Aluminum, Corian and wood

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J

jbg230

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I saw a picture of a round blank that had about 1/2" Corian and a 1/4" band of aluminum on both ends of the black. The center was wood. Looked intriguing. I have some Corian and would like to try this combination. I might just visit an aluminum factory near me and ask for or buy a 1" diameter solid dowel. I usually turn with carbide. I've just never turned the Corian or anything more than veneer thckness of aluminum before.

- Do I truly need a metal blade on my bandsaw to cut the aluminum or Corian?
- Should I get a drill bit specifically for metal? Worried that I'll ruin my "pen turning only" bits.
-Any reason I can't use my carbide tool on the aluminum?
-Do I finish the aluminum and Corian with the same Micro Mesh I use for wood?

Thanks for any suggestions.
-Jake
 
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Corian cuts with any blade. Corian finishes with MM or wet or dry paper with water. Regular drill bits drill Aluminum don't know how special your drill bits are. Carbide tools work on Aluminum. Ask the Aluminum place about the best alloy for what you are doing. Never turned Al. that wide.
 
Questions
#1 absolutely will dull a wood blade real quick. Teeth are different configuration also so no grabbing. Same on a tablesaw except that carbide blades made for wood will also cut both materials. I will use an older blade if doing on a tablesaw or I have a dedicated non ferrous blade for tablesaw.
#2 no need to as long as you are not using a brad point bit for metals. Twist bits are made to drill metals and plastics and remember corion is plastic.
#3 yes carbide tools are perfect for turning those materials and highly recommended
#4 yes same finish techniques but remember when using aluminum or any metals cross contamination is highly likely. Not so with plastic and metal but with woods Needs to be considered when sanding and thus the reason I promote using a skew for final shapes and skip sanding.

Aluminum grade looking for is 6061
 
Remember that drilling (especially the aluminum) generates heat which will most likely un-glue your blank. Either drill a tiny bit at a time and let cool or drill your parts first and then assemble on the tube...square ends are important here.
 
- Do I truly need a metal blade on my bandsaw to cut the aluminum or Corian?
Click to expand...

I'm sorry! I tried to resist, but I'm just weak! I often find that a metal blade works much better than the cheap plastic ones that you can get at WalMart.

Okay, I'll leave quietly...
 
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