Has anyone carved anything on AluPanel or AluPanel Lite
It’s a polyethylene core covered by 0.007875" (.2mm) aluminum skins.
I’m thinking that the challenge would be the cut speed for the aluminum skin needing to be slow, but the cut speed for the HDPE core needing to be fast so it won’t melt…
Were you successful? Do you have a good recipe to share for cutting, for IPM, bit size and type, depth of pass, etc?
I’ve had great luck with plastics using 1/8" single flute titanium nitride coated bits ( http://a.co/fO4M5gL ) so maybe I’ll try that at something like 75 IPM, and just make sure my depth of pass is deeper than the skin so it doesn’t gnarl it up.
I have cut it many times, the layer is fused to the plastic very well. I used a 0.01v-bit and same speed I use for lamicoid. I hate to prove you wrong Phil but no problems with it tearing.
What speed did you use for lamicoid?
And what is lamicoid? LOL
I would at least TRY going full depth like your end mills were designed to do. Go full depth and experiment with feeds and speeds. The consider cutting profiles .003" outside the profile and doing a finishing pass at full depth. Should leave you a really nice, clean edge.
I run at 40ipm and just through the layer of aluminum.
OK - @PhilJohnson is correct. The aluminum skin is essentially nothing to the X-Carve.
Ignore the tinfoil with your cut recipe, and pretend that it’s just a sheet of HDPE.
I used 1/8" single flute titanium nitride coated bit at something like 50 IPM with a DOC of .04
I think I could have gone faster and with a deeper DOC I’m sure. The HDPE fill is soft, so don’t go too slow or it will melt…