How do I make this cut...

[Sean S]

..on a vertical mill?
If this is a 3X5 inch aluminum block that is 1 inch high and the round "trough" is what I need to cut (1/2" deep), what tooling should I use?
Seems like a long way for a fly cutter to go.
Probably a job for a shaper, but I don't have one.

Ideas?
Thanks
Sean



[This message has been edited by Sean S (edited 12-23-2000).]

 

[D. Thomas]

Believe it or not, the easiest way to do that would be on a tablesaw. Clamp a temporary fence at a diagonal to the blade and feed the aluminum over while gradually raising the blade a little more with each pass till you get the cove amount you want. Do a test piece in scrap wood first and obviously use a push block for saftey. When cutting the aluminum better results would occur by using a solid stick lubricant on the blade teeth also.

 

[Sean S]

Cove it eh?
Now why didn't I think of that?

Any reason not to cove it with a saw on the mill?
(after all this, my wife will kill me if I tell her I need a table saw so I can cut aluminum)

Cheers!
Sean

 

[Pat McGuirk]

Hi Sean,
I am including a sheet we used at work for cutting radii like you are trying to cut:

To clarify, you tilt your bridgeport head along the axis of the cut you are making -the illustration looks wrong. I have used this and it does work well. If you have questions, email, I'll be glad to help.
Pat