On Tuesday 25 September 2018 07:19:12 andy pugh wrote: > On Tue, 25 Sep 2018 at 11:15, Gene Heskett <[email protected]> wrote: > > This is also true. But that test bar costs money too. > > It can stay in stock as useful material. I am talking in terms of a > light cut on a stiff aluminium bar between centres.
What diameter would you consider as being stiff enough, Andy, in say 7075 alloy? (example 3'of2.5"=172 USD) In 6061?(3'of3"=117.48 USD) 2024?(3'of2.5"=172USD) 6061 is cheaper, but its machinability sucks. Like bubble gum, it must be kept cold to machine well. Or even to saw. And I'd likely buy a larger dia just so I could make bigger stuff out of it later. A 3' piece of 6" is 682 USD and at 100 lbs plus packing would have to come by freight truck. I'd absolutely have to rig coolant on everything too. Including buying a power hacksaw I don't have room for. I have less than a foot left of a 40" long, nominally 6.25"x7" bar I found at a scrap yard 20 years ago and bought for 50 cents a lb. I've made lots of stuff out of it, but its packed the flutes full and broken several hundred dollars worth of cutting tools too. No clue what alloy, but it sure is difficult stuff to work with as its gummy at room temps, getting nearly impossible to work long before its too hot to touch. -- Cheers, Gene Heskett -- "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene> _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
