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Finally got my scrap rate on those tricky 6061-T6 parts down from 12% to under 2% after switching to a 3-flute carbide endmill and bumping the SFM to 850.
What's your go-to tool and speed for aluminum that just won't stop gumming up?
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fiona_carr261mo ago
Honestly, I've had the opposite happen. Pushing SFM that high on 6061 just made things worse for me, melted chips everywhere. I stick with a sharp 2-flute HSS endmill around 500 SFM and flood coolant. The slower cut lets the chips actually break and clear.
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quinn6061mo ago
Flood coolant's the real hero there.
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wader716d ago
Oh man, I remember reading someone's post about how they tried that experimental "chip thinning" strategy with a really high SFM and a tiny radial engagement to make the chips come out like dust... they said it worked great on their VMC but their spindle bearings started singing after a few hours. Scary stuff. So yeah, I get what you're saying about backing off the speed. I've been playing with that idea too, running about 450 SFM on a 2-flute carbide with just enough coolant to keep things wet and it feels way more predictable. The chips come off as these nice little sixes and nines instead of that nasty stringy mess that wraps around everything.
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Wish I had a magic answer, my go-to move is usually just yelling at the machine. Honestly, my garage floor is basically a museum of failed aluminum cuts, I've tried so many things. Lately I'm just running a cheap 3-flute with a ton of air blast and crossing my fingers, seems to work okay until it doesn't.
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