Thread: Need suggestions for hole cutting in alloy

Originally Posted by colinshannon

Hey Dan, that drill looks pretty good, do you know of anyone who has used one?

Only seen the demo's at the wood shows where they cut heaps of holes through approx 3mm plate.

Originally Posted by Beerbotboffin

................. but I (we) are actually showering downstairs, with with black plastic & a couple of towels for privacy - and the girls are not too impressed...... ....

Oooh mate, you must be copping some serious nagging over this.

Mick

Originally Posted by colinshannon

I do realise it would be much simpler to do the whole operation on the lathe, and would love to find some alloy with oversize OD and undersize ID but just can't! Essentially I am achieving the same thing by using a hole saw, this cuts the hole at 38mm (give or take) then I machine out to 42mm using the lathe, the end result is I've created my own tube - was just hoping there may have been a supplier of tube with a suitable wall thickness (near enough to be machined out). I know I'm never going to get the exact measurement, life couldn't be that easy, but if I could get it as close as possible would make it easier.

Could you obtain two (or more?) tubes, such that the ID of one and the OD of another are suitable, then slide one inside the other using loctite to bind the two together? There may be a need to machine the outside of one tube to obtain a suitable fit inside the other, but if this was possible, you may be able to make useful lengths (350-500mm) from which to make the shorter pieces?

Well I guess the number one issue is the amount of material to be removed, and the amount of parts to remove it from.

If it was me doing it.....

The larger the OD, the more metal there is to remove.

= power, = tool wear = coolant = time & effort.

So I'd go the smallest OD to what you want.

As the pieces are small.

I'd be either using an indexing head with two cutters, or a double cutter. (easy to make up)


And depending upon your tolerances...

And I'd take it close to the required OD and very close to the required ID...

Or I'd machine too size first cut.

Or I'd set it up to do the bulk removal, and run all the parts through with that, and then do the finishing cuts on a second and or third run through of all the parts.

2 boxes...


And I'd start spitting the parts out.

Vaseline is a nice cutting material, but on aluminium and most other things, I now have a personal preference for olive oil, just brushed on, cause it's non toxic it washes off and out of everything with plain soap and water - and if the part is hot enough to smoke badly, your probably off with a proper pumped coolant system and a splash guard anyway.

Anyway... adverstity makes you smarter.