Milling machine tool in a router

[MG David]

I have recently bought a router which has collets to take all the common sizes of router tool up to a 1/2 inch shank. While I bought for a wood working project I have been wondering about using it as a poor man's milling machine.

Has any one tried doing that?

Did you use milling machine tools in the router?

Hoe did you get on?

 

[gordon stephenson]

I would think for most applications it would be far too fast,

 

[BrokenBiker]

if you match the speed of the cutter with the correct material it may work but i wouldn't want to try it

 

[brightspark]

cutting aluminium thats about all and even then a bit fast

 

[clift_d]

^WHS - various manufacturers e.g. Trend, produce HSS bits for window industry use e.g. slotting, keyholes, but they tend to be for use in CNC machines and would almost certainly need to be used in a router with variable speed.

 

[MrFluffy]

Surface speed for aluminium is close to wood. I use my wood vertical bandsaw on fairly hefty aluminium plate (50mm thick isnt unknown) with no speed changes, just lots of very light oil as a coolant/lubricant and massive amounts of patience as its only 300w. Steel is a different story of course as above.

There was a guy on one of the car forums getting amazing results out of a handheld router on aluminium. But I think he had no fear, and was probably missing the odd finger or two. Would you really want to be holding the handles when something goes wrong and it has a major moment?

 

[brightspark]

Surface speed for aluminium is close to wood. I use my wood vertical bandsaw on fairly hefty aluminium plate (50mm thick isnt unknown) with no speed changes, just lots of very light oil as a coolant/lubricant and massive amounts of patience as its only 300w. Steel is a different story of course as above.

There was a guy on one of the car forums getting amazing results out of a handheld router on aluminium. But I think he had no fear, and was probably missing the odd finger or two. Would you really want to be holding the handles when something goes wrong and it has a major moment?

not without a full face shield and thick leather gauntlets + I HAVE NO NEED TO

 

[MrFluffy]

I think it would be one of those "seemed like a good idea at the time" conversations you can have with the emergency ward triage nurse

 

[Wallace]

Hmm.... Freehand climb milling, could be fun.

 

[nickk]

the other problem is lack of mass/rigidity @ the nose which will accelerate bearing wear & may promote cracks in the wafer thin casting.

 

[MattF]

There was a guy on one of the car forums getting amazing results out of a handheld router on aluminium. But I think he had no fear, and was probably missing the odd finger or two. Would you really want to be holding the handles when something goes wrong and it has a major moment?

I'd say more along the lines of plain stupid than fearless. The mere principle is not an accident waiting to happen, it's simply an inevitable accident in motion.

 

[MG David]

I will give it a miss then.

 

[MattF]

Wise choice. The machines will generally always win against muscle at the slightest hint of a kick back or jam.

 

[graffian]

There was a guy on one of the car forums getting amazing results out of a handheld router on aluminium. But I think he had no fear, and was probably missing the odd finger or two. Would you really want to be holding the handles when something goes wrong and it has a major moment?

I remember seeing that. I think I saw it the day I helped a mate routing some wood, I told him to try climb routing, it was quite funny to watch..