aluminum end mill, wet or dry? what coating? what supplier?

[wheelieking71]

yep its just 6061.
tried to increase it to 4000 and just destroyed it even faster on the first step down.
its a bright polished end mill and 45 degree helix and sharp corner, might switch to a 0.030rad if i can.
had it plunge at first, ya got about half way, clogged up and snapped it off in the holder.

A little WD40 will help a lot if coolant is not an option. Something is a must (as you are figuring out).
You have to keep the tool wet with something that has at least a little lubricity.
You can even mix up some coolant, and put it in a squirt bottle. Then stand there and keep spraying.
It will make all the difference in the world. To the point that your cutting parameters really don't even matter.

 

[apoet]

Is your toolpath zigzag ramping, or is it taking a plunge stepdown at the end of the slot?

 

[BT Fabrication]

Is your toolpath smoothly ramping, or is it taking a stepdown at the end of the slot?

Smooth ramp as i watch it.

 

[BT Fabrication]

just striving for equal treatment for everyone

Calm down. Sounds like you still have a grudge and don’t need to turn things into a pissing contest.
Already past it, you should also.
You have an issue then pm me like a mature adult.

 

[triumph406]

I use YG-1 Alu-Power end mills, about the best there is and can be had cheaply off of ebay.

I'd plunge in first. I typically would run at 7000rpm and 70ipm, plunge at maybe 10ipm (not a production environment here so no need to break the sound barrier)

Works best flooded. A mister might work in a pinch. As long as you don't mind breathing in the mist.

 

[empower]

Calm down. Sounds like you still have a grudge and don’t need to turn things into a pissing contest.
Already past it, you should also.
You have an issue then pm me like a mature adult.

i've said my piece. just giving you a taste of your own medicine, if you're gonna make ASSumptions, then so will i. i'm moving on now.

 

[triumph406]

Can you drill a starter hole?

 

[Goff]

Coolant is best, but if you cannot get your coolant running, another option is using a spray bottle with WD40, Kerosene, maybe even diesel.
If you are running high volume production, this isn't practical. But for small runs it works.

 

[LOTT]

Get one of these air venturi systems and use the KoolMist coolant until your flood system is fixed.

Kool Mist - Kool Mist Lite Duty Coolant System Spray Mist Coolant Systems, Mill Coolant, Tool Coolant, Lathe Coolant, Machining Coolant

Call 562 246 0949 - Kool Mist manufactures portable spray mist cooling systems ideal for Mill Coolant, tool Coolant, Lathe Coolant, Machining Coolant, and mill coolant for parts made from metal, wood, plastic and fiberglass. The Kool Mist system removes heat, allows improved quality control...

koolmist.com

There's cheap eBay versions that work also.

Just fill a bucket with the KoolMist and water mix, it's made for being sprayed and will be way nicer than Kerosene or diesel (any port in a storm, and I've used ATF as cutting fluid, but spraying diesel into your mill would be gross).

Also, can you use a smaller end mill and a trichoidal tool path? That gives the chips a better chance to escape.

 

[Pattnmaker]

I have cut a fair bit of 6061 with a really light duty machine with just mql an what seemed to work best for me was high rpm high feed with a really small radial engagement. I usually spiral ramped.

That said I am so much happier now using flood on a heavier machine. But I don't have a 5'x10' table on the flood Coolant machine.

 

[BT Fabrication]

I use YG-1 Alu-Power end mills, about the best there is and can be had cheaply off of ebay.

I'd plunge in first. I typically would run at 7000rpm and 70ipm, plunge at maybe 10ipm (not a production environment here so no need to break the sound barrier)

Works best flooded. A mister might work in a pinch. As long as you don't mind breathing in the mist.

was the alu power bare polished or the DLC coated?

 

[BT Fabrication]

Can you drill a starter hole?

I can, would just need to redo the whole section of program. always an option.

 

[BT Fabrication]

Get one of these air venturi systems and use the KoolMist coolant until your flood system is fixed.

Kool Mist - Kool Mist Lite Duty Coolant System Spray Mist Coolant Systems, Mill Coolant, Tool Coolant, Lathe Coolant, Machining Coolant

Call 562 246 0949 - Kool Mist manufactures portable spray mist cooling systems ideal for Mill Coolant, tool Coolant, Lathe Coolant, Machining Coolant, and mill coolant for parts made from metal, wood, plastic and fiberglass. The Kool Mist system removes heat, allows improved quality control...

koolmist.com

There's cheap eBay versions that work also.

Just fill a bucket with the KoolMist and water mix, it's made for being sprayed and will be way nicer than Kerosene or diesel (any port in a storm, and I've used ATF as cutting fluid, but spraying diesel into your mill would be gross).

Also, can you use a smaller end mill and a trichoidal tool path? That gives the chips a better chance to escape.

yep, tried to have the coolant i use in the machines in a hand held spray bottle, but the high rpms just fling chips and the coolant out of the cut. I have increased the ratio in it also from the 5-6% up to 8-9%
had a long air blower in there as it cuts and works better but was still breaking end mills on this run of parts. Thankfully I'm almost done this 50 pc with only one part casualty, that can be fixed and might have a bit of carbide embedded in it.
normally there is coolant on this 32"x24" vmc center but waiting for parts sucks and ran these parts before without issues, same program and everything when i get them every 6 months.

 

[Mtndew]

If you're unable to use coolant, then you need to cut the 6061 in a way where the heat stays in the chip. Cutting dry and having the part get warm is what makes it stick to the cutter. So light stepovers and fast feeds. Much faster than what you stated in your OP.

 

[Blaser Swisslube]

yep, tried to have the coolant i use in the machines in a hand held spray bottle, but the high rpms just fling chips and the coolant out of the cut. I have increased the ratio in it also from the 5-6% up to 8-9%
had a long air blower in there as it cuts and works better but was still breaking end mills on this run of parts. Thankfully I'm almost done this 50 pc with only one part casualty, that can be fixed and might have a bit of carbide embedded in it.
normally there is coolant on this 32"x24" vmc center but waiting for parts sucks and ran these parts before without issues, same program and everything when i get them every 6 months.

That's some creative thinking using the hand held spray bottle! We were going to say something similar: to us a MQL (some call it a "mist" minimum quantity lubrication) if a flood coolant isn't available, but glad to hear you're almost done.

 

[BT Fabrication]

If you're unable to use coolant, then you need to cut the 6061 in a way where the heat stays in the chip. Cutting dry and having the part get warm is what makes it stick to the cutter. So light stepovers and fast feeds. Much faster than what you stated in your OP.

yep, the external cutting is working just fine on the same part, and the same cutter helical interpolating a hole is working perfectly fine. its just the damn slotting.
the external milling is a 1/2" 3 flute DLC coated widin same end mill, just running 6600rpm at 103.2IPM and its crushing it, no lube, no air needed.

 

[triumph406]

was the alu power bare polished or the DLC coated?

Bare polished. For Aluminum haven't seen the point of the coatings as the polished Alu-Powers can last a year or more. They get crashed long before they wear out typically.

 

[Mtndew]

its just the damn slotting.

One thing you could try is to switch to a 2 flute end mill for slotting.

 

[BT Fabrication]

One thing you could try is to switch to a 2 flute end mill for slotting.

yes that was my other option of ordering new end mills in a 2 flute, had a regular coated 2 flute but seen the aluminum sheen on it after one part and BUE was bad on it. cut with more chatter then i was liking overall and had to drop rpms down to about 2200 and 8 or so ipm.
had my tooling rep in and he was going to ask a local shop what they had been doing, said they were running dry on aluminum but wasn't sure what grade.

 

[rk9268vc]

YG alupower 3 flute 37 degree helix diamond coated carbide endmills are where the money is at.
Use WD-40 mist if you cant run flood
even standing there with a spray can of WD-40 will be way better than running dry