Milling a Chromed Crowsfoot

L

Lowkey5

Plastic

Joined

May 29, 2020

• Jun 25, 2020

• #1

I am a novice machinist using a Jet JMD-15 Milling/Drilling machine (I realize this is a fairly light duty machine). I need to mill a chromed 1 1/16" (3/8" socket) crowsfoot down to a thickness of 7mm.



My question is whether I can mill the crowsfoot as is or do I need to do something else prior to milling (anneal, remove chrome, something else)? Or, would it be best to simply use a grinder to grind it down to the desired thickness?

Thanks for your help!

 

kustomizer

Diamond

Joined

Aug 17, 2007

Location

North Fork Idaho

• Jun 25, 2020

• #2

Grinding is quick, easy and cheap, just keep it cool

 

M

Milland

Diamond

Joined

Jul 6, 2006

Location

Hillsboro, New Hampshire

• Jun 25, 2020

• #3

A four flute carbide endmill will cut that without much problem. More important is taking light cuts and being sure to securely hold that in a vise, as it's an awkward geometry to hold onto. A sure way to wreck your cutter (or worse) is to have the wrench pull out of the vise while the endmill is engaged.

You might be best off milling a "nest" for it in a couple pieces of aluminum, then clamping the three parts (two Al, one wrench) into your vise. Use a smaller endmill (~1/4"), and run around a thousand RPM.

 

L

Limy Sami

Diamond

Joined

Jan 7, 2007

Location

Norfolk, UK

• Jun 26, 2020

• #4

Rule of thumb / shade tree guide - if you can take metal off it with a fine file, you can machine it with HSS - just keep it really slow and use plenty of coolant

 

D

DDoug

Diamond

Joined

Oct 18, 2005

Location

NW Pa

• Jun 26, 2020

• #5

Lowkey5 said:

I am a novice machinist using a Jet JMD-15 Milling/Drilling machine (I realize this is a fairly light duty machine). I need to mill a chromed 1 1/16" (3/8" socket) crowsfoot down to a thickness of 7mm.

View attachment 292596

My question is whether I can mill the crowsfoot as is or do I need to do something else prior to milling (anneal, remove chrome, something else)? Or, would it be best to simply use a grinder to grind it down to the desired thickness?

Thanks for your help!

Click to expand...

Use a HF $9.95 angle grinder instead.

Read the rules, this thread will probably get locked.

 

ChipSplitter

Titanium

Joined

May 23, 2019

Location

Maybe

• Jun 26, 2020

• #6

digger doug said:

Use a HF $9.95 angle grinder instead.

Read the rules, this thread will probably get locked.

Click to expand...

His username is fitting. Glance at it quickly.......

 

K

kenton

Stainless

Joined

Dec 15, 2015

Location

Illinois

• Jun 26, 2020

• #7

When your only tool is a machine tool everything looks like a precision job. Some times you just need a hammer... or grinder.

 

U

upm2019

Aluminum

Joined

Jun 16, 2020

Location

Piedmont

• Jun 26, 2020

• #8

With a ittle care you can use a belt sander with a course belt 36 grit just keep it cool

 

M

mjk

Titanium

Joined

Oct 20, 2005

Location

Wilmington DE USA

• Jun 26, 2020

• #9

Belt sander,grinder or said "mill" op's going to chace the crows-foot across the shop a few times
Be just as easy to purchase a thin crows-foot