Cut aluminum on Iconic?

[ethanmd]

I purchased an Axiom Iconic-8 24 x 48 in 2020 and mostly use it for wood but I would like to fabricate small parts out of aluminum. Is this machine capable or has anyone experienced problems?

[windcrest77]

Oct 31, 2022 5:08:31 GMT -5 ethanmd said:

I purchased an Axiom Iconic-8 24 x 48 in 2020 and mostly use it for wood but I would like to fabricate small parts out of aluminum. Is this machine capable or has anyone experienced problems?

It sure can. Use the Amana single flute upcut "O" bits made for aluminum, they have a 45 degree helix not 30 degree like for wood, use single flute it works better than a double flute. I run it at 18,000 rpm and the feed rate Amana suggests. but starting out slower then I nudge up the feed rate at run time. You want chips not powder! So nudge the feed rate up or down to get the biggest chips. I usually create a waste vector then run that outside my main piece, there I nudge the feed rate, then I cancel that path and just run my main path when I like the chips. I find 6061 aluminum machines best but any alloy is do-able, even brass and copper plate. My only regret buying the Iconic is that it doesn't have much low speed horsepower for using drill bits in aluminum. I regret not buying the higher horsepower machine because I prefer to use 118 degree drills rather than end mills for standard screw holes and you need to run drills slower, but in the Iconic they often stop the motor cold at lower speed. Also I use WD40 in the pump bottle as the cutting fluid, WD40 is nice and fluid and the pump bottle doesn't aerosol all over the place, you can keep the tool path wet more accurately.

[Bob]

That was a whole bunch of very useful information!
I'll print this out and save it where I can easily reference it in the future.
Thank you.
Bob

[henrymateo]

Yes, you can cut metal with the Iconic-8. I haven't had any trouble with the machine when I've used it to cut metal. It works well and is accurate.