Sparkly!

Post date: Oct 26, 2013 7:40:50 PM

I finally got around to testing my machine's aluminum-milling capabilities, and capable it appears to be. The "sparkly" in the title refers to all the tiny flecks of aluminum that got over just about everything during making the following cuts...

I basically just milled out a nut holder from a chunk of scrap aluminum. I'll be milling one of greater depth when I install my new leadscrews anyway, so it seemed like as good a test as any (after the straight-line "will this even possibly work" test seen on the right).

Milling was done under the following conditions:

• ~5k RPM spindle speed
• 6 IPM milling speed
• 3 IPM plunge speed
• 1/8", 2-flute end mill
• 0.02" cut depth

The machine didn't seem to bog down at all, and the bit and work piece seemed cool when I touched them as soon as I safely could after milling had finished. I got a little bit of patterning during the cutting of overlapping paths, meaning my spindle isn't quite perpendicular to the milling surface. It's pretty darn close, though.