for the machinists in here, milling A2 tool steel

[slade]

milling titanium today went surprisingly well with a TiAlN coated carbide three flute end mill. in the next few days i'm going to have to mill slots in two sheets of 1/8" A2 tool steel, which i know unfortunately isnt the best tool steel for machinability. i can't find an end mill specifically for A2 tool steel, like i found one for titanium. should i use a normal uncoated end mill, the one i bought for titanium, or should i buy something else? I still have more titanium milling to do, so i don't want to risk ruining the end mill.

[WenULiVeUdiE]

http://www.network54.com/Forums/9013

That should get it done...

[slade]

404 not found <.<

[WenULiVeUdiE]

Ooops.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/9013/

No "S" in forum...Have at it!

P.S. How's robotics going?

[slade]

Ooops.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/9013/

No "S" in forum...Have at it!

P.S. How's robotics going?

thanks, i guess ill throw this post up over there.

and... not so well.

we have 5 teams/robots, 2 which im running and 3 im helping out with.

for the new robot im managing/building, we had so many issues with companies. we ordered most of our parts (electronics, wheels, etc) from robot marketplace, who just blew us off and never answered anything. we finally got the parts, a month late. my teammate gave our advisor the order form for the rest of our parts, but apparently he never placed the order for our drive motors and weapon gearbox. when we realized that, he placed the order. in a few days we recieved 4 astro 940 p drive motors, 3 of which worked. my advisor said he would contact them about it, then said that our other advisor would contact them. i eventually talked to my other advisor, and he told me that I should just talk to them myself. so i have to call them tomorrow at some point. the gearbox we bought came with a support kit for the motors we bought, and it didnt even fit the motors, so i had to turn down the shafts to size.

then there was another company that we were going to buy motor supports from, but they blew us off completely. so i had to model my own supports, and create a drawing, and give it to a local machine tool sponsor. when i created the drawing, i was in a hurry and left off one dimension. they guessed the dimension, so now all the parts are off >.<. they can be salvaged, but the dimensions are now really cutting it close. that was my mistake though. the company is great, but since theyre doing everything for free, we're low priority when they have other work. theyre making our A2 tool steel blade with an EDM, although that has been pushed back repeatedly. they also made our wheel hubs from my drawing, and are keying our wheels, although that has also been pushed back. ill post a picture of the blade when its done, which should be this wednesday, although thats the 4th date i've been given.

then we also have a mini robot that wasnt planned well. the bot is rather large, overweight, and not very strong, so ive been trying to help them cut weight while also making at the very least the wheel mounts stronger.

tomorrow i have to go to methods machine tools in a 50 minute window after school before they close, figure out a way to repair the mounts, see if the wheels and hubs are done, inquire about the blade, hopefully shear and bend a 24" x 7" x 3/16" piece of steel if they can spare it, shear two pieces of A2 tool steel, then call astro about the motors, then mill the A2 tool steel and finish milling the titanium while figuring out what other people can work on.

<.< maybe i should just cut school for the next two weeks before our ship date.

oh yeah, to anyone in massachusetts, check out batteries plus in maynard. they made our battery packs for us, and they're great people who know what theyre doing.

[Russ]

A stub, coated 3 or 4 flute carbide end mill would do the job. Use some sort of coolant. Heat is your enemy!

If it were me, I'd try that end mill you have for titanium.

[slade]

thanks, ill try the titanium end mill.