Problem parting aluminum with a mill

I bought some aluminum rounds off eBay & haven't worked with aluminum yet. Most excellent suggestions that I'm sure to be trying myself in the near future!
 
I use auto trans fluid for cutting everything including aluminum. That includes milling, turning, drilling, parting, tapping and threading. It's cheap and it works really well.
 
Ive always had success using kero or watered down metho on aluminium.

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6063 is always gummy. It's an alloy made for forming and as a result is soft. The end mill most likely has begun welding to the aluminum and will never really come off completely. The aluminum will keep sticking. You could use it to cut some steel which will help clean it off. Best to use a new sharp end mill if you are going to continue cutting the 6063.
 
TXShelbyman said:
You suspect right Wreck. It was angle purchased at the local hardware store. My little mill tops out at 1970 rpm and that would be giving her all she's got. I will go up from 1180 and add some cutting fluid. Thanks again!
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Try not to buy aluminum stock that does not have the mill info printed on it as you will have no idea what alloy or condition it is in, often the material that is available in hardware stores for homeowner use is unmarked and is often 6063. One thing that I have noticed in 30+ years in the machining business is that 6063 structural shapes have sharp corners, commercially available shapes almost always have generous radii at the corners but not always.

One of last weeks jobs, drilling the OD of an aluminum disk cut from plate, the mill info is clearly visible, manufacturer, alloy, temper, thickness and heat# in red.
 
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35" OD X 1 1/2" thickness, 135 pounds or so, the tapped hole is for a lifting eye that will greatly ease the lathe operations to follow , fortunately for me I can only swing 34" so it is being farmed out to another shop with a HBM.
 
markba633csi said:
ImPRESSive drill press you got there
Mark S.
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Thanks, unpleasant would be a better description however, it is frightening in many ways.

Not intimidated by old machines so I have that going for me, we have an old Morrison Keyseater that causes a feeling of dread every time I have to run a job with it.
 
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