Routing Steel

Sound insane? It isn’t as uncommon as you’d think, but it does take a router bit that goes well above and beyond what is normally used in the woodworking arena. (Perhaps one suited to Australian hardwood!!)

You need a cutter that has a surface harder than the material you want to cut, and durable enough to survive the loading and impact. Start with a quality carbide, and not just carbide tips brazed to a steel core, but solid, micrograin carbide.

To dramatically increase wear resistance, apply an aluminium titanium nitride (AlTiN) coating, and with a few physical attributes (upcut, mill end, corner chamfer) you have a router bit that can rout and mill steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass, copper, even titanium.

The router bits here are specifically designed for CNC machines, which is a good thing, as you can then accurately control feed rates to match the material being cut.

Lubricant/coolant is highly recommended, so things could get a bit messy.

Fascinating what materials engineering makes possible.

Seen while perusing the Toolstoday.com website. The concept caught my eye!