Cutters for Wood Question

[paulried]

For you wood cutters, what type and where are you getting your router bits from? I went down to Woodworkers Supply today and they had a few 1/4" and 1/8" straight bits that look more like milling machine bits and nothing in a bull nose less than 1/4" in dia. I need 1/4" or 1/8" shank.

Suggestions?

[balsaman]

I use carbide endmills that are designed for cutting steel. Available wherever cutting tools are sold.

Eric

[jemmyell]

Hi,

For 1/4" high-quality router bits I use Whiteside router bits, winner of the fine woodworking magazine router bit shootout. The best price is from LibraWood http://librawood.safeshopper.com/

For high-precision 1/8" shank micro tools I use PreciseCut tools.

http://www.precisecut.com.

PreciseCut also has a add-on 1/4" to 1/8" collet that has super low runout for VERY precise CNC applications.

[anoel]

James, I checked out your website link. I mess around with guitar building myself. I did my first inlay back in November. Have you tried CNC pearl/abalone cutting?

I'm really interested in doing a fairly intricate fingerboard inlay soon. Do you only sell inlay material via ebay or do you have a price list?

Nathan.

You can check out my first guitar at...

http://home.insightbb.com/~nnoel/

[ger21]

Wood router bits have different cutter geometry than metal cutting endmills, and should give cleaner cuts with less fuzzing and burning, but you need to find the optimal rpm for the feed speeds you are using. If your looking for spiral bits, check out

http://www.vortextool.com/index.cfm

They make great bits and also sharpen them, too. Mostly larger sizes, but they do have a few smaller than 1/4".

Gerry

[CNCadmin]

http://thinktink.com/stack/volumes/v...e/drillsup.htm

[CNCRouterm]

I have a CNC Router Job shop and also sell wood and aluminum routing tooling. I find Whiteside and Southeast Tooling to both be very wise choices for most wood applications. I sell both of these brands. I also find that Onsrud is the Cat's Meow for routing aluminum. I can resell their products also. As I use the products that I sell, I can provide real world answers to those applications where I have direct experience, or for those cases warranting the work, I can test cut customer specific combinations. I have a CNC Router with 13 Hp spindles, with useable RPM ranges from 1000 to 20000 rpm, peak torque hits at about 8000. I can test feeds to 3000 ipm, but I have yet to find a tool that can take much over 2400 ipm. As for small ball nose tools, let me know what you want specifically, and what kind of volume (number of bits you think you want at a time) and I will see what is available for you.

Eric
Routerworks
http://www.cncrouterworks.com

[jemmyell]

Hi Nathan,

Check out the Musical Instrument Inlay thread in this topic. It's on the last page. There you will see some stuff I have cut in both Abalam and natural pearl on my Liberty CNC router table. I do not have a price list currently, but I do sell direct and on eBay. In general, eBay has my current offerings but I usually have a LOT of items not currently listed. Have you ever tried chip inlay with crushed stone or shell? I also work a lot with Ivory.

[jemmyell]

Hi Paul,

Think & Tinker and PreciseCut are one and the same. Ron Reed, the president, is a very helpful person who gives GREAT technical support. The PreciseCut website has a LOT of info and more is being added all the time.

[coherent]

I found a place in Payson Arizona called woodline that has about the best "happy medium" for quality vs price I have found. So far I'm very pleased and so is my wallet...
http://www.woodbits.com/
-Marc