Machining magnesium - some generally useful information

Milland · Feb 11, 2020

Hi all,
I've done a fair bit of Mg machining, but am always looking for more tips on it. I stumbled across a site that seems to have a number of good pages on it, so I thought I'd share a few:

Cutting:

https://www.luxfermeltechnologies.c...nologies-DS-254-Machining-Magnesium-ST1-1.pdf

After machining:

https://www.luxfermeltechnologies.c...s-DS-254.2.2-Machining-Magnesium-2.2-S.._.pdf

There's more on the site, including how they make purposely corroding alloys for a variety of uses - interesting stuff! [For nerds - not that there's anything wrong with that...]

Gordon Heaton · Feb 11, 2020

That is good, concise info. Thanks.

EmGo · Feb 11, 2020

Milland said:
Hi all,
I've done a fair bit of Mg machining, but am always looking for more tips on it. I stumbled across a site that seems to have a number of good pages on it, so I thought I'd share a few:

Cutting:

https://www.luxfermeltechnologies.c...nologies-DS-254-Machining-Magnesium-ST1-1.pdf

This seems to be oriented to high volumes ? I am pretty happy with hss, it's easier to get the tool really sharp and put a big radius on the corner. They don't mention the big gotcha in engine lathe work - turning a diameter is fine but when you get to a corner and stop, you get a long thin string that catches fire instantly. There's no way around it. If there's any chips on the ways or pan, uh-oh.

Never had a problem milling but hate turning, for that reason. All my parts have corners.

Get used to little fires, try to avoid big ones

Milland · Feb 11, 2020

Huh - never had a problem with ribbon fire at shoulders. I did keep SFM down, and used sharp tooling (Al-specific inserts or ground HSS), but this was sciencey-work, not production, so I wasn't under pressure to pump the stuff out.

EmGo · Feb 11, 2020

Milland said:
Huh - never had a problem with ribbon fire at shoulders.

You've got faster hands

I did keep SFM down,

Yeah, these were 10" diameter parts so mea culpa, coulda dropped the speed some. But it's such a temptation to go fast, mag cuts better than butter.

9100 · Feb 12, 2020

Many years ago some kids in The Rolla School of Mines turned a bar into shavings enough to fill an automobile, stuffed it in a junk car, towed it into the center of town, and lit it. Back then the firefighters were not so well versed in coping with this sort of thing and they turned a hose on it. Hoo Haa.

Bill

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Machining magnesium - some generally useful information

Milland

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Gordon Heaton

Titanium

EmGo

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Milland

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EmGo

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9100

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