A36 Plate Scale Removal

I

Iceman

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Any tips.

HSS tool in a fly cutter is obviously not going to work. The A36 actually altered the tool profile essentially upon contact. So wrapped around this soft machinable steel is some sort of mithril/adamantium/unobtanium.

I'm guessing this is carbon scale from the hot rolling process.

It's what I have to make a 12x12x1"(ish)" thick tooling plate. The thickness will end up being the thickness of the plate minus this scale.

Is the best way to do this with a flycutter with a carbide tool. I used a solid carbide roughing end mill for the sides and it worked like a champ.

-IM
 
Iceman said:
Any tips.

HSS tool in a fly cutter is obviously not going to work. The A36 actually altered the tool profile essentially upon contact. So wrapped around this soft machinable steel is some sort of mithril/adamantium/unobtanium.

I'm guessing this is carbon scale from the hot rolling process.

It's what I have to make a 12x12x1"(ish)" thick tooling plate. The thickness will end up being the thickness of the plate minus this scale.

Is the best way to do this with a flycutter with a carbide tool. I used a solid carbide roughing end mill for the sides and it worked like a champ.

-IM
Click to expand...
Mill scale is iron oxides, not carbon. You can remove it with pretty much any rust removal method. Hydrochloric acid is fastest. You can usually machine it off with HSS as long as you take a deep enough cut to get under it.
 
If a file will cut it HSS should. I would experiment with tool geometry.
 
I would get at it with a 4" grinder and then fly cut it

Cheers Phil
 
I'ed try a hand belt sander, plate secure to somthing, or acid
 
TakeDeadAim said:
If a file will cut it HSS should. I would experiment with tool geometry.
Click to expand...
The mill scale is harder than the file but is brittle. While a file will flake away the scale and cut the steel underneath, it dulls fairly quickly. I usually remove the scale by chemical stripping or abrasion before milling or turning.
 
Agreed. Mill scale is tough on cutting tools. I have a small HF blast cabinet that I use to remove the scale.

Tom S.
 
It's pickling in diluted vinegar - it's probably 6 cups of vinegar and 5 gallons of water. Tastes slightly acidic so hopefully it's enough to do the job.

image.jpeg
 
I have some good files and it wouldn't even touch the top scale. Worked for deburrig the edges. But not the mill scale.
 
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