[contactbenjamin]

hi cnc users in Australia
as the title mentions - I would like to cut through 19mm pine boards using a 1/8 size endmill.
can anybody point me in the right direction to an endmill which can do this - preferably solid carbide.

much appreciated!

benjamin

[awerby]

That's not a great idea, Ben. Carbide is brittle, and driving a skinny tool like that through wood at full depth will break it quickly. Instead, take a lot of shallower cuts at higher speeds; you'll get there eventually...

[contactbenjamin]

thanks Andrew - is it possible to go through the 19mm pine in one pass using a 1/4 or 1/2 inch piece?
or do I simply need to be more patient?

thanks again

benjamin

[awerby]

More patience would be better, but thicker tools are less likely to break. On the other hand, they're more likely to cause lost step errors by bogging down and not breaking. A good rule of thumb is to cut half the diameter of the tool in a single pass, Once that's working well for you, you can try going deeper, but if you're just starting out, it's better to finish the job than to break tools or end up with a bad cut. When production speed becomes a big issue, then sure, you can try pushing it, but take it easy to start with.

[Eclipze]

1/4" would be significantly better for such a job, but would recommend multiple passes. The deeper you go, the more issues you will have with tool heat and pulling the material out. The slot will get clogged up with machined material, particularly if you use a 4-flute for tool rigidity. I would recommend to have compressed air to aid with both material removal and keeping the tool from getting too hot.

[RCaffin]

"I would like to ..."
does not mean there is a good solution.

As OP have suggested, you WILL need multiple passes if you want any sort of reliability.

Cheers
Roger

[victorofga]

a very general thumbrule don't excess diameter x 2...

for a 3/4 board a 3/8 dia should be safe..
1/4 still works..


yet it possible to cut trough in one pass with a 1/8 .. but most likely it breaks very quickly, if not immediately..

[aarggh]

"I would like to ..."
does not mean there is a good solution.

As OP have suggested, you WILL need multiple passes if you want any sort of reliability.

Cheers
Roger

Apart from the fact that pine is gummy as hell, and will stick, clog and smoke like mad if you try to push the cutter too hard. It also has alternating light and harder grain sections that make it a little more dificult to machine consistently.

As others have pointed out, your far better off with a lot of really fast but shallow passes than signifcantly deep cuts.

cheers, Ian

[contactbenjamin]

thanks for the replys everyone - very helpful - I'm glad I asked, otherwise I would have persisted trying to do it in one pass.
thanks again

benjamin