Wood Router Bits - They work on Metal!

Rbeckett said:
So are all the tools all carbide? Or did you guys use some HSS too? And did you use any kind of coolant?
Bob
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The bit I used was just an old carbide-tipped dovetail bit, 1/4" shank, that I had laying in a box under the router table. I don't have any of the old HSS router bits to try out but if I ever find some cheap at a garage sale I'll grab them. I don't use any coolant - not because I know it's better dry or anything, it's just that I have no clue because my total milling time is less than 20 hours so I'm still willing to try anything once. I still haven't looked under the hood to see what the speed is set at but it's probably right in the middle of whatever the 12 speeds the Enco mill-drill came with.

I'd like to see pics if anyone gets a roundover or fancy profile bit to work. That would open up so many possibilities.
 
I've done a load of routing on aluminum with chamfer, and roundover bits in just a hand held router. Be prepared for an extreme mess... I've also done some 1/2" plate on my CNC router, and that makes the hand held mess look like nothing...

I've done a little bit of steel with solid carbide spiral up bits on my Linley jig bore when I needed to mill something small. I still haven't come up with a mill that's right for me/my space, so I can't really report on any serious work, but in all cases, the bits have done very well once I managed to get a handle on the feed rate where it cuts well.

Onsrud sells router bits designed for aluminum, and you can get all the speeds/feeds/chip load data from their website. I imagine that might be helpful to someone that actually knew what they were doing with a milling machine in reference to steel as well.

-Tim
 
Yea! That's what I'm talking about. Router bits as toolbits on the lathe! That's information I can use. My chess set just got a bunch easier.

Thanks!
 
Whyemier said:
if someone else did it then maybe I can too,

Whyemier
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I have been doing it for about 5 years now.
At first I was sure I was going to ruin something.

It just worked. I have been using them ever since.
 
I've ripped down 3/8" aluminum sheets on my 10" table saw with a 40 tooth carbide blade. The chips are hot and they fly everywhere but it cuts like butter, and it's quick for rough cutting to fit in the mill. The blade was fine. I used some wd-40 to keep the blade lubed.:))
 
xalky said:
I've ripped down 3/8" aluminum sheets on my 10" table saw with a 40 tooth carbide blade. The chips are hot and they fly everywhere but it cuts like butter, and it's quick for rough cutting to fit in the mill. The blade was fine. I used some wd-40 to keep the blade lubed.:))
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I've cut aluminum with a radial arm saw, but was too chicken to use a tablesaw. My TS is a cabinet saw with an enclosed base that is usually half full of sawdust and with my luck a stray piece of swarf would start the next great wildfire in southern AZ.
 
If you're cutting aluminum with either a table saw, or in particular a radial arm, you might want to consider your blade...

Ideally you want to be running a negative hook angle on the blade for aluminum. Really, it makes a huge difference... Particularly on the RAS. You should be running negative on the RAS anyway for everything to keep it from self feeding. They're a bit of a pain to find, but well worth the effort. I've run 4" x 8" x .25" wall aluminum tube on my 16" RAS doing miters. Its loud, but it cuts like butter, and doesn't throw the head at you. Its actually easier to find the right blade up in that size than a 10". I have settled for a 0 hook angle on my 10" RAS, but then I really avoid aluminum on that saw.

We have also diced up 1/2" alu plate on the vertical panel saw. No problems there either apart from being somewhat unnerving...

We don't mess with any oil or coolant as the machines spend most of their time dealing with wood, and we don't want any transfer of leftovers to the wood. Odds are you're not going to begin to have a problem with heat, the blade spends most of the time out of the material cooling off. Our only issue has been chips sticking to the blade now and again, but that's readily cured by stopping, and knocking the buildup off carefully so you don't chip a tooth.

-Tim
 
Freud makes the Diablo series. Nice stuff typically(they're all I run for my table saws for ripping lumber), and they have a 10" -5 deg hook blade for non-ferrous. I don't really like it because its really thin... Something like .09 or so. That's actually nice if you're running a smaller (low hp) saw as it cuts easier. I don't really like it for aluminum though because the thin kerf blades tend to vibrate/wobble more than a full kerf blade. Once you start to vibrate, you start blowing the sides, and points off the teeth. That doesn't happen quite as much in wood as its a softer material, but in metal its murder.

-Tim
 
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