Aluminum Substitue

[turbo2ltr]

I searched on here for a substitute for aluminum for testing programs and found a couple possibilities:

Delrin: machines well (though has it's quirks) pretty much the same price as aluminum, if not more
Machinable wax: Much cheaper than aluminum, and recyclable, if you are willing to do the extra work.
Syrofoam insulation (blueboard): very cheap, messy, and not that accurate.

I went to lowes to find something else and came up with Trex. I searched here and there are people talking about it, but not in the context of an aluminum substitute. This is the "Fake wood" for outdoor decks. Its a composite of wood and plastic. It's very dense and machines quite well. Lowes had a 1"x6"x12' plank for $30. The downside is the limited sizes it comes in.

http://www.trex.com

I'm running a part on it now and it looks very good.

Just wanted to share so people searching for aluminum substitute come across this.

[Delw]

DONT run WOOD or WOOD composits in your machine it trashes the ways along with soaking up all the WAY lube

[turbo2ltr]

Too late.

[Kipper]

Originally Posted by turbo2ltr Too late.

ROFL Use the mill to make a router and knock the snot out of that stuff! .....Is that the "woodgrain" on the upper edge?

[turbo2ltr]

Originally Posted by Kipper ....Is that the "woodgrain" on the upper edge?

Yessir.

[Kipper]

Originally Posted by turbo2ltr Yessir.

I wonder if that would be "sealable" better than MDF ....MDF bubbles out air for a while when pouring Vinamold on it... And I'm too tight to use Silicone

[FandZ]

Originally Posted by Kipper I wonder if that would be "sealable" better than MDF ....MDF bubbles out air for a while when pouring Vinamold on it... And I'm too tight to use Silicone

I love that stuff.

It's more plastic than wood and you don't have to seal it. It reminds me of HDPE. It's very sturdy. A lot stronger than MDF. The best part of it is when you route it you don't have to worry about airborne particles like with MDF since it's so heavy.

[SRT Mike]

Originally Posted by FandZ I love that stuff. It's more plastic than wood and you don't have to seal it. It reminds me of HDPE. It's very sturdy. A lot stronger than MDF. The best part of it is when you route it you don't have to worry about airborne particles like with MDF since it's so heavy.

I thought that stuff *was* just HPDE? Or some sort of Polyethylene, at least.

[FandZ]

Originally Posted by SRT Mike I thought that stuff *was* just HPDE? Or some sort of Polyethylene, at least.

No there is all sorts of recycled material in it. I've even seen specs of what I believe is aluminum.

Here's some links from their site.
http://www.trex.com/suppliers/plastic.aspx
http://www.trex.com/suppliers/wood.aspx
http://www.trex.com/whytrex/whatistrex.aspx

[amishx64]

I am currently using Verdanda decking as the base of my CNC machine, which you WILL be able to see in my build log (signature, below) as soon as I update the dang thing.

It is a mix of HDPE and misc wood pieces. It is very strong, won't warp due to weather, but also absorbs things like oil. It will bend if it is kept in the same position for a long time. Good news is that it bends right back.

I wouldn't necessarily call it a substitute for Aluminum, but it is very easy to machine, drill, screw, and exhibits strength close to aluminum's.

What I would call it is a necessary replacement for MDF. That @$#% sucks so bad. I had a heck of a time trying to do a first build with MDF and I wasted soooo much time with that worthless material.