[BLarks]

Thanks mate, kind of leaning the same way as you. G-wizard is fairly pricey for my needs, and as you say experience is key.

Hi guys back with another alloy cutting question, I have had success cutting with 2 and 3mm 1 and 2 flute cutters. Recently I got a new spindle with an er11 collet and have got a 4mm and 6mm cutter. With the 4mm cutter G wizard gives me a result of 24000rpm and a feed of 1536mm/min at .5mm DOC. This did not go so well not to mention I thought it was a bit high on the feed. I tried 2mm 2 flute, 13000rpm and .2 DOC in G wizardand the result was 416mm/min, this also seems way off as I have been cutting just nicely at 1000mm/min.
So
1. Have I done something wrong in G wizard?
2. I ended up with 4mm 2 flute, 24000rpm, .5mm DOC and feed 400mm/min, it cuts fine, do these numbers seem correct?

[BLarks]

Hi guys back with another alloy cutting question, I have had success cutting with 2 and 3mm 1 and 2 flute cutters. Recently I got a new spindle with an er11 collet and have got a 4mm and 6mm cutter. With the 4mm cutter G wizard gives me a result of 24000rpm and a feed of 1536mm/min at .5mm DOC. This did not go so well not to mention I thought it was a bit high on the feed. I tried 2mm 2 flute, 13000rpm and .2 DOC in G wizardand the result was 416mm/min, this also seems way off as I have been cutting just nicely at 1000mm/min.
So
1. Have I done something wrong in G wizard?
2. I ended up with 4mm 2 flute, 24000rpm, .5mm DOC and feed 400mm/min, it cuts fine, do these numbers seem correct?

Anybody?

[BLarks]

Hi guys back with another alloy cutting question, I have had success cutting with 2 and 3mm 1 and 2 flute cutters. Recently I got a new spindle with an er11 collet and have got a 4mm and 6mm cutter. With the 4mm cutter G wizard gives me a result of 24000rpm and a feed of 1536mm/min at .5mm DOC. This did not go so well not to mention I thought it was a bit high on the feed. I tried 2mm 2 flute, 13000rpm and .2 DOC in G wizardand the result was 416mm/min, this also seems way off as I have been cutting just nicely at 1000mm/min.
So
1. Have I done something wrong in G wizard?
2. I ended up with 4mm 2 flute, 24000rpm, .5mm DOC and feed 400mm/min, it cuts fine, do these numbers seem correct?

Does anyone know if the g wizard results above are correct or have I not inputted something correctly and do the numbers I ended up cutting with seem ok, I know it seems to be cutting ok but just wanted some input.

[BLarks]

Does anyone know if the g wizard results above are correct or have I not inputted something correctly and do the numbers I ended up cutting with seem ok, I know it seems to be cutting ok but just wanted some input.

No one can offer any assistance?

[peteeng]

Most tool suppliers recommend a chip load of 0.1 to 0.25mm for aluminium. At a spindle speed of 10,000rpm (which is generally too fast anyway) you need a feed rate of 4000mm/min to get 0.2mm chip load with a two flute cutter. A mill bit will cut its diameter as its depth if powered right etc. So if its a 2mm bit then start at 1/10th of this in a router eg 0.2mm to reduce power requirements (then go deeper as you get your settings right) and routers are generally not as stiff as a mill so the tool flexs and skids more as you are seeing. So at feed and speeds you have talked about you are skidding the tool as it does not have enough depth of cut to actually cut.

So what's your slowest spindle speed you can run? Look up chip load calculators there's a few around. Plus are you conventional cutting or climb cutting? You may have to look that up. If your conventional cutting the tool has to start a cut on a very thin edge (so tool has to be sharp and have a good bit or chip load and be stiff). If you climb cut it starts on a thick edge and may have a better chance of cutting or it will just chatter. Cheers Peter

[BLarks]

Most tool suppliers recommend a chip load of 0.1 to 0.25mm for aluminium. At a spindle speed of 10,000rpm (which is generally too fast anyway) you need a feed rate of 4000mm/min to get 0.2mm chip load with a two flute cutter. A mill bit will cut its diameter as its depth if powered right etc. So if its a 2mm bit then start at 1/10th of this in a router eg 0.2mm to reduce power requirements (then go deeper as you get your settings right) and routers are generally not as stiff as a mill so the tool flexs and skids more as you are seeing. So at feed and speeds you have talked about you are skidding the tool as it does not have enough depth of cut to actually cut.

So what's your slowest spindle speed you can run? Look up chip load calculators there's a few around. Plus are you conventional cutting or climb cutting? You may have to look that up. If your conventional cutting the tool has to start a cut on a very thin edge (so tool has to be sharp and have a good bit or chip load and be stiff). If you climb cut it starts on a thick edge and may have a better chance of cutting or it will just chatter. Cheers Peter

Thanks for the reply peteeng, I have been cutting fine with a 2 and 3mm cutter at 13k rpm and .02/.03 DOC. My problem was with G wizard and the results I got. It doesn't seem right and certainly didn't work when I tried with a 4mm cutter. I think I may just email Bob Warfield and ask him about the results from G wizard.

[peteeng]

Hi Blarks - 2 edges at 24k RPM and 400mm/min is a chipload of 0.008mm seems way too small to me. Are you up or down cutting? Peter

[BLarks]

Hi Blarks - 2 edges at 24k RPM and 400mm/min is a chipload of 0.008mm seems way too small to me. Are you up or down cutting? Peter

Cutter is an upcut if that's what your asking.
2mm cutter at 13k rpm at 1000mm/min .2 doc. Works good
4mm cutter at 24k seemed to work at 400mm/min .4 doc certainly would not work at 1000mm/min.
Machine is an open builds cbeam with .8kw spindle

[BLarks]

Few more tests today
Pushed the feed up to 800mm/min with the 4mm and seemed to go better I think
Tried 6mm for the first time 700mm/min @ 24k rpm .4 DOC and seemed pretty good as well.

Could I go deeper with the 4 and 6mm?