Counterboring in aluminum on lathe with live tooling

Tungsten Carbide · Jul 21, 2021

Has anyone else had problems counterboring aluminum? The counterbore tool broke. When I tried an endmill (3000 rpm, 6 ipm), chips welded together and jammed up. It's a simple 15mm CB 8.1mm deep. Maybe flat-bottom drills? I rarely work with aluminum and I am starting to feel like an idiot.

Gene

D Nelson · Jul 21, 2021

Do you have coolant on it
Don

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broke · Jul 21, 2021

Coolant or cutting oil is important. Are you circle interpolating the hole or plunging it? Not to be rude but it's like the easiest material to work with.

If it's some sort of 6063 it's more prone to being gummy but a good tool and coolant will take care of your issue.

BobM3 · Jul 21, 2021

If you don't want to use coolant there are some materials that tend to clog less - TiCN coated carbide works fairly well dry.

TeachMePlease · Jul 22, 2021

BobM3 said:
If you don't want to use coolant there are some materials that tend to clog less - TiCN coated carbide works fairly well dry.

Zrn coated endmills also work dry.

litlerob1 · Jul 22, 2021

I know this seems like a very non-conventional way to do it, since you have Live Tools. Have you considered using a Boring Bar?

R

DouglasJRizzo · Jul 22, 2021

litlerob1 said:
I know this seems like a very non-conventional way to do it, since you have Live Tools. Have you considered using a Boring Bar?

R

Exactly. I have these fine boring bars from Kaiser Thinbit that work great in this kind of application.

Tungsten Carbide · Jul 22, 2021

litlerob1 said:
I know this seems like a very non-conventional way to do it, since you have Live Tools. Have you considered using a Boring Bar?

R

In an adjustable boring head? I've never used one in the lathe, only the Bridgeport and the radial drill. I'm not sure it's worth messing around to set the size for the 3 parts I have left. Plus, I don't think I have a small enough boring head.

Tungsten Carbide · Jul 22, 2021

D Nelson said:
Do you have coolant on it
Don

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Not thru tool, just flood (and it is not easy to aim it properly).

TeachMePlease · Jul 22, 2021

Tungsten Carbide said:
Not thru tool, just flood (and it is not easy to aim it properly).

Might I suggest you check these guys out to solve that problem?

Home - QPM Products

KENMASTERS · Jul 22, 2021

Tungsten Carbide said:
Has anyone else had problems counterboring aluminum? The counterbore tool broke. When I tried an endmill (3000 rpm, 6 ipm), chips welded together and jammed up. It's a simple 15mm CB 8.1mm deep. Maybe flat-bottom drills? I rarely work with aluminum and I am starting to feel like an idiot.

Gene

3000 rpm's too high? I usually do below 1200.

TeachMePlease · Jul 22, 2021

KENMASTERS said:
3000 rpm's too high? I usually do below 1200.

That would be less than 200SFM...

What's your cutter material? Cheese?

Ox · Jul 22, 2021

Just doo to the nature of the cut (this is an endmill c/b a drilled hole - eh?) if the live toy has any wear in the bearings - at that speed, it would likely turn to a chattery nightmare, and blow the tool.

This aint the same as interping.

I too would drop down to 1000rpm, but I would prolly leave the feed where you have it. (IPM)

---------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

upthebikes · Jul 23, 2021

Sometimes it’s a “duh” moment … is your c-axis brake mcode present in the program prior to the counterbore cycle? Speaking from experience here because duh, yeah I did that and pop went the em.

DMSentra · Jul 23, 2021

TeachMePlease said:
Might I suggest you check these guys out to solve that problem?

Home - QPM Products

Bit of a side note, have you dealt with them before? They told me I had to go through a distributor and I gave up when MSC quote me 175% of what qpm quoted.

TeachMePlease · Jul 26, 2021

DMSentra said:
Bit of a side note, have you dealt with them before? They told me I had to go through a distributor and I gave up when MSC quote me 175% of what qpm quoted.

Not directly, I buy through a distributor and I'm quite happy with the product. Sadly, I don't think either of the guys I buy through covers your area, or I'd give you a contact.

Tungsten Carbide · Jul 27, 2021

Thanks for all the input. A flat bottom Allied TA drill and a better coolant nozzle got it done. I guess they clear the chips better than plunging a 4 flute endmill.

-Gene

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