Hey guys and girls!
I need to cut a V channel in some brass. How well does it work with carbide bits and or table saw blades. I've done lots of aluminum but I know that is much softer than brass. Any help and or experience you have would be greatly appreciated
What's "brass" ? It comes in all sorts of grades, from soft to hard. Hard brass (rolled etc.) can be really hard work to machine like this. For some of the alloys (especially BeCu) then I'd run a mile from this sort of lash-up.
Badly. I wouldn't rout it. I _really_ wouldn't unless I could run my router very slowly. I'd think about it with something like an overhead router and leadscrews to feed the stock into the cutter.
And I've never liked machining something with dust-like conductive fragments coming off it and a poorly sealed motor nearby.
If you have to cut this on a circular saw, then this is definitely time to get a blade with negative rake on the teeth. They're easy to get - the door & window fitting trade use them.
On the whole, go to it. But turn that cutter slowly and make sure that the workpiece is clamped down firmly. Feeding a hand-held cutter into brass would give me conniptions.
Personally I'd probably reach for a file.
Brass and copper cut very nicely with a good sabersaw. Set the saw to 0 rake if you have that control as the Bosch does, use a medium slow speed. I cut !/4" flat stock and bar stock up to 2" in diameter all the time. I use Lennox blades 14- 18 TPI.
I've cut brass on a variable speed band saw and a slow speed miniature table saw with good results. I've used a Dremel in a miniature drill press to mill designs. BUT ONLY AT LOW CUTTING SPEED. If your router has -- or can be attached to -- a speed control, then go for it with a carbide blade. You might also conisder mounted, shaped stones of the type usually used in "die grinders".
Norm
router bits are designed to cut wood at high rpms. if you slow the tool down it becomes easy to overfeed the material into it- that big gullet designed to clear sawdust will allow the tool to grab a big bite and kick that bit of brass in a nasty way.
however, there are cutters designed for metal that will fit your router's collet. go to a machinists' supply house and ask there. they will be able to sell you the appropriate cutter and advise you as to the proper speed to run it and what lubricant to use.
You know they make machine tools to do work on metals .....mjh
No sense wasting so much time on such a stupid question. I'd suggest he try it and let us know ...when he gets out of the hospital. It sounds more like a troll than a troll.
Bill.
Actually, in Wood #155 there is a plan for a torpedo level that has brass inserts. They sandwiched it between two pieces of hardboard and cut it on a bandsaw, then sanded to the line on a disc sander. Hope this helps.
Charlie
I've see an add-on in a recent catalog for the Jet 14" BS, to make it into the multi-speed metal/wood type.
I have that saw Dave. You don't need to move any belts, just pull a knob to change from high or low ratio gearing. Of course it still has step pulleys for changing speeds within a range. Mine is old, has the hex blade guide rod, but I have not checked just how old. Probably not 1940's like your dad's so maybe the belt arrangement was changed. Mine does have two belts however, and it might be confusing to know what goes where without a manual.
You can see mine here;
Sawing brass isn't a problem, _provided_ you use a blade designed for sawing non-ferrous metals. For example, here's info on Freud blades:
The key thing is that the blade teeth have a negative hook angle, that is, the tooth faces are pointed a little bit backwards. Woodworking blades have positive hook angles, which would cause brass to be pulled into the blade as you cut. That wouldn't be a lot of fun.
I'd be afraid of using router bits for this very reason. Metal-cutting end-mills would probably work in a router, but you're limited in geometry to flat end and ball nose cutters. Something like a carbide single flute countersink cutter
Good luck,
Tim
The General 590 bandsaw
Tim
That's not what I said, I said you need to not be so damn touchy. The guy who told you you were proposing something stupid wasn't being a troll, he was pointing out something that he felt was important. You can choose to play a "who is grumpier than who" game, but that doesn't make him a troll.
If you respond like this to everyone who tries to give you advice _that you asked for_, you'll find that nobody will answer your questions.
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