I need your help.

I would make it the size of a commercial one.
Then you can use standard inserts/rings
.
Jamie

-- Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though 'twere his own. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If you need I can go and measure my one if that would help?

Jamie

-- Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though 'twere his own. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Alba has the right idea. I would take his suggestion.

Erwin, Jacksonville, FL

-- Erwin, Jacksonville, FL

I like your idea Jamie. I’m challenged by the fact that I have no way to mill out the material in the plate to accept the rings. Any suggestions there?

-- Doug - Make an effort to live by the slogan "We try harder"

Aluminum should mill just like wood with your carbide bits, so set up your router with a jig/guide bearing to give you the hole size you need, set the depth of cut to leave a rim for the insert to set on and your ready to go. I’ve used vinegar to act as a lubricant when cutting aluminum, don’t know why it works but was advised many years ago by someone who knew far more about metal working than I do so I tried it. Mind you I’ve never sprayed vinegar whilst using the router, so you may want to proceed cautiously there.

You may want to use your shop vac instead of your dust collector to collect the schwarf from the milling process, unless you don’t mind loading up your DC with tiny bits o’aluminium.

-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

Mark has answered that one.
Lard is what we use for lubrication when cutting aluminium.
jamie

-- Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though 'twere his own. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

You can use a hole saw in your drill press for the initial hole. Just use water and dish soap for a lubricant. Then work it out with a template and a template bit. I would use a variable speed router and lower speed so as not over heat the aluminum. Rand

Thanks for all the input. I have a machinist background and I have found that WD-40 and CRC work well as lubricants when machining aluminum. I keep WD-40 on hand soley for that purpose. I do have acces to a knee mill and an indexing table. How thick are most manufactured insert rings? My insert plate is only 1/4” thick.

-- Doug - Make an effort to live by the slogan "We try harder"

I agree with the comment about doing one to fit commercial template rings and a second for the monster bits.

As an alternative, you could thread the hole and make your own template rings if you want, but that’s probably more work than necessary.

-- The nicer the nice, the higher the price!