Thanks Louie I will check them out.
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Thanks Louie I will check them out.
What would be a good bit to surface (facing) acrylic? I need to skim off 1.5 mm.
Best tool for acrylic is MCD (monocrystalline diamond) but it's uber-expensive. PCD is good... still expensive. Have to polish afterwards...Quote:
Originally Posted by ifeliciano
Ouch!. $150.Quote:
Originally Posted by louieatienza
That's a cheap one...Quote:
Originally Posted by ifeliciano
My 4'x8' table has a Bosch Colt motor (1hp, 16,000 - 35,000 rpm, 1/4" collet). I have been cutting wood with it and would now like to cut some thin mild steel sheet (< 26ga) and some 6061-T6 aluminum sheet (< 0.040) with it.
What bits should I use (specifically)?
What rpm?
What feed rate?
The table doesn't have a vacuum surface so I like to use down-cut bits to keep from lifting the sheet.
Thank you for your time,
Dave
I think for steel, you may have issues with the too high a spindle speed and not enough power. For the 6061, I have some parameters listed in the first couple pages (and in the descriptions in the videos), and I'd use a single-flute spiral O.Quote:
Originally Posted by davecove
These bits are made for cutting steel
https://www.toolstoday.com/cnc-route...end-mills.html
You're going to need to take really light passes, and keep it lubricated.
My first project is cutting decorative shapes out of 31ga galvenized steel roofing. Do I still need to lubricate? Or just watch my feed speeds?Quote:
Originally Posted by ger21
Dave
I would lubrication.
Hopefully this is a quick one for a guru..
Buddy needs 3/16 acrylic cut with a 20deg edge. He has given me a 20 deg, tapered endmill, 3 flute. At the tip it is 0.125" with a 0.500" depth/cutting edge
https://www.mcmaster.com/#8936a971/=1ckjmzx
What would be a good starting point for Feed and Spindle RPM (I'm using Bosch 1617 router). He really hasn't given me much scrap for test cuts so I would like to at least get in the parking lot, if not the ballpark before I test.
I would rough cut it a little oversize with a 1/4" 1 or 2 flute upcut, to provide clearance for the chips. Otherwise, you'll likely get a lot of melting.
Set the router to it's lowest rpm, and somewhere around 100ipm.
I had some aluminium profiling and pocket to do in 1/8 alu. For this I usually use a yonico 31011-SC 1/8 cutter for or Onsrud 63-610 o-flute when I need better surface finish.
I decided to give a try to HRC tools single flute cutters since I'm using their spot drills and chamfer cutters since one year and they do a decent job. I ordered two of their 3.5mm, 10mm LOC cutter. It is about the same price as Yonico and half the Onsrud.
First, one is really 3.5mm the other is a couple thou off more like 3.4mm... Not a really good start.
For pocketing, it does an ok job when climb cutting but seems to tears material instead of cutting it when doing conventional cutting. A first for me...
When profiling it makes the same sound as a dull cutter and I ended up with welded aluminium on the cutters. 30 bucks wasted.
I took an old Yonico to finish the job and I did manage to finish the job even if the cutter was a little bit dull.
The moral of this story, stay with trusted brands. ;)
I have to say, I appreciate this thread. However, the sticky really makes it seem like its most useful if one already has some idea what they're looking for. Unfortuantely, I don't.
I'm just getting started, but I'm having a very hard time determining the correct bit for a project. For example, I've got this coaster here: https://easel.inventables.com/projec...Xd0LYBqL2CghEg
Should be pretty simple. But, unfortunately, I can use 60 or 90 V-bits and it gets close to usable - some of the letters are still a bit deformed. If I try a ball-end, I get total garbage - a circle with some blobs.
I've got a 10-degree v-bit that might work, but the estimated time is more than 50 hours, which is obviously nuts for a 4x4 coaster.
Can anyone offer any suggestions here?
Hi what CAD and CAM software are you using and what machine are you using?
Looks like it's just pocketed. In that case, use the largest straight bit that will give you the detail you need in the letters. This may require a very small bit, which can take a lot of time. You could also use a larger bit to remove most of the material, and a small bit to clean up the letters.
In VCarve, you can select a flat area tool to clear the field, this looks like it can be up to a 1/8" flat endmill. The finishing toolpath would be with your v bit. If you don't have VCarve, you probably can do this using a flat endmill, leaving half the diameter of your v bit at final depth along the sides, then do a pencil trace with the v bit... but that would leave tiny islands that you'll have to manually touch up. Point is, you need CAM that allows what we call "rest machining" so you can clear the field with a larger tool.Quote:
Originally Posted by Merijeek
I'm using a BobsCNC E3, and the software I've tried has been Easel. I've messed with Vcarve a bit, but only the free version so far, which isn't worth a whole lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by LouF
OK, going with that advice I've run a simulation with a 1mm cutting endmill followed by my 10-degree v-bit. Total time looks to be about 2h30m. Which is certainly a move in the right direction. Now I need the new bits to actually arrive.Quote:
Originally Posted by ger21
What would be a good cutter to cut pockets and chamfer in Trespa phenolic panels on my router?
Do downcut or upcut makes a difference?
My spindle goes from 7 500 to 20 000 rpm; whats are the base feed and speed?
I have from 1 to 4 flutes cutters.
I know that diamond coated would be best but I'll have to stick to HSS or carbide.
Thanks