Woodworking Router Bits on Metal

mm58 · Sep 30, 2009

Just wondering...

How would carbide router bits made for woodworking, perform as a metalworking tool in a mill? For instance, could you chuck up a Roman Ogee bit and put a nice decorative edge on a piece of aluminum...?

Mike

Ed ke6bnl · Oct 1, 2009

mm58 said:
Just wondering...

How would carbide router bits made for woodworking, perform as a metalworking tool in a mill? For instance, could you chuck up a Roman Ogee bit and put a nice decorative edge on a piece of aluminum...?

Mike

I have used a round over bit several times for aluminum and it works fine. and used the flush cut bit to open up the center of the H2 aluminum rims to fit my dodge diesel ram pu. ED

johnoder · Oct 1, 2009

A straight side single flute was reground into a custom dovetail cutter and worked fine in one each of C464 Naval Brass and tough cast iron.

Here is the result:

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showthread.php?t=168784

John Oder

Bruce Johnson · Oct 1, 2009

The basic answer is that a router bit isn't really ground for metal cutting, but it will probably work okay. The main thing is to be real cautious using a 1/4" shaft router bit. Cutting metal, you may put much higher side loads on to it, and you could snap the head of the bit off of the shaft. Be reasonable about the diameter of the head vs the shank vs your cutting loads.

knudsen · Oct 1, 2009

I was wondering the same, and if the carbide tips might break and fly off, into my beer belly.

DieselPower · Oct 1, 2009

I have used a 1/8th" quarter-round on 4140 before, and was pleasantly surprised with the results. Application was the nose of a 16 foot metal brake...

snocat_trf · Oct 1, 2009

I bought a set of corner rounding bits 1/2" shank to use on metal since the weldon ones are so expensive, they work just fine.

Hdpg · Oct 1, 2009

The comment about 1/4" shanks is quite right, they cannot take too much punishment, but 1/2" are fine.

Many of the router bits do have a small amount of top rake and will cutt aluminum quite well. The largest I have used is 3/8" radius corner rounder on aluminum running at 10,000rpm and 50 or 60 ipm to do the radius in one cut; obviously this is on an enclosed machine. Lots of coolant is necessary but with this the finish is very good.

I have also used 1/4" corners rounders on 12L14 with very good success and occasionally have used them on 1018 but in these applications I take the speed down to less than 300 sfm and feed at about 0.001 per tooth again with lots of coolant

mm58 · Oct 1, 2009

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll give it a try...

Mike

Mickey_D · Oct 1, 2009

There are presently a 5/32nd roundover and a 1/4" roundover in my tool changer right now. I get them for $5 from the local Woodcraft store and run the crap out of them on 6061. They do like a lot of coolant, pretty much if you can deep tap aluminum with your mix the router bits will last a long time. If you do have to use the 1/4" shank ones, take light cuts (on the 5/32nd I limit the cuts to 1.2mm and 750mm/min), otherwise run them as fast as you can. One thing to make sure that you do is to remove the ball bearing from the end and then grind the little tit off, because when you forget they gouge like a MF and normally on the final op on a part.

Hdpg · Oct 1, 2009

Mickey_D said:
.......One thing to make sure that you do is to remove the ball bearing from the end and then grind the little tit off, because when you forget they gouge like a MF and normally on the final op on a part.

Oh good, it sounds like I am not the only one to overlook this detail once.

mm58 · Oct 1, 2009

Awesome!

Wow! I just did a trial cut with a 1/4" round over bit on some 6061. Ran about 330 rpm with spray bottle coolant. Went through it like buttah. Cool. Now that opens up a whole new world of possibilities for me.

Thanks guys

Mike

kustomizer · Oct 2, 2009

We use router bits in aluminum, brass,and bronze all the time. I use "Oldham" and get them at home depot or Lowes with a 1/2" shank. They are made to go fast, 10,000 - 12,000 and you can feed them like the dickens too. I have noticed the finish just keeps getting better with use. They last thousands of parts and don't cost much.

Bill D · Oct 2, 2009

The reverse is also true. I use carbide endmills in my router for wood cutting. Of course I am limited to 1/4" or 1/2". try to get ones designed for Al cutting. At any rate use only bits with a few flutes to allow the wood chips room to get out. Sprial flutes work best.
Bill D.

stephen thomas · Oct 2, 2009

"A straight side single flute was reground into a custom dovetail cutter and worked fine in one each of C464 Naval Brass and tough cast iron."

Nice work, John. Gives me some ideas regarding the gage blocks. Do you have a good set and a "shop" set, or is this standard practice? I guess I've only thought of them as inspection devices, but have no training or examples.

Thinking a little farther along, i guess on a jigborer it would be practical. On a mill, the machine can't utilize any excess precision, so a couple adjustable parallels set to a mic would be just as good?

Regarding the OP, I have used formed router bits in a mill, and ocasionally cut out sheet aluminum up to about 1/4" with either router bits or a milling bit in a hand held router, to wooden guides or forms. Have also used up to 1/2" round over with a piloted bit and guide back up (for when the pilot bearing dies

) in a hand held router to bullnose lenghts of naval brass and 6061 Al for architectural applications. Not real fun with the noise, vibration, stress, and sharp chips, but pretty efficient.
smt

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mm58

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Ed ke6bnl

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DieselPower

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Hdpg

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mm58

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Mickey_D

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Hdpg

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mm58

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