill_lathe_project_log/110305-gantry_mill.html

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    176
    I'm impressed :-)

    I have seen another 3 axis machine cutting steel, mild steel, the guys programmed it to go in and just take a whiff off each pass. The cutting would've taken hours! The big issue is tool pressure going into such a hard material.

    Most woodworking machines can't take the pressure and lack the rigidity to do practical cutting.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    1166
    That's how I do aluminum cutting on my router - it takes hours and the finish still usually isn't great, but good enough. I usually go more like 0.010" per pass at up to 20ipm on aluminum though. I was surprised it did as well as it did on the stainless.
    CNC mill build thread: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/vertical_mill_lathe_project_log/110305-gantry_mill.html

  4. #4
    I always believe that almost anything can be done , it's all in the approach


    this was my experiment , [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ftb_cA4nE"]YouTube - cutting steel[/nomedia]





    it was programmed to 120ipm but for the initial slot through I dropped it to 60 , part way thru the pass back i bumped it up to the 120 (1/2 way thru the vid) , it takes only .01 engagement per loop but as you can see 120 ipm can remove material quickly ,
    it was the same deal as yours , not a perfect finish but not to shabby either
    the only problem that I found was that there were fine needle like chips everywhere
    A poet knows no boundary yet he is bound to the boundaries of ones own mind !! ........

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