Using A Wood Router On Aluminum

Use cnc router bits for cutting aluminum carbide endmills cnc routers use a variety of specialized cutters that should not be used with aluminum.

Using a wood router on aluminum.

You want cutters specifically made for aluminum. You require the right hearing and eye protection during this process. Downcut spirals compression cutters and the like have no place in aluminum work. You can make anything with a router and a pile of wood.

When cutting aluminum material using your wood router it is advisable that you use carbide tipped bits and a variable speed router since you can regulate the cutting speed. The cutting blades may dull off after several uses on aluminum and therefore you need router bits that are hardy and durable. Any normal working router with standard carbide bits can be used to cut aluminum. We didn t go that far with our technique primer below but you can see how a woodshop workhorse like bosch s 1617evs router can contribute.

At its most basic a router is used to rout out or hollow out a hole or groove in a piece of wood metal or plastic producing finished edges cutaways curved contours and precise holes. Some woodworking experts use old candles wax on the cutting bit when cutting aluminum and they have found it to be effective as a lubricant. Having a whole setup constructed from aluminum is highly beneficial. To begin with cutting aluminum using a cnc router has its complexities as compared to cutting plastic or wood with it.

Firstly aluminum is a weak and sticky metal which tends to stick on to the cutting tool leaving gummy metal deposits on the cutting edges.