Question about using a boring head on Aluminum

[hephaestus]

The usual cheap flat top boring tools? If so then yeah. There's no chip breaker on those. If you were using an insert bar in the head that had a proper chip breaker design for aluminium it would be all small pieces.

I've got a set of shars on order for the
boring head, they should be here next
week.

[mc_n_g]

Yes it is common. Especially in if you use HSS.
You will most likely not be cutting heavy enough to break chips.
You would also not be cutting at a high enough speed and deep enough to take advantage of chip breakers.
Just make sure you clear the the built up edge off the tool. It will affect the finish and cut a little deeper.

[BCRider]

The usual cheap flat top boring tools? If so then yeah. There's no chip breaker on those. If you were using an insert bar in the head that had a proper chip breaker design for aluminium it would be all small pieces.

[TN Pat]

A boring head functionally is hardly any different from boring on a lathe... it's more unstable and less rigid, of course. But in terms of the cutting action, it's virtually identical, so yes - you'll get long strings. It would take a very aggressive chipbreaker to get C's and 9's off of aluminum.

[ahidley]

Grind in, add, a chip breaker

[Toolguy]

That is fairly common.

[hephaestus]

Is it common to have long stringy chips
when boring out a hole in aluminum?

I'm using ground carbide at about
1000 rpm
The hole started out at 1" going to just
over 2" it is leaving a nice finish though.