[Hobbery]

So all of CNC experience has been with HDU sign foam and wood... but then I want moooooore... I want to mill Aluminum.

So I get a small sheet of 1/8th inch thick 6061 T6 Aluminum.

I get 5 of these "SPEED TIGER IAUE Carbide Square End Mill" bits from Amazon... 3 flutes. 1/4" inch dia. Made for Aluminum...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I set it at 12,000 rpm with a feedrate of 100 in/min and a cut dept of .06 [ I don't know where I collected these figures ]

I should mention that my machine does not have any kind of water jet cooling thingy....

The aluminum gummed up the bits immediately and the cut came out pretty crazy... Pics attached.

I gummed up 2 bits. I get 3 more tries...

Can someone here tell me better feeds and speeds...?

Thanks!

[Hobbery]

SLOWED IT DOWN. 35 inch/min 6,000 RPM and sprayed it with WD-40. Brushed away chips...

Came out great! Pic attached...

I'd still appreciate any helpful input.

[pastaman]

SLOWED IT DOWN. 35 inch/min 6,000 RPM and sprayed it with WD-40. Brushed away chips...

Came out great! Pic attached...

I'd still appreciate any helpful input.

Here's a starting point. It's not a deluxe speed and feed calculator but it has some of the key features you need to get going and best of all it's free.

http://micro100.hsmadvisor.com/?page=fswizard

[Jim Dawson]

Coolant/lubricant is the key. We routinely run 6000 RPM, and up to 200 IPM in 6061 aluminum, some times 0.5'' or so deep. 6000 is our max spindle speed, we would run at 10K if we could. This is on a VMC so is a rigid machine and a 7.5 HP spindle. But the real key is the high pressure flood coolant at about 10 gal/min. Keeps the chips washed away and provided plenty of lubrication so the aluminum doesn't build up on the cutter.

I have a customer that cuts nothing but aluminum on his router, runs at about 12K RPM and 150 IPM. 3/8'', 3 flute, aluminum cutting end mills. A typical cut for him is cutting a 5/8'' slot about 1.5'' long through 1/4'' 6061. Uses a spray mist coolant system. Also has a 7.5 HP spindle.

Without lubrication the cutter will load up with aluminum almost instantly. Slotting full width in a single pass as you are doing will require slower feed speeds. If you need a 1/2'' slot, it's best to use a 3/8'' end mill and a tricodial cutting strategy. Most modern CAM software will generate this.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
like Jim I use flood coolant, as much as I've got. I'm less certain about the lubrication aspect but I am dead set that the flood
coolant flush the chips out of the cut-zone. Recutting chips is a sure fire way to get B(uilt) U(p) E(dge).

Another possibility that might help is di-boride coated tools, I got mine from Harvey Tools, expensive but they helped when I was working
with some 'sticky' 5083.

I bargain on a surface speed of 200m/min. More than that you are risking BUE.

Craig

[dansutula]

SLOWED IT DOWN. 35 inch/min 6,000 RPM and sprayed it with WD-40. Brushed away chips...

Came out great! Pic attached...

I'd still appreciate any helpful input.

It looks like you accidentally re-discovered FSW Friction-Stir-Welding!