2” Diameter Copper Stud

[Toolman]

It measures 2 inch diameter by 12 inches long made from #110 solid copper bar. I got a tell ya, machine this thing was a bitch. It machined like Play-Doh. I started on the CNC lathe with coolant and that was a total failure. The problem with the CNC was you need to be able to stop at the end of a pass and clear the chunks of crap off of the tool bit before it goes back in and makes another pass. The first bar I made was scrapped. Ended up on the engine Lathe with WD-40 as a lubricant taking very light cuts probably about 100 passes to make this thing. The pitch was 4.5 per inch. I learned a lot, the hard way. The clumps of melted copper are from the CNC lathe attempt. Drilling the pipe thread hole which goes 5 inches deep, created the same problem. Had to take small pecks with lots of WD-40 to keep it from melting down in the hole and sticking to the drill bit. In one of the pics, you can see my aluminum test piece on the CNC lathe which came out just fine. Just the raw sawcut bar was $200. The company that this was for makes equipment that flows high volumes of electricity through their equipment.

 

[RaceTec]

Machining bubble gum! Nice job!

 

[sonicss31]

You got it done and it sure looks purdy.

 

[mattyc]

It measures 2 inch diameter by 12 inches long made from #110 solid copper bar. I got a tell ya, machine this thing was a bitch. It machined like Play-Doh. I started on the CNC lathe with coolant and that was a total failure. The problem with the CNC was you need to be able to stop at the end of a pass and clear the chunks of crap off of the tool bit before it goes back in and makes another pass. The first bar I made was scrapped. Ended up on the engine Lathe with WD-40 as a lubricant taking very light cuts probably about 100 passes to make this thing. The pitch was 4.5 per inch. I learned a lot, the hard way. The clumps of melted copper are from the CNC lathe attempt. Drilling the pipe thread hole which goes 5 inches deep, created the same problem. Had to take small pecks with lots of WD-40 to keep it from melting down in the hole and sticking to the drill bit. In one of the pics, you can see my aluminum test piece on the CNC lathe which came out just fine. Just the raw sawcut bar was $200. The company that this was for makes equipment that flows high volumes of electricity through their equipment. View attachment 1383450 View attachment 1383451 View attachment 1383452 View attachment 1383453 View attachment 1383454

Looks like you got it figured out, threads are beautiful. When working with a material you're unfamiliar with, do you ever order a little extra to waste while getting dialed in?

 

[Toolman]

Looks like you got it figured out, threads are beautiful. When working with a material you're unfamiliar with, do you ever order a little extra to waste while getting dialed in?

Yes, I could’ve ordered a short piece of the same material for probably 50 or $60 and try the threading on that. But honestly, I never expected the problems I ran into. This customer has some very exotic materials that they use in building their machinery and I need to be a little more careful and resourceful to find out what I’m getting into. Lol

 

[oldboatsrule]

Next time, grind the drill with one cutting edge longer than the other. This will cause the drill to cut oversized and not get stuck in the hole.

Also turn with high speed steel tooling with a high rake..

 

[bilz]

No where near my knowledge or skill, but still very interesting.

 

[clark]

It measures 2 inch diameter by 12 inches long made from #110 solid copper bar. I got a tell ya, machine this thing was a bitch. It machined like Play-Doh. I started on the CNC lathe with coolant and that was a total failure. The problem with the CNC was you need to be able to stop at the end of a pass and clear the chunks of crap off of the tool bit before it goes back in and makes another pass. The first bar I made was scrapped. Ended up on the engine Lathe with WD-40 as a lubricant taking very light cuts probably about 100 passes to make this thing. The pitch was 4.5 per inch. I learned a lot, the hard way. The clumps of melted copper are from the CNC lathe attempt. Drilling the pipe thread hole which goes 5 inches deep, created the same problem. Had to take small pecks with lots of WD-40 to keep it from melting down in the hole and sticking to the drill bit. In one of the pics, you can see my aluminum test piece on the CNC lathe which came out just fine. Just the raw sawcut bar was $200. The company that this was for makes equipment that flows high volumes of electricity through their equipment. View attachment 1383450 View attachment 1383451 View attachment 1383452 View attachment 1383453 View attachment 1383454

I'm as far from a machnist as you can get so this may be a stupid question but would't brass have been eaiser?

 

[lenmann]

I'm as far from a machnist as you can get so this may be a stupid question but would't brass have been eaiser?

Copper is king for conductivity, brass is definitely better for machinability. Given that the customer is conducting what appears to be a bit of juice...

"Using standard measurements, copper has a conductivity rating of 58 milliSiemens per meter (mS/m).

Brass is significantly less conductive than copper, with a rating of about 16 mS/m. This is due to the zinc found in most brass alloys. Zinc has one of the lower conductive ratings found in metals, so it lowers the overall conductivity of the brass by a significant margin."

Source: https://sendcutsend.com/blog/mediev...ard measurements, copper has,of about 16 mS/m.

 

[Toolman]

Next time, grind the drill with one cutting edge longer than the other. This will cause the drill to cut oversized and not get stuck in the hole.

Also turn with high speed steel tooling with a high rake..
View attachment 1385105 View attachment 1385106

Thanks Len. I’ll give that a shot next time, if there is a next time. L O L

 

[bonesfab]

I make little buss bars for circuit breakers out of 1/8" x 3/8" copper strap. I hate drilling the 3/16" holes in that shit. I can't imagine the headache that was.

 

[CoolCruzin]

Nice finish in the the thread