What is the most unusual material that you have machined?

[homebrewed]

A YAG can evaporate a lot of stuff!!
Spajo

Well, it depends on what the material is. I tried marking some tools I personally had bought to use in the lab (the machine S/W included the ability to write characters) but I had to really mess with the laser parameters to actually write something on the steel. Black thermoset epoxy is easy compared to highly reflective metal!

 

[whitmore]

For a few years, I worked in a lab doing science work; we machined pyrophyllite
on a Maximat lathe in our closet, that rarely cut anything else. It's a kind of machinable limestone,
works about like slate, but doesn't have layers for cleavage.

There was a full shop available, too, but other users wouldn't have appreciated the
rock dust.

 

[Ecosta777]

Walrus tusk. My boss wanted to make a pen holder, I don't think he trusted himself to do it, so he asked me.

No way to clamp it, so it's literally just being held by modelling clay. It was very easy to machine, but I went very slow. I think he ended up putting some kind of hardware in the pocket that held the pen.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[pontiac428]

I worked at a shop that made bike, wheelchair, and slot machine parts for their primary clients. They used a lot of G10 glass laminate phenolic material for parts. The swarf looked like downy horsehair, but was made of ground and sliced glass. 50% stock removal was typical for these parts, so those little piles and clumps of angel hair needles were caked to everything. Yeesh. It was easy to machine because the material was so consistent, you could predict tool wear cycle-to-cycle. And did it ever wear tools. Not super-exotic, just unusual.

 

[RJSakowski]

I haven't done it myself but Tormach had a video of carving pumpkins on a CNC mill.

 

[RJSakowski]

The most exotic material that I have machined was Solid Water. Solid Water is an epoxy composite made by the company that I used to work for. It has radiation absorption characteristics designed to match those of water and used to calibrate therapeutic x ray machines prior to running cancer patients.

We rejected tons of the material because it didn't meet spec and I have a small inventory. I use it for projects where I need some bulk but strength isn't a great issue. One of the materials used in the composite was finely ground calcium carbonate which took a toll on HSS tooling. Otherwise, it machines well. The holder for the tablet for my TouchDRO on the lathe is made from it.

 

[Lo-Fi]

I saw a chainsaw on a full size 5 axis scara robot yesterday.... Either very cool or utterly scary, depending on your point of view!

 

[Jimsehr]

I made some big pulleys out of Corian cut out drops from Counter tops. About 12 inch dia. Bought at thrift store.