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Machining Zinc

RJT

Titanium
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Location
greensboro,northcarolina
Being asked to quote modifying some zinc Anodes. I'm thinking it will be gummy, kind of like copper, am I on the right track? I would need to drill and bore some 7/8 diameter holes through 1" thick bars, then press in some steel parts we are making. Any tips or secrets that will help? I've never machined zinc.
 
Can't help much but ;-

IM ltd E it can be gummy, like pure aluminium roof flashing, zinc is also very prone to fracture especially along a scratch or score line, so be careful on the press fit
 
-Cuts very easy, may be gummy/stick to the cutter. Cutting fluid advised if I need to say that. A lot depends upon the composition.

+1 per Limi Sami's advice about fracturing.
 
Not sure that zinc is dangerously toxic,unlike lead or tin. When I was young we had zinc oxide ointment-calamine.
You may be right. I just threw it out after a quick search said very little except for high doses. The swarf is going to worth recycling so keep it out of your lungs
Bill D
 
Are they pure zinc? Because sometimes alloying elements (copper content, usually, but not always) used for die casting can make the material very brittle, almost like acrylic. Machinable, but also easy to crack apart when hand drilling like acrylic is.
I've previously asked about some white die castings I was struggling with and it seemed to be common experience die cast "zinc" is brittle and pure zinc is not.
 








 
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