[Vern Smith]

I need to cut some slots in 6061 T6. I've never used a saw before and could use lots of advice. MSC lists both slitting and slotting saws, carbide teeth and solid carbide, some with key ways, most without.

I need to cut two slots, one .060 wide and the other .261. The saws listed for nonferrous have only 4 or 6 teeth on a 3" diameter. Is there an arbor ( mfg.?) that will clamp down hard enough to keep a 3" saw from moving? Suggestions on speeds, feeds, and DOC appreciated. Also alternative sources to MSC.

Vern

[tobyaxis]

A few rules on Sliting saws.

1) be sure to have at least 2 teeth in the material at the same time.
2) lots of Coolant
3) Feeds and speeds are very light like .0005 per tooth

ex. 3 inch diameter 27 teeth would be around 100 to 150 rpm and 1.35 Inches Per Minute. Carbide is about 10% higher in feeds and speeds.

[Chuck Reamer]

How deep are you slotting, for very shallow slots I have used a boring bar with a groving insert in it. Works well but you are limited on depth.

[Vern Smith]

The .060 wide slot will be shallow, around .100 to .125, The .261 will be .700 deep. How well do the saws behave when stepped over? As an example, using a .125 thich blade to cut the .261 slot.

Thanks for the input.

Vern

[tobyaxis]

The .060 wide slot will be shallow, around .100 to .125, The .261 will be .700 deep. How well do the saws behave when stepped over? As an example, using a .125 thich blade to cut the .261 slot.

Thanks for the input.

Vern

If that is what you would like to do, make your cut in three passes. Meaning you will cut the Middle first then two finish passes one top and one bottom. This should work fine. If you get Chatter slow the RPM a little and increase the feed a little. I'm talking like 5% to 10%, nothing radical. If you over ride too much your slot cutter will flex and most likely break or dull causing failure.

[gizmo_454]

This being my first post, I would just like to say hello to everyone on the forum.

On the slotting subject, we bought a Mini Mill last April specifically for drilling and slotting 40000 parts. The parts are made from 12L14. The diameter of the part where the slot is located is 0.495". Slot depth is almost 1" and the width is 0.191".

The slotting saw that we use is a 4", 10 tooth, carbide tipped, 0.250" wide saw that we cut down to our required diameter. Taking full depth of cut, we run the saw at 600 RPM and are feeding it at 15ipm. That's about 0.0025 per tooth load, in steel. This has been successful for close to a year now.

We would really like to have a saw with 20-24 teeth that is carbide tipped, but without having one custom made, we are out of luck.

Anyway, I would think you could go more feed and speed in aluminum. I was told that I could theoretically go upward of 1000 RPM and 30ipm for my situation. That sounded scary to me.

As far as holders go, the holder we use is a Bison "semi-flush" arbor. The saw does not move. It's pretty sturdy. Cost is about $110 US.

I hope this gives you an idea of what you may be able to achieve.

Gizmo

[tobyaxis]

We would really like to have a saw with 20-24 teeth that is carbide tipped, but without having one custom made, we are out of luck.

Have you checked out Moon Cutter? They might have what you want.

http://www.mooncutter.com/

BTW: I run a 2.5 Diameter by .25 Wide at 1500 RPM and 35.0 IPM in 7075 Aluminum. It's a 1.5" Diameter Arbor and the Machine is a CAT50 Taper Matsuura.

[gizmo_454]

Thanks for the tidbit. I just looked through their online catalog and didn't see anything more than 8 tooth on a 4 inch cutter. I know HSS cutters have many more teeth, but my Mini Mill doesn't have the torque needed to run them at the lower SFM.

[tobyaxis]

Thanks for the tidbit. I just looked through their online catalog and didn't see anything more than 8 tooth on a 4 inch cutter. I know HSS cutters have many more teeth, but my Mini Mill doesn't have the torque needed to run them at the lower SFM.

HSS has lower cutting forces than Carbide, but I understand your dilema. Sorry they didn't have anything for you. Maybe there is another place that will.

Cheers!!!!!!

Try These Guys
http://www.hannibalcarbide.com/
http://www.iscar.com/
http://www.secotools.com/template/start.asp?id=2181
http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm

[mulcher]

you should try milling it.

[tobyaxis]

Thanks for the tidbit. I just looked through their online catalog and didn't see anything more than 8 tooth on a 4 inch cutter. I know HSS cutters have many more teeth, but my Mini Mill doesn't have the torque needed to run them at the lower SFM.

When you say Mini Mill, do you mean that you have a CAT40 or an R8 Spindle Taper???? What Machine do you have?????

[jackson]

I need to cut some slots in 6061 T6. I've never used a saw before and could use lots of advice. MSC lists both slitting and slotting saws, carbide teeth and solid carbide, some with key ways, most without.

I need to cut two slots, one .060 wide and the other .261. The saws listed for nonferrous have only 4 or 6 teeth on a 3" diameter. Is there an arbor ( mfg.?) that will clamp down hard enough to keep a 3" saw from moving? Suggestions on speeds, feeds, and DOC appreciated. Also alternative sources to MSC.

Vern

This is what i run mine at on 6061 one pass the saw is HSS works great
N5
(T5 3" SLOT SAW 3/32 THICK)
G90S1000M03
G00X-1.Y-2.65T1
G43H5Z.5M08
G01Z-1.1F25.
Y-1.7F6.
X-3.15
Y-2.95F25.
G00Z6.M09
X-5.Y6.
G91G28Z0
M01
M06
M99

[Vern Smith]

Gizmo 454

You are cutting one inch deep in steel in one pass?

Vern

[gizmo_454]

Yes, I am cutting 1 inch deep in steel, in one pass. Runs good, too. I run 4 parts at a time, milling the slot and drilling 3 holes in each part in under 2 minutes. About a minute and 45 seconds.

The machine I have is a 2006 Haas Mini Mill. It is a cat 40 spindle. 7.5HP, 6000 RPM spindle.

[tobyaxis]

Yes, I am cutting 1 inch deep in steel, in one pass. Runs good, too. I run 4 parts at a time, milling the slot and drilling 3 holes in each part in under 2 minutes. About a minute and 45 seconds.

The machine I have is a 2006 Haas Mini Mill. It is a cat 40 spindle. 7.5HP, 6000 RPM spindle.

Nice machine. You may want to think about getting the OM for home use LOL.

Have you looked at Solid Carbide Saws for this. You could increase your feeds and speeds by as much as 5-10%.

[gizmo_454]

The saw I am using now is a 10 tooth, carbide tipped saw. I tried increasing the feed, but the way the parts are being held is not very rigid so it chatters really badly. But unfortunately, it is the only way to hold them. It is what it is, I'm afraid.

An office mill would be nice, but we are looking at getting into more of the turning centers than mills. Our first turning center, an SL-10, is on order. It is slated to be mostly a second op machine with some light bar work. By the first of next year, we want to head towards a TL-15 or similar.

[tobyaxis]

The saw I am using now is a 10 tooth, carbide tipped saw.

There is a big difference between Carbide Tipped and Solid Carbide. In your situation with Part Ridity I understand why you can't push for a little more.

Things can get really challenging when Part Geometry, Mass, and Ridity are against you.

If you don't mind my asking, What are you making and how are you holding it?

[gizmo_454]

It is kind of hard to describe. The overall length is about 1.7". The body of the part is turned to .495" diameter. That portion is about 1.25" long. That is the end that gets the slot, a through hole, and some detents perpendicular to the slot. The other end is just the 5/8" barstock. I am holding it in a 5C collet fixture. Essentially, I am holding on to only 3/8" of the part, and the rest is unsupported. I thought about making a jig to encapsulate the parts completely except for the slot and holes, but that would take a lot of time I do not have at this point in time.

If you could let me know where I might be able to buy a few more hours for each day, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

Anyway, I'm out of town this weekend, but will check back here on Monday...Have a good one!:cheers:

[tobyaxis]

It is kind of hard to describe. The overall length is about 1.7". The body of the part is turned to .495" diameter. That portion is about 1.25" long. That is the end that gets the slot, a through hole, and some detents perpendicular to the slot. The other end is just the 5/8" barstock. I am holding it in a 5C collet fixture. Essentially, I am holding on to only 3/8" of the part, and the rest is unsupported. I thought about making a jig to encapsulate the parts completely except for the slot and holes, but that would take a lot of time I do not have at this point in time.

If you could let me know where I might be able to buy a few more hours for each day, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

Anyway, I'm out of town this weekend, but will check back here on Monday...Have a good one!:cheers:

Gizmo,

There are lots of ways to make parts. When you get back on Monday I'll need a little more detail on the Dimensions of your part. Then we can get you setup if that job comes back for repeat. If it doesn't you will still have information for like parts.

Have a Good One!!
:cheers:

[gizmo_454]

I do not know what kind of information you need, but let me see if this will clarify some...

Take a 5/8" round bar of 12L14 and put a full radius on one end. From that end, turn the OD to .495" diameter, to 1.276" from the radiused end of the part, at which point run a 45 degree angle to the 5/8" OD. The detents are not deep enough to affect the slot at all. The through-hole is a .159" diameter hole out, almost to the radius. The center of the hole is about .100" from the end of the part, and is perpendicular to the slot. The slot is .190" wide and is approx. .950" deep. The overall length of the part is 1.7" long. I am chucking on the 5/8" diameter with 5C collets. But the location of the last detent on the part is close enough to the 45 degree angle, that a #11 ER collet chuck will not clear the 5C fixture unless the part is only held by approx the last 3/8".

It is not the best scenario, I know. I would really like to take a stab at putting a 3/16" EM in there for the slot, but I did not buy the tail stock for my HA5C. So I cannot put the fixture on a block and rotate the parts vertical.

Oh well. It works for what I need it to do. Let me know if you might have any other ideas.

:cheers: