Turning cutting speed for Al

**bwal74** · 7th September 2012, 03:39 PM

Hi,

Read this post the other day and interestingly enough I had to turn some alum.

A bit of a story though, the end user ordered 3 ft at 5" Diam, we received 3 metres at 130mm of high grade aircraft aluminium. So I can cut 2 of the required pieces which are approx 25mm thick by 108mm Diam. A lot of left over.

The 3 metre length will explain the first photo.

The other photo's just show what I'm up to. Cut using carbide insert, between 3mm DOC and 0.10mm DOC finish wasn't too bad. Cut Diam down to 107.90mm and that's as far as I got as the diagram is wrong. Hopefully get sorted out by Monday (Poets day today). Cut at 325 rpm and can't remember the feed rate but was pretty slow. Used oil based coolant.

I hadn't used a fixed steady for some time. Scared myself half to death on the first cut as I had the fingers too tight. Sounded terrible.

Cheers Ben

**Bryan** · 7th September 2012, 04:05 PM

Sorry Ben, if you can't be bothered rotating your photos I can't be bothered looking at them.

**jack620** · 7th September 2012, 06:01 PM

So much grumpiness in the world.

Ben, Happy Poets Day! Did you really cut it by hand with a hacksaw?

**QC Inspector** · 7th September 2012, 07:59 PM

For those that use iPhones there are a number of free Apps, and some you pay,

for that calculate cutting speeds, feeds etc., for many materials along with other useful machining information.

Pete

**Bryan** · 8th September 2012, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by jack620

So much grumpiness in the world.

No that was my helpful side. If I was grumpy I would have said nothing.

**bwal74** · 8th September 2012, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by jack620

So much grumpiness in the world.

Ben, Happy Poets Day! Did you really cut it by hand with a hacksaw?

Hi,

Sorry about the photo's being the wrong way, straight off the phone and posted a couple of hours before going to the hospital for son number 4's grand entrance this morning.

Yep, cut pretty much all of it with the hacksaw (well most of it - used a 125mm grinder around it first). Hoisted it onto the cold saw with the outer jaws removed but still didn't fit and the bandsaw is broken at the moment (not sure if it would cut that thick anyway).

Cheers Ben

**Bryan** · 8th September 2012, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by bwal74

Sorry about the photo's being the wrong way, straight off the phone and posted a couple of hours before going to the hospital for son number 4's grand entrance this morning.

Congratulations. Hope all are well.

**bwal74** · 17th September 2012, 06:05 PM

Hi,

Back at work today. Started where I finished off two weeks ago. Drawing wrong, so had to start again (drawing and actual pieces wanted not even close!).
Anyway I used the fixed steady, something I haven't used for sometime, with some problems (noise and workpiece coming loose - nothing happened but scary enough).
Pipeclay gave me some suggestions such as using a live centre and cutting a bearing path for the fixed steady. Really worked a treat, something I totally forgot. A lot less noise and running much smoother. Thanks Pipeclay.

Cheers Ben

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