CNCing Aluminum

All of a sudden, we have two projects that require us to CNC aluminum.

We managed to make it work with the regular 2-fluted 1/8 inch bit. It cut pretty easily with the settings:

  • Bit: 2-flute straight, 1/8 inch
  • Feed Rate: 254 mm/min
  • Plunge Rate: 76.2 mm/min
  • Depth per Pass: 0.2 mm

Of note: For the very thin material we tried (0.8 mm thick), I found that instead of using regular tabs, where the machine cuts through most of the material and just leaves a thin tab holding the cut-out pieces in place, just leaving gaps in the design seemed a better option. We have a slight tilt to our surfacing table and it was just way too easy to cut through the entire place where the tab should have been.

PlottyBot: Pen Drawn Plots

The PlottyBot project looks like a nice introductory project for building computer controlled devices, like 3d printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines. It draws designs using a pen, and is built off a Raspberry Pi Zero, which I’ve been using a lot.

A PlottyBot in action (from https://ben.akrin.com/?p=10244)

It’s now on my list of potential Makerspace Projects.