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This is probably crazy but

DPittman

DPittman

Ultra Member
So I'm wanting to mill the ends of a chunk of 1" thick by 6" wide plate aluminum. I don't have a mill. I'm thinking I could fasten the plate to my cross slide and with some sort of flycutter in my lathe chuck I could accomplish the milling I need to do.

I've attached a picture.

Does any one think this could work before killing myself or having a serious machine failure?

I've seen (on the net) a real flycutter setup on a lathe used in a similar fashion.

Don
 

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DPittman said:
So I'm wanting to mill the ends of a chunk of 1" thick by 6" wide plate aluminum. I don't have a mill. I'm thinking I could fasten the plate to my cross slide and with some sort of flycutter in my lathe chuck I could accomplish the milling I need to do.

I've attached a picture.

Does any one think this could work before killing myself or having a serious machine failure?

I've seen (on the net) a real flycutter setup on a lathe used in a similar fashion.

Don
Click to expand...


Ok before anyone suggests that I'm so stupid that I shouldn't be allowed to operate any machinery...

I would be very doubtful that the chuck as pictured would hang on to the boring bar. However if it did....would the general idea and geometry work??? I know I would have to run the lathe backwards.
 
Using the lathe as a milling machine is not absurd in any way, that's the only way that a lathe is capable of reproducing itself. However Using a boaring bar in the chuck as depicted, I agree with being unsafe (edited by admin). The internet is full of plans for lathe based milling attachments. Using a proper fly cutter mounted in the chuck properly would be fine the trick is using the compound to hold your material and that is where the milling attachment comes into play. Basically a vise than can raise and lower Mounted on the compound.
 
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Does your lathe have a swing bigger than 6"? Just put the aluminum into the chuck and do a facing cut

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
 
I thought maybe Max was suggesting this - holding rectangular objects in 3J. I 'hear' its done but haven't myself. Then I re-read the material dimensions. I'm gunna say that's a pretty big chunk for any kind of lathe setup. I was thinking maybe faceplate / angle plate combo. But that would probably be a stick-out nail biter... interrupted cut, clamping, counterweight... I think it wants a milling machine, you'd get the edges, dimensions & squareness in 1 shot. The faceplate might be good for what might be next operation after edging - the faces themselves machined true?
 

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PeterT said:
I thought maybe Max was suggesting this - holding rectangular objects in 3J. I 'hear' its done but haven't myself. Then I re-read the material dimensions. I'm gunna say that's a pretty big chunk for any kind of lathe setup. I was thinking maybe faceplate / angle plate combo. But that would probably be a stick-out nail biter... interrupted cut, clamping, counterweight... I think it wants a milling machine, you'd get the edges, dimensions & squareness in 1 shot. The faceplate might be good for what might be next operation after edging - the faces themselves machined true?
Click to expand...

Yes it a pretty big chunk for a small lathe and milling machine would be the better and easier way, but that ain't an option for me.

I'm wanting to mill the ends (6x1) smooth and square. The edges (10x1) are good enough. I'm pretty sure I can do it safely and effectively on my lathe with a PROPER fly cutter. I can then machine the face (6x10) of the plate if necessary using the lathe faceplate.

Don
 
You can also run it on a table saw with a good blade, for really smooth cuts use wd40 for lubricant
 
Louis Dusablon said:
You can also run it on a table saw with a good blade, for really smooth cuts use wd40 for lubricant
Click to expand...

Hey I forgot about that possibility!! I've done light weight aluminum that way before with good results bit I think this big stuff would really make my 60 year old 8" table saw really grunt. But I'm going to think on that one for a bit and maybe give it a try.
Thanks for "thinking out of the box"!

Don
 
Sorry for being late to the discussion. There are a bunch of options, but it depends on the actual objective. Are you trying to produce a nice finish, or are you trying to hold to a dimension, and to what tolerance? You suggest that you are trying too square it up. That an be done using a fly cutter as you suggest, but:

About the initial picture. It is possible to hold a boring bar like that, but it won't stop it from rotating under any cut worth taking. If you are just taking .002 or .003, it could work by using a *lot* of pressure on the jaws. I wouldn't abuse my chuck by doing that, though.

Now for the advice: If you can fasten your plate at centre line height of the lathe on the cross slide, you *can* put a fly cutter held properly in the 3 jaw chuck (I can loan you a fly cutter). You then lock the apron at the cut depth (to prevent wear on the delicate bits) and use the cross slide to facilitate the cut. If you have 8" of cross travel, you could get away with about a 3" fly cutter. A fly cutter takes a lot less pressure and gives you more control than a mill cutter. It does, however hammer the cross slide lead screw a bit.

Getting it square is done by using a machinists square when clamping the part down.
 
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