Paraffin works well as a cutting fluid. Higher speed than you would use with steel and a bit more toprake on your tool.

J

Hmm, resembles English, might be some kind of Pidgin?

G,d&r, Frank

Oh how i wish i were as perfect as some of you folk on this forum.

Cheers Dek.

There's ally and there's ally. Some of it is very "gummy" and welds itself to the tool tip, especially when parting off. If the tool is not really sharp, high speeds tend to create more heat which exacerbates the problem, in which case it's often better to reduce the speed rather than raising it. As already stated, paraffin is a good lubricant, as is WD40.

G'day.

Although I often use paraffin (kero to some), I have also found that a local (Australian) lube called Inox is quite handy to use on aluminium (in the spray-can variety). As well as being a handy cutting fluid it is great for fishing reels, model engines etc. I have no connection with the company btw.

**LINK** has more info.

Cu Later * Danny M *

Not sure where you are paul but we can buy paraffin from most petrol stations and garden centres and some DIY stores in 5lts containers. About £1.75/lts

J

In my experience pure aluminium (1050A) is a pig to machine, a bit like warm toffee. On the other hand all the alloys I've used (2014, 5083, 6082 and 7075) have turned beautifully. For the most common alloy (6082) I turn dry, except for parting off where I use flood coolant. I don't have a problem with BUE, but I do use polished high positive rake inserts specifically for aluminium.

The main problem is that the swarf often comes off as an uncontrolled bundle, which can get trapped between tool and work, which tends to give a burnished rather than polished finish.

Regards,

Andrew

When using HSS tooling for Aluminium grinding in a chip breaker often gives cleaner cutting and less troublesome swarf .

When not practical to actually grind a chipbreaker use a separate strip of steel clamped on top of tool and slightly bent at active end to perform similar function .

MikeW

Being even more pedantic, an alloy does not just have to be of steel or of aluminium. It can be of any two or more metals.

Being really pedantic, 'ally' is not an abreviation of aluminium. 'Ali' is more common but I doubt there is a correct abreviation anyway. I have seem 'alu', 'alum' and probably several others in the past but the only one that I can read without it stopping the 'flow' of the text is 'ali'.

Ian P

I am saddened, but not honestly surprised, to see this response.

MichaelG.

Dear Mrs Naughtyboy

I think you have jumped to the wrong conclusion about your husband not being welcome here because that is certainly not the case.

Yes, some of the comment might have been critical of the grammar and spelling but all the readers see it what was written and cannot have any knowledge of the writer or the background facts. My remarks in the reply I gave were actually aimed at RW2 and were not intended to be critical.

The forum does offer the members the facility to give a little information about themselves, knowing someones location (or country at least) and hopefully their christian name makes it much easier for the person to give a helpful reply.

Ian P

Hello all, Im sorry to Naughtyboy if I caused offence and certainly didnt intend to, it was only a general rant !!!. Furthermore, if he can converse in three different languages, its two more than I can manage !!!.I think Ian Phillips has really explained it better than I have .

Anyway , if I dare offer advice after all that, Ive always turned aluminium dry, with a nice sharp HSS tool.