Dremel with 1/8" endmill - what cutting speeds for 1/2" MDF

[HankMcSpank]

I'm just finishing my cheapskate's CNC build....the last thing I need to kludge is a Dremel tool mount for the Z plane.

I intend designing my own Dremel mount (unless someone has already done this & can supply the G-Code - It's a Dremel 300!).

Today, I had my first trial run with a 1/8" endmill in my Dremel, which I'd clamped to the Z plane. Truthfully, it was all information overload, but I was almost cowering in the corner thinkng that the endmill was going to snap leaving me with it embedded in my cheek! So this got me pondering....

So as not to end up with a shiny 1/8" endmill embedded in my cheek, to cut 1/2" MDF with a 1/8" endmill on a Dremel 300, what...

Speed should I set my Dremel
What should I set the feed rate
What's the maximum depth I should I go for with each pass.

After I've made this toolholder, for the foreseeable future, my CNC machine is only going to be cutting 1/8" plastic, so I don't need to think about upgrading the Dremel just yet.

[nlancaster]

This may give you an idea, it is from Onsruds website and really is designed for thier cutters. I have yet to use any of them as I am still building my machine but alot of people like Onsrud cutters.

https://www.onsrud.com/xdoc/FeedSpeeds

that may help you pick a good feed/speed setup for your cutter in your machine.

[BobF]

The Onsrud info is good information. Don't cut more than 1 D in depth with cutters until you know your machine and maybe never. For a 1/8" cutter that means 1/8" max.

[HankMcSpank]

Thank you to you both.

I've since done some trial cuts - 1/8" deep cuts at about 20" per minute seems to work out ok for my feeble machine!

[jsheerin]

Buy a piece of lexan. Mount it between you and your machine. No more fear of cutters embedded in you. Make sure it's lexan and not something else. I have one that's easily removable. Keeps the metal chips on the machine instead of all over me which is the real reason I set it up.