Finally Started My Router Project

[Ozinus]

Finally got my Linear rails today can't wait to get out in the garage and fit them one hold up I didn't think about is the metric treaded holes in the slides a trip to lowes in the morning will solve that little delay.

Happy to be getting closer to completion.

Ozinus

[Jason Marsha]

The machine looks great in that color. Post some pictures when you get the linear rails on.

Jason

[Ozinus]

I am just a boy at heart I couldn't wait to make dust so it is assembled however I have not trued the axis yet nor painted the last few parts, But I did set up TurboCNC and cut out the sign in the picture the cutter that I used was a cheap Harbor freight item that flexed bad so the resulting cuts are not very smooth, new routing bits should change that, it's now time to true it all up and cut out some braces to strenthen and align the Y axis rails as they do flex even under the light cut loads that I did today.

As for Dave Kush's Arcsin Controller I cannot fault it at the moment after I have used it more I will be able to pass better judgement on it.

Ozinus

[Jason Marsha]

You still got a fairly decent cut in terms of the start/finish point of each letter being aligned.
What speed (ipm) did you cut at?

While using the small spiral cutters (1/32" to 1/16") I had to reduce my speed from 30 ipm (750 mmm), while cutting designs in pine and plywood, to less than 12 ipm (305 mmm) in order to cut purpleheart (a dense tropical hardwood which burns the bit if the router's rpm is too high)

Keep in mind a downcut bit will leave a smoother top edge than an upcut bit but it does not clear the bottom of the cut of sawdust like the upcut bit.

Jason

[Ozinus]

I think I cut at 8 imp but the long 1/8 cutter was just HSS which flexes pretty bad today I bought a 1/4 up spiral carbide bit and hope to give it a try today sometime, Bye the way my test piece was MDF and I am guessing that the rpm was too high for it, so I will try some other settings for rpm and travel speed to find a happy medium. (So much to learn so little time)

I set the machine to drill a 3" X3" grid of holes which I have tapped for hold downs I measured them with a tape measure and they appear to be right on.

I have now hooked in my Router speed controller so I can now vary the spindle rpm, however the harbor freight cutout tool is not overly powerful but should be ok for some light cuts.

Ozinus

[Jason Marsha]

The carbide bit should give a better cut. If you can, get a downcut bit and see the difference. Solid carbide is the only way to go when cutting mdf as it just eats up HSS bits.
Keep the cut pics coming.

Jason

[ger21]

Downcut bits will run hotter and get dull quicker, because the chips have no where to go. They will give a cleaner top edge on the cut, though.

[Jason Marsha]

That's right ger21, I forgot to mention that.
In order to extend the life of my bits when cutting purpleheart I have been using the inhibit feature of mach2 to to make a shallow initial cut instead of pushing the bit too hard and then end up burning it with high rpms.

Jason