Tip: Dremeling aluminum

I have used my Dremel a lot on my project but have always been plagued by the aluminum clogging the flutes of the cutter causing slow cutting. Well, I tried Boelube on the cutting bur and its like MAGIC! The bur continues to cut fast and does not clog! I have the Boelube in the solid stick so what works best is to heat up the cutter (by running it on the aluminum) and touching it on the stick. The Boelube melts and runs up into the flutes.

Stewart Willoughby
RV6, finishing.

With a melting temp of 1250F it does not take long for a Dremel to reach the point where it "smears" the aluminum into the burr. Using a "cutting fluid" like Boulube cools the bit and help keep the material from sticking. Any cutting tool benifits from cutting fluid, even WD-40 works okay if that is all you have.

Good tip! Good stuff!

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/search/search.php?query=boelube&search=1

Stoo said:

.......I tried Boelube on the cutting bur and its like MAGIC!....

Click to expand...

Nice tip! You just taught this old dog a new trick.

Thanks for the tip! I just bought a Dremel last month to help with another project and I was thinking it could come in handy for the airplane build.

Cheers,

Tungsten Carbide

Try using a the tungsten carbide cutters from Dremel. They work like a rotating mill file and don't plug up. I think I have a #9901. Also the #115 high speed cutter works well. I think I got mine at True Value.