The key to good, long bit life is to keep the bit cool. The primary way to keep it cool, is to use proper feeds and speeds, so the bit will move fast enough and bite deep enough, that the friction of cutting gets carried away by the nice, big chips that are being excavated. Spinning too fast (too much speed), while advancing too slowly (not enough feed) allows increased friction to not only heat up the material, but also the bit. A hot bit is a soft bit. In addition to feeds and speeds, cutting aluminum can be aided by misting with iso alcohol. But with the right feeds and speeds and a nice sharp bit, the misting is not absolutely necessary. Besides all this, the bit's lifetime is also affected by what kind of steel it's made from, and what kind of coatings have been applied. So there is no one answer, but when done right, a bit can last longer than one might think!
I did destroy two if the 3.175mm ones with my first plates, one broke while drilling (which is never a good idea with endmills so I bought some drills), the other one was just dull after both plates. The plates in the video were then cut with my 6mm aluminium endmill which has cut quite a bit of aluminium and does not show any signs of wear. So it really, really depends. :D
Awesome! Cool video and cut specs!
LR4 cut videos:
* Doug’s LR4 Beta MDF pocket cuts - ruclips.net/video/dBgvDj8Z8W8/видео.html
* Jonathan’s LR4 RC2 Cutting Plywood - ruclips.net/video/dUwLgUTMwFw/видео.html
* Philipp's LR4 Beta vs. Aluminium (8.2mm DOC Trochoidal!) - ruclips.net/video/mKKdrA8FmOA/видео.html
* Doug’s LR4 Beta hardwood 3000mm/min and 12mm depth of cut - ruclips.net/video/Fd-oGQ4v_GA/видео.html
* Philipp's LR4 Beta Test Box for a Bullitt Cargobike - ruclips.net/video/tKNTZqMreGU/видео.html
* Philipp's LR4 Beta Test 33 second CNC Drag Race - ruclips.net/video/xX14s60RbsI/видео.html
Awesome job! And congrats on beating me to Aluminum with the LR4 🤣
Haha, you gotta give me something... :D
How long does a bit last cutting aluminium?
The key to good, long bit life is to keep the bit cool. The primary way to keep it cool, is to use proper feeds and speeds, so the bit will move fast enough and bite deep enough, that the friction of cutting gets carried away by the nice, big chips that are being excavated. Spinning too fast (too much speed), while advancing too slowly (not enough feed) allows increased friction to not only heat up the material, but also the bit. A hot bit is a soft bit. In addition to feeds and speeds, cutting aluminum can be aided by misting with iso alcohol. But with the right feeds and speeds and a nice sharp bit, the misting is not absolutely necessary. Besides all this, the bit's lifetime is also affected by what kind of steel it's made from, and what kind of coatings have been applied. So there is no one answer, but when done right, a bit can last longer than one might think!
I did destroy two if the 3.175mm ones with my first plates, one broke while drilling (which is never a good idea with endmills so I bought some drills), the other one was just dull after both plates.
The plates in the video were then cut with my 6mm aluminium endmill which has cut quite a bit of aluminium and does not show any signs of wear. So it really, really depends. :D
Thank you both for the answer. @design8studio @HaWiWe