The choice of bits really depends on what you plan to do with them. If you're cutting large shapes out of plywood, that's going to take different bits than if you're doing 3D work in plastic.
I have a new Colex Sharpcut with CNC Router for the shop and I'm working on getting a JCut set up for home use.
my questions is bits.
What are your go-to sizes and profiles, and where do you get them from?
Looking for a good balance between price and durability.
As a complete newbie to CNC Routing, I expect that I will break a LOT of bits as i'm starting out, so I don't want to be spending a fortune on a single bit, would rather have a cheaper bit that might not be as high of quality to practice with while i'm learning.
Thank you!
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The choice of bits really depends on what you plan to do with them. If you're cutting large shapes out of plywood, that's going to take different bits than if you're doing 3D work in plastic.
[FONT=Verdana]Andrew Werby[/FONT]
[URL="http://www.computersculpture.com/"]Website[/URL]
A 1/8-1/4 concrete nail is the cheapest I can think of on a practice tool bit, sharpened to a single flute, you`ll be amazed how durable it is when you master the art of custom sharpening in fact I still use the technique today on thicker materials that no other tool bit available locally that long (100mm. above) to cut through it.
no sarcasm there at all. LOL
primarily for 3D CNC routing of either oak, MDF, or plywood.
I understand it's like asking what is your preferred bread or such, but looking for possibly a rough idea of what to look for.
I've gathered that having a couple sizes of end mills and ball nose bits will generally cover. What I don't know so much is why the different flutes? Are coated bits really better for the cost? What to use for fine detail work, etc.
I'm having a hard time finding information, or anyone who's willing to share / help.
I'd suggest other materials for your 3D work; oak is stringy and tends to pull out, MDF is dusty and doesn't look good when you're done, while plywood takes a lot of filling and sanding to form a decent surface when cut across the layers. Hardwoods with an even grain structure, like walnut, maple, and poplar work better. But in general, you want 2-flute ball end tooling for 3D carving in wood. (4-flute tools are best for harder materials, like steel). Down-cut bits (with a reverse spiral) will help avoid tear-out in plywood and oak, although they aren't as good at expelling chips. You usually do a roughing pass with the largest-diameter tool you've got, leaving .050" or so over the finished depth, and then choose the largest one for the finishing pass that's small enough to get into the details. I like using tapered ball-end cutters for finishing when possible given the design, since they have a small tip for details but are much less likely to break than tools which are the same width all the way up. New HSS tooling is sharper than carbide, and works better initially, but carbide tools keep their edge longer, especially when cutting abrasive materials like plywood. Check the Links section of my site for various tooling suppliers: ComputerSculpture.com ? External Links
[FONT=Verdana]Andrew Werby[/FONT]
[URL="http://www.computersculpture.com/"]Website[/URL]
thank you!
that was a very helpful answer. Probably one of the best i've found!
I will check out your site for suppliers. the couple bits i've gotten to play with are just random amazon purchases which have had the expected random success and results.