baltic birch questions about chipping

[groomden]

hi,

i'm trying to route out some 1/2 inch baltic birch at 80in/min with a 2 flute upspiral solid carbide 1/4 inch bit. even with ramping, i'm getting a little tear out. i've got my router spinning at about 75% of its juice and making passes with a .2 inch depth. its a porter cable 690.

does anyone with more experience know if i want to speed the bit up, slow it down, dig deeper or perform some third operation i don't know about yet? any input is mucho appreciated.

thanks,
dennis

[ger21]

If you cut across the grain and are just trimming a small amount off the edge, Baltic Birch will chip badly. make sure you leave material on the outside of the bit when crosscutting. If that doesn't help, you'll need to switch to a downcut spiral.

[jsheerin]

Hi Gerry,
I'm planning a future project in baltic birch. Would you always use a spiral bit as opposed to a standard straight blade router bit?

Thanks,
John

[ger21]

If cost is no issue, then yes, I'd always use a spiral. At work, in our CNC, we only use spiral bits, with the exception being indexable insert cutters. Spirals allow you to cut much faster.

[BobF]

If your setup will allow it, you might try climb milling.