[sdiy] Need a bandsaw...

[harrybissell]

Frankly you could use a high speed steel bit in aluminum. The two issues
are cooling, and stopping the aluminum chips from clogging the bit and
snapping it.  In a professional mill, they might use some cooling fluid or
oil.
Normal router speed is way too high for the application as well...

I'd try making a couple of small holes in each end and using a saber saw.

(otoh I hate slide pots, and that is the #1 reason.  #2 is that they are
hard to
get standard replacement parts for... #3 is they collect dirt easily... #4
is the
really limited choice of knobs for them...  sorry there are not ten reasons
to
hate them... thats what BBDs are for :^)

H^) harry

Paul Higgins wrote:

> All this talk of carbide blades and aluminum got me to thinking...does
> anyone know if you can use a carbide router bit on aluminum?  I seem to
> recall that it's possible, but I'm not sure if I want to try that out
> on one of my expensive bits to satisfy my curiosity.  It would be cool
> if it were possible; being able to cut clean slide-pot channels in an
> aluminum chassis would then be trivial using my plunge router and a
> straight bit.
>
> -PRH
>
> On Sunday, October 17, 2004, at 10:03 PM, John L Marshall wrote:
>
> > Jim,
> >
> > I use a table saw or a circular saw with a carbide tipped blade to cut
> > aluminum. I works very well; fast and clean.
> >
> > Take care,
> > John