Can a wood router cut aluminium?

[chinsettawong]

Has anybody tried to cut aluminium using a wood router? What kind of router head should be used and what feed rate speed is suitable?

[joakim]

Hi, im new at this and i didnt build a machine, yet.

As far as i know, you need high speed. 28.000 rpm or something like that.
And you also need cooling liquid, alcohol... so i guess a wood router is not
the best to use.

But maybe im wrong, if somone else has a different opinion i'd also like to know.

[Guldberg]

The other way around, you commenly need lower speed than a router will give you. But yes, at the lowest setting, usually around 10-14k rpm it can be done, just take small cuts, a step depth at 0.3mm and a feedrate 800-1000mm/min

[martinw]

Originally Posted by chinsettawong Has anybody tried to cut aluminium using a wood router? What kind of router head should be used and what feed rate speed is suitable?

Dear chinsettawong,

I have used a standard hand-held wood router on aluminium. Here in the UK, a company called Trend make a range of router cutters suitable for aluminium. The cutters are either tungsten carbide tipped, solid carbide, or a special type of high speed steel. There are cutters for slotting, grooving, profiling and surface milling.

I've used 18mm diameter surface milling cutters at about 18000 rpm, and small
diameter profiling cutters at about 15000rpm.

When surface milling, take really shallow depth cuts, say 0.15 mm. When profiling also take very light cuts. For a cutting compound, I use a paste wax. The advantage of paste wax over liquids is that you do not get sprayed when working.

Please use eye protection. A bit of aluminium swarf in your eye hurts. I know!

Good luck

Martin

[chinsettawong]

Thanks for the replies. I am using a 30,000 rpm Makita router. I will try to cut following your advices.

[jsage]

Nice router, sounds like you might need to modify the router to allow variable speed (seen it mentioned on the site). Just a guess but the slower speed will keep the softer aluminum from getting a bit gummy from the friction. Carbide might lessen the problem. I've ground aluminum and it can get a bit sloppy.

[ger21]

www.onsrud.com as a full line of router bits for cutting aluminum.

[LeeWay]

Not all aluminum nor all routers are created equally. I cut aluminum of different types all the time. The 5000 series stuff while hard, it gummy and requires more lube. I usually just rub candle wax when I do it by hand. In my CNC router, I often cut 6000 series stuff using W-D 40 every so often and I use a router speed controller to reduce the speed just a tad. Probably running down around 12 to 14 thousand rpm. Solid carbide are the best. They will last the longest and are very heat tolerable. You don't actually need a mister or pump. Just keep it lubed up and you will have good results. If you know what you are buying, you can buy the easy machining stuff. It's normally also the best priced depending...

[routerman]

My Larken router cuts aluminum real good. I run a 1/4" carbide cutter at 16000 rpm. I run at about 30" per min and I've cut up to 1/2" plate, usually about .18" per pass with a mister.
I get a very good edge finish. But you need to cut 6061 grade.

[simso]

I've cut all'y with the cnc router, trick is as low rpm as you can go and shallow passess. I have a Industrial mill at home as well and it turns at about 600rpm, when you go faster the flutes tend to gum up by the ally melting and not clearing properly. If you run a stream of coolant on the mill you can cut depths of about 13mm per pass, without coolant about 4mm per pass. On the router about .5mm per pass with wd40 as lube.
So Low speed, Shallow passes and lube is your answer
Steve

[SCHootie]

What would be the minimum HP rating of the router to be used for Al.

[braidmeister]

I made this double sided impeller for a friend on my router. Toolpaths generated in ArtCAM Pro. ShopBot Alpha with 5hp Columbo spindle. Standard carbide endmills. Compressed air cooling.

-B