[Gary-Wiant]

Now that I'm getting our router building really close to being finished I figured it's about time to order some bits but I have no idea what to get. Can anyone tell me a list of Sign making bits so I can purchase myself a good "Starter set"?

I know I'm going to need straight cut, ball end, V-bits and engraving bits but i have no idea about upcut / down cut 1 flute / 2 flute etc. I know O-Flute are good to get the material away from your work surface but that's about it.

Thanks for the help
Gary

[ger21]

Never buy a "starter set", unless you want a bunch of bits that you'll never use.Each application will require different bits.

Having said that, here's what I'd get:
1/8" and 1/4" downcut spirals.
1/16" and 1/8" ballnose, or tapered ballnose.
60° and 90° V bits (high quality).
"O" flutes are for plastic and aluminum. (don't use the same bits for both)
Different materials may require specific bits for best cut quality.

There's no substitute for years of experience and trial and error when deciding which bits to use.

[CNCMAN172]

Her provided a pretty good list, but I would add a 1/4" ball nose as well. 1/8" endmills and ballnose get used a lot in signs and the most common sign bit is v-bit, those signs cut fast and are popular

Russ

[Gary-Wiant]

That's what I was looking for thanks, as in "Starter set" I meant a set of bits to start with not necessarily a kit of bits to buy.

So down cut spirals not any upcut?

Thanks
Gary

[ger21]

For wood, I almost always use downcut, unless it's a deep pocket.
For plastics, the "O" flutes are upcuts.

[KH0UJ]

If you want to go on cheap but reliable option you can use 1/8 - 1/4 blank carbide then you can sharpen it your way, works every time for me because I used a 24K RPM spindle motor, rule of thumb on router bits, the more the flutes the lower the RPM spindle and the higher RPM spindle the lesser the flutes, on a 24K RPM spindle you`ll get the motor`s full potential (both torque and speed) if you run it @ full RPM and lesser power consumption too, if you run it on a 12K range you get low torque + double the power consumption on the motor itself, in the old days you need to use multi flute bits because the motors in the past doesn't run above 12K RPM, to cut the story short 24K spindle motor uses cheap and easy to re sharpen single flute bits.