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Author Topic: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...  (Read 14283 times)

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Offline VOTS

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'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« on: February 03, 2007, 01:21:00 AM »
So you guys here got me through my last major hurdle so I could actually use Mach3 on my new CNC mill. Back to ask another question.... This is more in line with milling itself.

I'm using Sheetcam to generate tool paths so I can cut patterns out of 1/16th" aluminum. Once I got my machine figured out, and actually got to cutting, I have a weird problem. (I have a manual mill and this doesn't happen on that one.)

What I'm getting, I'll call 'Mill dust' for lack of a better term. (Think saw dust) Anyway, On my other mill, the dust falls away or hops up on the piece I'm milling or generally, just stays out of the way. But on my CNC mill, using a 1/16th end mill. It not only doesn't get out of the way, it binds itself into the cut. And when I say bind, this is almost like welded in there. (I know it not a heat problem, the metal is ice cold) It binds so bad that even after a part is cut, i litterally have to pry it out. I posted a picture along with this post to give you a better idea of what I'm up against. The holes you see, are where I had to pry the little pieces out. The other 'holes' you can see the part is still stuck in there. This 'binding' has cost me two bits so far. I'll be going along cutting and then I hear that dreadful little *poink* that means I'm out another $15.00. I tried vacuuming the 'dust' while it was milling, but even with a mega shop vac, the binding still occurs. Ideas? Words of wisdom? Experience?

I'm luv'n this CNC jazz so far despite the setbacks!




A bad picture, but a good illustration of the issue. The line that suddenly ends there all mangled like, is where the end mill met it demise. As you can see, even thought the cut was all the way through, the 'dust' 'welded' its way right behind the end mill. Even when I take a piece out, this 'dust' of mine is very well attached to the cut out parts. Although, the hole is very clean...


Hep me!
Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2007, 03:01:37 AM »
Tried some form of coolant/lubrication? Puddle a little water on there, or oil, next time. If that helps you might want to hook up a coolant pump or dripper.

Hood

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Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2007, 04:11:05 AM »
Alu is a pain to cut at the best of times, especialy if its a silicone alloy, magnesium alloys are much nicer. Lots of coolant or a spray mist is the answer. One thing you said is it doesnt happen on the manual machine so look at the feeds and spindle speeds you use on the manual and use the same for the CNC and you should get the same reults.
Hood
Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2007, 04:22:59 AM »
Also, your "Mill Dust" is called swarf;)

Offline VOTS

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Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2007, 09:06:00 AM »
Swarf?!?!!?

ROFL...ooooh you can't imagine how that made me laugh for some odd reason. (Doctor, I have a Swarf problem!)

Anyway, Lubricant eh? I alway thought the lube-job was to keep the heat down. I have been milling metal for a couple years now manually. I gave up on lube a long while back because I didn't have any heat problems, and it's just plain messy. But hey, I will definitely give that a shot! thank you much gentle people!

Offline VOTS

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Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2007, 12:13:43 PM »
OOOOOH YA!!!

You guys n gals RuLeZ!

Not only did the lubricant (WD-40 in my case) do the trick, I noted that it cut a helluva lot faster than it had before. I'm surmising that the speed increase was do the the built in 'missed step' correction that my CNC controller has built in. I think it was binding so bad that it was missing hundreds of steps. hehe, but the lube job did the trick!!

*breaks into a dance number thats far to provocative to describe on a forum dedicated to CNC schtuff*

Go MaCh3... it's your birthday... Go MaCh3 it's your birthday
[/size]
Go MaCh3... it's your birthday... Go MaCh3 it's your birthday
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Go MaCh3... it's your birthday... Go MaCh3 it's your birthday
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Go MaCh3... it's your birthday... Go MaCh3 it's your birthday
[/size]
Go MaCh3... it's your birthday... Go MaCh3 it's your birthday
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Offline Chaoticone

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Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2007, 08:44:20 PM »
LOL, I know the feeling......................YES.

Might want to check on a micro mist system. Flood is my method but boy, what a mess.


Brett
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!
Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2007, 09:51:48 AM »
I am a flood man as well.... The bigger the mess the more I like IT!!!!!! (I have a bit of a problem)
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

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www.machsupport.com

Offline VOTS

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Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2007, 10:57:49 AM »
:)

I might as well accept the fact that I'm going to have to use a lubricant system here eventually. I was trying to find one of these 'Micro mist' systems that Chaoticone spoke of, but the ones i found look like they could be just as messy. At least with a flood system, I could predict where the lube would go. Are there like full systems available? Like a pump, filter, lube, catch pan, etc, etc. out there?

Hood

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Re: 'Mill dust' and breaking bits... Advice please...
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2007, 11:58:11 AM »
I am a flood man as well.... The bigger the mess the more I like IT!!!!!! (I have a bit of a problem)
Always wondered why they called you Diaper Man ;)
Hood