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#1
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After milling with it for some time, I liked the way it was so straight, and rigid. My home-made cnc machine became destroyed, because it was originally made from MDF and the water-soluable oil penetrated it and destroyed it. I recently rebuilt my cnc machine frame using 5/8 Phenolic. It appears sturdy, straight, rigid, and am pretty psyched to get it back together again. I was wondering if anyone had experience with this stuff, and know if there is anything I need to avoid it around or whatever, because it feels indestructible to me and I dont want to ruin all this work to find out that wd-40 will disindigrate it, or something common like motor oil.
__________________ WWW.RAIDGEAR.NET - FFC cables, foam headset replacement parts, and other gadgets. |
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#2
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| phenolic is pretty tough stuff. my company used phenolic resin to make some navy ship doors. i am pretty sure that navy ship doors take a beating so it should be fine. if you were worried you could take a scrap and soak it in whatever it might be exposed to. soaking in solvents i wouldn't think would be good for it but oils and incidental solvent contact i wouldn't think would hurt it. Matt |
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#3
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| There Are Two Types Of Phenolic One Which Is Made From Sheet Bonded Togher And The Other From A Resin The One That Made Of Sheet Can Crack If Heave Impact Occurs Much Like Fiberglass As For Oils I Know Of Nothing That Shuold Harm It Pretty Tough Stuff That Why It A Great Electrical Insultaning Materail And Is Used For Many Aplication |
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#4
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| Thanks for advice guys. I've been making stuff with this for a couple months now, and really like the way it stays so straight, rigid - and unlike aluminum; which does tend to flex, leaves terrible shards and fileings all over the place that seem to gravitate in my fingers every time I touch something. When I drill, mill, shape or cut phenolic - it just seems to peal off nice and easy, clump together and fall to the floor in a harmless sweapable swarf. I am sure this stuff will definately crack before it bends. Like concrete with re/bar laced it it, feels strong as diamonds and straight as an arrow. I know there is a bunch of different types; some have more dense and more fine fibers layored. I tell you, its a good think the scrap yard down the street stocks the stuff because I definately can not afford to buy this new in a sheet, I looked up the prices and it's not cheap.
__________________ WWW.RAIDGEAR.NET - FFC cables, foam headset replacement parts, and other gadgets. |
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#6
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| The dust builds up when it starts cutting. At first I was using air pressure, and agree- the dust fills the air pretty quick (amoung other things - like anything that has a ball-bearing with oil, collects the dust around it). So then I started wearing a face-mask. The bearings and other things around started collecting the fine dust which is not good, so then I started using coolant - just to colsolidate that mess to where it's supposed to be. I believe the coolant is better for the bits, as well because I can see it getting tarnished from heat.
__________________ WWW.RAIDGEAR.NET - FFC cables, foam headset replacement parts, and other gadgets. |
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#7
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| I'm curious what kinds of tooling you're using to cut phenolic. I have a really nice sheet of 3/4" thick glass-reinforced phenolic, but cutting it with common woodworking tools like carbide-tipped sawblades very quickly wears down the tools. I'd really like to use it for parts on my next CNC machine, but I'm worried I'll just waste a bunch of endmills trying to mill it. Got any advice? Thanks! |
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#9
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| The fiberglass reinforced stuff is brutal on tools. Onsrud (and others) make tools specifically for cutting that stuff.
__________________ Gerry Mach3 2010 Screenset http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/2010.html (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management) |
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#11
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| The best tools I found for cutting this type of stuff are PCD (polycrystalline diamond) endmills. Search eBay for them. Onsrud currently has PCD SERF routers, which I use, for about 80% off list. I've also bought PCD endmills made by RobbJack and Exactaform for the same type of discounts. Even found a PCD drill bit. The next best are solid carbide 'burr' endmills, though they look like a burr, there are actually edged flutes which grind the material away. I use PCD in this video: |
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#12
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