I finally tried that old-school trick for chatter on thin walls

For years I thought the guys talking about using a rubber band on the tool holder were just messing around. Then I had this one part, a 6-inch aluminum tube with a 0.040 wall, that just would not stop singing no matter what speeds or feeds I tried. Out of pure frustration, I wrapped a thick rubber band around the holder like they said. The chatter stopped almost completely on the next pass. Has anyone else found a weird trick that actually works when the normal fixes fail?

4 comments

4 Comments

casey3421mo ago

That trick reminds me of using a zip tie on a router bit for the same reason.

noahr431mo ago

Wait, you put a zip tie on a spinning router bit? That sounds like a good way to launch a little plastic missile across the room. I get the idea of adding mass to stop a vibration, but on a router going what, twenty thousand RPM? That zip tie is gonna stretch and fly off before you even flip the switch. I'd be hiding behind the workbench.

the_thomas1mo ago

Rubber bands and zip ties just seem like a band-aid fix to me. If the chatter is that bad, maybe the setup or the tool itself is the real problem. @casey342 mentioned a router bit, but that's a whole different kind of tool. It's hard to believe a piece of rubber is a real solution for a machine shop. Wouldn't you want to find the actual cause instead of just quieting the noise?

hunt.jennifer24d ago

Totally get where you're coming from! It does feel like putting a band-aid on a bigger problem. Finding the root cause of chatter is always the smart move for a good finish and tool life. But sometimes in the middle of a job, you try whatever works to get through the cut, even if it seems silly. Then you can figure out the real fix later when you have time.