Mill Recess using Drill Press

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Bonsai

Bonsai

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Joined 2003
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#1
Any one tried to mill some recesses in aluminum using a drill press?

Advice on what kind of bit I would need?

My panel already has the recesses milled out, but I need to enlargen then slightly and also deepen part of them on the rear side of the panel.

(I have ~500W drill press)

Thanks
 
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#4
I've tried it before with mixed results. Highly recommend against it. There are two main reasons...

1) The drill press is set up to handle forces in the Z (up and down) axis. All of the bearings are set for this type of force. It is very easy to ruin your drill press by exerting significant pressure in the X and Y axes. I use the drill press with a X-Y table for milling ABS with good results, but I certainly would not use it on metal.

2) The drill press chuck has tapered fingers to hold a drill bit. Again, this is designed for Z axis operation. A mill has straight fingers to hold the tool allowing X-Y stresses. If you put X-Y force onto tapered fingers, the bit can work it's way loose - a dangerous situation.
 
#7
Routers can work fine on aluminium. Lots of aircraft have been made that way. You do need the right tooling and jigs or you will have a mess on your hands.

If you are cutting a 1/8" slot 1/8" deep a drill press may work fine. a 1/2" slot will most likely chatter and look awful. Find some local guy to do the work. You have too much invested already to screw it up at the final stage.
 
#8
SyBorg said:
I've tried it before with mixed results. Highly recommend against it. There are two main reasons...

1) The drill press is set up to handle forces in the Z (up and down) axis. All of the bearings are set for this type of force. It is very easy to ruin your drill press by exerting significant pressure in the X and Y axes. I use the drill press with a X-Y table for milling ABS with good results, but I certainly would not use it on metal.

2) The drill press chuck has tapered fingers to hold a drill bit. Again, this is designed for Z axis operation. A mill has straight fingers to hold the tool allowing X-Y stresses. If you put X-Y force onto tapered fingers, the bit can work it's way loose - a dangerous situation.
Click to expand...

In Home Machinist (or similar pub) there was an article on drill press conversion for milling. The main idea was to support the quill laterally so it could take side loads without deflecting. IIRC it was a collar with roller bearings so the quill could move up & down but could not deflect as it was up against the bearing. The collar in turn was tied into the drill press housing.

:h_ache:

I love my old Craftsman King-Seeley drill press but still think there is a mill & drill in my future.....
 
#10
I used a lathe.
Vertically mount the plate in the X, Y slide.
Use feed (Z) to set the depth of cut.

Milling cutter mounted in chuck

Slots and holes and large recesses with different depths in local areas are all possible.

Even managed angled eyebrow recess enlargement in pistons using a small flycutter in the chuck.
 
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