This is such an easy job with a boring head, or on the lathe- fast, safe, low risk to the panel and operator. Anything you do without the proper tools will be pretty awful looking by comparison, so I'd call around and see if anyone will do it for under $30 or so.
I'm not a fan of using high speed tools like carbide saws and routers on aluminum, though many do it with no problem. Lacking a mill, I'd probably use a *good* single arm circle cutter in the drill press. Not the lightweight ones that are so common, but something like the old heavy Craftsman one with the hex bar. Run it as slow as it goes and lube almost continuously with spray WD-40. Clamp everything down as if your life depended on it- that's not far from the truth, then cut the depth and diameter of the outer circle. You might want to sharpen a special bit square to finish the step. Reset to the diameter of the inner circle and finish the job. That's about as close as you'll get to a milling machine job. It will be slow, loud, and make a big mess. You will wear safety glasses.
I'm not a fan of using high speed tools like carbide saws and routers on aluminum, though many do it with no problem. Lacking a mill, I'd probably use a *good* single arm circle cutter in the drill press. Not the lightweight ones that are so common, but something like the old heavy Craftsman one with the hex bar. Run it as slow as it goes and lube almost continuously with spray WD-40. Clamp everything down as if your life depended on it- that's not far from the truth, then cut the depth and diameter of the outer circle. You might want to sharpen a special bit square to finish the step. Reset to the diameter of the inner circle and finish the job. That's about as close as you'll get to a milling machine job. It will be slow, loud, and make a big mess. You will wear safety glasses.
jol50 said:
You must be kidding as much as the guys recommmending forstner bits on 3/8" aluminum.
I don't see a problem using gloves around drill press, especially when holding the piece, as I never clamp it (although I sometimes use a block preventing rotation).
I don't use leather gloves, but gloves pictured below are very handy for sheet metal work.
BTW, I just tried forstner bit on aluminum and there is no way I can make it work, even with a pilot hole and 200 RPM.
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Peter Daniel said:
Well, what can I say. A pilot bit ,a little WD40, and a securely clamped piece in a good drill press - I've done up to 1/2 inch. It makes a cleaner hole than a boring bar in my mill. I've only tried up to a 1 1/4" hole.
If the tip of your glove gets cought in the cutter, it will rip your finger off, instead of cutting it. I think that's the reasoning there
mpmarino said:
If the tip of your glove gets cought in the cutter, it will rip your finger off, instead of cutting it. I think that's the reasoning there
soongsc said:
Exactly.....as anybody with just a bare minimum of common sense or an education, can figure or have alredy been told/seen.
The same goes for not clamping the workpiece, as Peter Daniel also suggested. If I ever saw somebody using a drill press without clamping anything significant....I'd dive for cover.
Magura
In trade school (I'm a carpenter) there was a "loose clothing demo" where the instructor used a long stick to lower a shirt sleeve near the spinning tablesaw blade. It was quite dramatic, leaving very little doubt in anyones mind about the state of your arm after such an incident.
Good advice to avoid loose clothes and securely clamp the work piece.
Good advice to avoid loose clothes and securely clamp the work piece.
For years I built industrial machines from steel. You cut it, carry it around, deburr it, grind it, weld on it....but when you take it to the drill press or mill, you take the gloves off. After a while you just don't wear any most of the time. We had 8" C clamps and various bars and vices for the drill press. You can play with wood maybe, but steel will spin you once you get above maybe 1/2" bits....kind of like a real powerful hand drill does. The small bits just break. The only time you can use gloves is with a large piece, and you hold it far from the bit or have a jig you set it in. It is NOT something to play with or take chances with.
I did so much drilling I would just sharpen the bits on the grinder by hand, got real good at it too. Welding was more fun though. For aluminum parts we made I had special bits I put less angle on, or they wanted to suck into the aluminum too fast. I used motor oil or tapping fluid most of the time for lube....it was there and worked. We had a tapper on a drill press too, that was fun to use....
Another place you might try is a speed shop that builds engines. Most here have a bridgeport around, and the guys know about machining things.
Another place you might try is a speed shop that builds engines. Most here have a bridgeport around, and the guys know about machining things.
Well, just for you guys, I will try Forstener once more tonight and show the results.
As for gloves, I always use ones that fit well. Don't use them much though, only when I suspect I may get hurt.
As for clamping Magura, everybody does what works best. When drilling 50 holes at one sitting I would simply give up having to clamp it each time. But don't worry, I've been doing this for 15 years or so, and results show that this approach works well, at least for me.
As for gloves, I always use ones that fit well. Don't use them much though, only when I suspect I may get hurt.
As for clamping Magura, everybody does what works best. When drilling 50 holes at one sitting I would simply give up having to clamp it each time. But don't worry, I've been doing this for 15 years or so, and results show that this approach works well, at least for me.
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