3mm groove in inox steel

[rado7rado]

Hi guys.I have a question about making a object from 30mm stainless steel.There is a little problem and this is how to cut or mill a 3mm groove(shown with green circle). This groove must go thru entire piece. I added plan so you can see what i mean. Please I need help and advice how to do this?
Thank in advance for any suggestion and answer.
P.S.: Sorry for my bad English. I hope you understand what I mean.

[PixMan]

You will find it's nearly impossible to get a 3mm wide groove to that 30mm depth without breaking a fair number of end mills. The shorter "leg" of the cut could be done with a HSS or carbide slitting saw, no way to get one into the 35mm bore.

May I ask why you are using stainless steel for a big bicycle or motorcycle part, rather than the aluminum which everyone else uses? That's awfully expensive stuff to work with, and very heavy.

[DaveH]

The best way to cut a thin slot that deep is to use a slitting cutter. However the design shown does not lend it's self to use a slitting cutter. A single straight slot is easier to achieve.
My 2 cents  
 
DaveH

[rado7rado]

(06-26-2015, 12:40 PM)PixMan Wrote: You will find it's nearly impossible to get a 3mm wide groove to that 30mm depth without breaking a fair number of end mills. The shorter "leg" of the cut could be done with a HSS or carbide slitting saw, no way to get one into the 35mm bore.

May I ask why you are using stainless steel for a big bicycle or motorcycle part, rather than the aluminum which everyone else uses? That's awfully expensive stuff to work with, and very heavy.

Thanks for answer. I use stainless steel because is heavier then aluminum. I'm making a VW trike and regulation in our country is that minimum weight of pressure on first wheel must not be less then 100 kilograms when trike is empty. And if I made this part just from steel then there is cost of chroming this part end then are we in end part on same expense.

[lilyies]

Drill it out first than clean it up with a slot mill

[Roadracer_Al]

If you rearrange your clamping screw, you can do it quite straight forward with a slitting saw.  And, there's no reason the slit must be radial to the fork tube, either.  It will clamp just as well if the slit is at a convenient angle for using the slitting saw!!  The pinch bolt, however, should be tangent.



Also, the slit doesn't have to be open, or narrow.  A .25" / 6 mm wide slot will work perfectly fine.

[TomG]

Since you probably don't have a wire EDM at your disposal, another option would be to band saw it. Just weld (or braze) the blade together with it through the hole and saw the inner slot, then the outer slot, or vice versa. Make sure you lay it out first so you have good lines to follow.

Tom