Tools?

[RiffRaff]

Sorry for the noobie question but I searched and didn't see it asked anywhere
Is there a thread or section on what tool does what?
Like what type of tool do I need to carve aluminum, wood, stone etc
thanks
Tim

[Fred_evans]

excellent idea-- i would also like to discuss this issue

regards

fred

[RICH]

Have a look at the various manufacturers catalogues. In general, tool selection can be broken down into type of machine, tool material, material to be machined, type of operation, form of the tool, and speed / feed. Then you have specialty / custom and combination.

RICH

[Sargon]

The best way that we've found in our shop is just perusing the catalogues. There are tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of tools out there - an all encompassing go-to resource wouldn't be possible. I suppose there are guides out there (I don't know of any specifically), but we've found that nothing replaces good old fashioned homework. In our case we machine primarily plastic, so it's a bit of a specialty, but we've found incredibly drastic improvements in results by finding the right tool for the job, and I don't think we could have found some of the tools that we use every day if we didn't do our own homework.

By all means, if you can find a guide to help get you started, use it. I just wanted to encourage you and others reading this to dig into the various tool catalogues and take a look for yourselves, as every project tends to have it's own needs. Some of the best tools we use are quite new, and likely wouldn't be in any guide. As you gain experience you will get a better idea of what may work, and by looking through the catalogues you may see a tool that you will need in the future - a "eureka" moment - sometimes you won't see the application for a lot of the tools until the application is right in front of you - "that's what that tool is for".

When you find a tool that looks promising, hop on the net and type in the description - many times you will find better details on the applications this way.

If you do find a great guide, be sure to share it here - I for one would definitely be interested. The more I can learn about tooling the better machining jobs I can accomplish.

Good luck, happy chip-making, and Merry Christmas to All!

[ger21]

Like what type of tool do I need to carve aluminum, wood, stone etc

"Carve" is a very vague term. For each type of material you listed, there are hundreds of different types of tools, each designed for specific applications.
If you can provide an image of a specific application, it's a little easier to point you in the right direction.

And I'd forget about doing anything with stone, which generally requires specialized diamond tools which are flooded woth water during use.

[RiffRaff]

I would like to mill designs and lettering into aluminum pedals
If you have a look at these pedals that were etched with acid
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2515576-I-ve-started-a-pedal-etching-tutorial
this what I would like to do with my cnc mill
So what type/types of bits would I use?

[ger21]

Probably an engraving bit like these.
http://www.precisebits.com/products/carbidebits/scoreengrave.asp

[Hood]

Also have a look at the  nine9 engraving tools , I've used both the 60 and 45 degree ones and although the initial cost is not cheap they ability to replace only the inserts makes it cheaper and they seem to last very well.
http://www.advancedcarbidetooling.co.uk/pages/products/nine9-drills-and-cutters/engraving-tools/
Hood