[Kenny Duval]

I ran some new 3 flute carbides for a project on Sunday. I've got to work on my recipe for those. I adjusted using FSWizard to compensate for going from 4 flutes to 3 but it just did not like it. Chattered hard enough to break one and then I broke another when a tool offset failed to be applied. This part requires a good bit of stick out so that didn't help. These are variable flute end mills which in all the research meant possibly less chatter but so far the 4 flute cutter I used last time I cut this part did a better job.

[lcvette]

What were the FSWizard numbers?

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[Kenny Duval]

Now that I looked at it again I forgot to adjust the stick out number in FSWizard. I think I was simply asking too much of the bit and machine. It cut it though until the tool broke. Material removal rate for the numbers I had wrong was 1.04 inches cubed.

I had good luck with a .003 chip per tooth load on the last run so I tried to maintain that with this cutter.

.250 3 flute end mill running at 3400 rpm with a .425 DOX x .080 WOC at 30 IPM to reach the chip load number. That was 1.04 cubic inches per minute according to FZwizard.

[lcvette]

Is your max rpm 3400? I would drop down to .002" per tooth with that stickout which would drop feed rate to 20ipm especially with long stickout in a small endmill like that. Would be much happier with some more rpm if you have it available.

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[Kenny Duval]

It is for now as I am still running the gears in the head. I'll belt drive it after the first gear failure. I did drop back a bit on feed after the first break. Rest of the part ran fine. I went by the old it chattered..feed it harder...method. That obviously in this case was not the answer.

[ChrisAttebery]

I was trying to use a brand new $43 1" OD x 1/16" wide keyway saw this morning. FSWizard recommended 2400rpm at ~86IPM. I tried a couple test cuts last night and thought I had some workable numbers. I was trying to take a .125" wide cut at 43.2IMP (.0015 IPT) with the entry at 14.4 IPM. Well, the entry cut worked fine but it only made it about 1/4" into the rest of the cut before the spindle stalled. In a panic I hit <Stop> and Mach retracted the head snapping the head clean off the tool. I should have hit the E-STOP instead. It's been a while since I've broken a tool like this and this one stung.

[lcvette]

Slitting saws are tough because of coolant primarily they have a tendency to gum up really bad due to friction on the flat surface and a lack of coolant penetration into the cut.. Like cutting with the flutes of an endmill fully buried and no room to evacuate chips..

I found the best method to use them is to cut in multiple passes and alternative z height per pass. Kind of like deep parting on a Lathe... Cut in some clearance for the tool and don't try to cut deeper than the about 20% of the tooth notch (flute depth) so the material doesn't clog before the tooth clears the stock in its rotation. And lots and lots of coolant!!

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[ChrisAttebery]

I went back and cut it at 2400RPM, 19.2 IPM(.00067 IPT) , .032" WOC, .062" DOC this morning. Since I'm plunging the saw into the material I reduced the entry feed to 7IPM. That worked, but I feel like I should increase the IPT so I'm going to reduce the WOC to .020" and increase the feed to 28.8 IPM (.001 IPT). The finish cuts are only .005" deep so I'll increase those to 43.2 IPM (.0015 IPT).

[lcvette]

How did it work out? This is good information to share with everyone as saws are not the most common cutters used.

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[ChrisAttebery]

It worked out fine. Now I have a project where I want to cut a slit 3/4" deep though the side of a 1" wide aluminum ring. I think I'm going to buy a 3" x .032" X 30T saw for this job. I'm going to have to run it at 2500rpm to keep the motor in the power curve and take light cuts. I'll try to cut it at 2 depths to keep the side clearance too.

[ChrisAttebery]

I got sick of trying to cut aluminum on my 14" abrasive chop saw.It was really slow and tripped the breaker almost every time I used it. I sold it a couple weeks ago and ordered a Evolution Rage 2 multipurpose saw with a 14" carbide tipped blade. I got to try it out for the first time today. I was cutting 3" x 5/8" 6061 bar stock with it. It literally took longer to mark and clamp the material than it took to cut it. I should have bought on a long time ago. :cheers:

[lcvette]

Yeah they rip through aluminum.. You can even use a miter saw saw with a decent blade, I used to use a compound sliding miter saw that would handle 8" width material.. Now I have a cold saw and while not as fast it is a whole lot cleaner without aluminum being shot across the shop..lol.

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[ChrisAttebery]

It's been a while since I've posted here. My product sales have dwindled and my business has evolved into more of a mechanical design consulting service.

I still do some machining here and there though and every time I'm reminded that the "enclosure" I built out of coroplast is a PITA. It's starting to fall apart and I've duct taped the corners together. I hate having to reach over the 20" wall to swap parts or tools too.



I removed the duct tape before I took this picture.



I decided that it was time to design a decent enclosure using 8020 rails with a sliding polycarbonate door and coroplast back and side walls.

[datac]

.......with a sliding polycarbonate door and coroplast back and side walls.

Ya... that is where I am headed too. Well, not completely with 80/20 though. I am thinking of just using "aluminum shape" stock.

I did not check out coroplast colors yet, but I hope there is a light grey... the white gets dirty looking way too fast. At least when it goes south, it's cheap and easy to replace.

[ChrisAttebery]

Here's the design I've come up with:



On the front there will be a single 48" wide polycarbonate door with a 12" fixed panel at the right end. The door can slide all the way off if needed. The left side will also be clear polycarbonate. The back and right side panels will be white coroplast. The sides will be 36" tall. Hopefully that's enough to keep all of the chips inside.

The monitor, keyboard, E-stop and pendant will be mounted on the verticals on the left hand side.

[ChrisAttebery]

I from finally received all of the parts for the enclosure yesterday. I spent a couple hours drilling the mounting holes in the bottom rails, assembling the frame and inserting the back and right side coroplast panels. On the way to work I picked up the 1/4" polycarbonate front and left side panels.

[CS900]

looks great! are you putting anything in the extrusion to help seal it up against coolant leaks?

[atomarc]

Chris,

A quick question..it that a electrical outlet poking through the enclosure in back of the column? I wonder if that's a good place for it?

Stuart

[ChrisAttebery]

I'm looking for a window gasket that will work. I've been using a home built fog buster for the last 5 years and it's met all of my needs. My previous coroplast enclosure wasn't sealed on the bottom and I never had any leaks. I'm not interested in running flood cooling if I don't have to.

looks great! are you putting anything in the extrusion to help seal it up against coolant leaks?

[ChrisAttebery]

Yes it's a 50A 220v outlet. All of my big tools run off that outlet. It was in the right hand corner of the previous enclosure. I moved the machine to the right about 30" before I started this round of upgrades. I wrapped the box with aluminum duct tape to keep chips out of the openings. I was thinking about adding a cover of some sort but I don't run flood coolant so at worst its in a really humid environment.

I had a chip fall into a hole in the top of the outlet box a couple years ago (before I added the duct tape). It made a LOUD pop, but the machine kept on humming.

Chris,

A quick question..it that a electrical outlet poking through the enclosure in back of the column? I wonder if that's a good place for it?

Stuart