Machining some chunks of 6061

[AUSTINMACHINING]

Had a job requiring some large(for me) chunks of aluminum. Stock was 9" diameter x ~3.1" thick, 19 lbs. I wanted to come up with a process that wouldn't take forever on such a small mill. I also needed a tool that could stick out > 3.5" from the spindle face without chattering like crazy. Thought I'd share this. I got a 3/4" clamp collar from mcmaster carr to clam directly on a 3/4" shank tool (iv'e done this before, but not on a tool this long). I wanted to use a 3/4" tool to increase rigidity sticking that far out. The tool is a .787" diameter,3/4" shank ABtools shear hog single flute cutter with a 6" long shank cut down to 5". I found the happy place for cutting parameters was around 2.95 cu"/.min. .1" DOC .59" WOC 50"/min. You can certainly push this tool harder, but at that length of stick out this seems to be the sweet spot where I can walk away(this tool is really loud) and let her rip. I bored the I.D. for a sleeve bearing. The interior mating part, I left .003" stock from roughing with the shear hog and used an extended reach 1/2" end mill to finish the walls. Came out great, now I gotta make 3 more.




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[mklotz70]

Very cool. Was the clamp collar used to make the shear hog into a pseudo-TTS tool? What rpms were you running the shear hog at with that doc/woc? Thanks!

[AUSTINMACHINING]

Very cool. Was the clamp collar used to make the shear hog into a pseudo-TTS tool? What rpms were you running the shear hog at with that doc/woc? Thanks!

Yes,
The collar provides a stop to meet the face of the spindle. It also provides a short guage length to minimize stickout. It also allows you to adjust the length of the tool. You can choke up on the tool if you don't need to cut deep.

My cutting parameters were 6000rpm, .1" deep, .59" wide and 50 IPM.

[mklotz70]

Thanks! It was the rpms I was missing.

[keithmcelhinney]

This seems crazy to me . 1"doc, .59"woc at 50ipm? I can bog my spindle at .5"doc, .1"woc at 40ipm with a 2 flute 3/8" HSS. I am assuming .059 woc and still seems like a lot!

-Keith

[SCzEngrgGroup]

This seems crazy to me . 1"doc, .59"woc at 50ipm? I can bog my spindle at .5"doc, .1"woc at 40ipm with a 2 flute 3/8" HSS. I am assuming .059 woc and still seems like a lot!

-Keith

0.1" DOC

Regards,
Ray L.

[keithmcelhinney]

My eyes are going...