Thank you Neil for your complete and explanatory advice, I really appreciate that.
I will get that purple de-greaser and try again.
Thanks again!
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Awesome Post! This is exactly want I wanted to see to help sell me on a machine. I want to make some metal brackets like this as well.
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@UlisesJuarez Any luck?
I am soaking the router bits in purple de-greaser, so this weekend I hope I will try it again.
I will post the results.
Thanks!
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I soaked the router bit router on that purple stuff for a week, but I didn’t have any results. I also tried torching them for a few min but not results. I might need to get a new router bit.
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Are the bits coated in anything? If they are coated in Titanium Nitride then you can soak that portion (and only that portion) in Lye dissolved in deionized water. The aluminum should be dissolved away in a short period of time.
WARNING - Lye is caustic, so take safety precautions accordingly if you use it. And … use it at your own risk … 
{:0)
Brandon Parker
Ugh… I’ve only ever done it overnight and the welded aluminum was gone. Been a while since I’ve had to do it, but I’ll track down my purple degreaser and see what type it is. An old machinist neighbor of mine gave me the tip originally.
I have used granulated lye (intended for opening blocked sinks) myself.
Glass jar and glove/glasses as the watered mixture get hot.
kerosene is really good for small diameter end mill cutting and drilling. doesnt cook down to a sticky residue, and chips dont stick to it especially if your drilling down a few millimeters… it allows the chips to fling clear as soon as your bit comes out of the hole.
I realize this thread is getting to be almost 10 years old but thought id mention onlinemetals has reasonable prices on sheet aluminum. 12x12" sheets of 1/8 are about $10.
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Thank you.