Fly cutting with Atlas milling attachment

[calstar]

Anyone milling aluminum with a fly cutter on an Atlas milling attachment? If not being done why not?

thanks, Brian

 

[Dranreb]

Hi Brian, I've fly cut ally using a Myford (similar to the Atlas one) milling attachment on my Atlas, the main thing to remember is to take it easy with a small sharp tool, and due to the less that perfect rigidity, tighten all gibs and lock the carriage.

Best to not pull the work towards you (start cutting from the rear) and set the height neutral to avoid a 'climb cut', any slack in the cross slide screw may cause some unwanted excitement, so care is needed to avoid this happening.

I found it best to fit a faceplate to the spindle and make up a fly cutter attached to that, doing this will allow you to set the cutter with enough throw to cut the entire workpiece without getting an annoying secondary cut and chatter as the tool strikes upwards at the rear of the piece.

Depending on your lathe wear the bull gear locking pin may clank alarmingly, hard to avoid I'm afraid.

Getting a good finish is fairly easy, getting absolute accuracy when trying to get two side parallel, on larger pieces is a lot harder ..

My faceplate mounted fly cutter, not pretty but it works for me...



Hope all this makes sense...

Bernard