Where to buy cutters

[justCNCit]

Hi, I just got my CNC wood router up and running. I bought cheap style cutters that the hardware sold, but the smallest cutter they had was 1/4" Dia. Also their cutters are unable to plunge unless I use the ball end ones. These are all just standard router cutters.

Where could I find something more of and end mill style like on real mills(spiral flute). But for cutting wood, or even just ones with a 1/4" shank.

Thanks for the help.

[ger21]

www.vortextool.com
www.eagle-america.com

[DIY-Guy]

Thanks to all the helpful people here at CNCZone.Com, I've found these sites to be helpful for selecting cutters for wood and other materials. Feel free to let us know of any other suppliers you find!

http://www.ekstromcutter.com/highspe...routerbits.htm
https://www.onsrud.com/
http://www.carbidespecialties.com/Products.htm

DIY-Guy "Reinventing the 'newbie' process of learning DIY CNC."

[dertsap]

http://www.kbctools.com/can/main.cfm

these guys are fairly reasonable in price and i would imagine shipping wouldn t be too bad , at least you wouldn t have to deal with cross boarder brokerage fees if things are shipped thru a courier
winnipeg is booming in manufacturing so there must be some decent tool companies around you , if your close to the city

[randallcasters]

Hi,
This place has good prices, and has plunge cutting carbide bits.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/

[justCNCit]

Thanks for the info, and a couple additional questions.

I just got the CNC up and running a couple weeks ago and was thinking about experimenting on 2x4's. However it is looking like an expensive thing to run even as an experiment.

A friend of mine from winnipeg tells me that wood cutters dull fast. So I was wondering if it was true that they dull that fast, of course, my bits are HSS but his factory probably uses at least HSS. Some of the toolpaths I want to run are fairly big, eg. larger wood signs, so this has become a worry.

Ordering from the states is always a pain, so if I order something it would be nice to get it right the first time.

ps. my router tends to burn the work, even at 25 IPM.

[ger21]

HSS bits dull extremely fast in wood, and should be avoided. Bits dull due to heat, and to get the longest life, you need to cut much faster or use a lower rpm to minimize the heat. Depends on bit diameter and type, but a 1/2" bit should be run at 100-300ipm at ~10-15,000 rpm for decent tool life. 25ipm will kill bits in a hurry.

[randallcasters]

Hi,
The burning (depending on what you're cutting) is probably a dull
cutter, too slow ipm or a combo of both. Hss cutters take a better edge
but carbide lasts longer. How they dull depends on how often you use them and on what.
The adhesives used in mdf are quite abrasive, as are woods with a high
silica content (like makore for example).
Try going out and finding material for test cuts and practice.
In a lot of areas, there is usually a way to do it cheaper if you think about it.

[randallcasters]

ger21, I just noticed you happen to be just up the road from where I live.
I'm in Wyoming. Isn't there a club in Shelby that has an open mike night?

[ger21]

I'm north of Detroit, and you're near Grand Rapids? not too close, I think you have the wrong place.

[Clockwork]

Try Ebay with the search "solid carbide spiral". Can usually get a better deal over there.

I'm using 2-flute spiral upcut bits and have over 100 hours on some of them cutting soft and hard woods as well as MDF. Plunge works fine. When not in use I soak them in a jar of acetone to dissolve any residue accumulation from the previous session.

Be aware that the same physics that lifts the chips up out of the hole will also exert forces that pull the workpiece up from the table. Make sure everything is clamped securely.

[justCNCit]

I'm guessing that carbide allows me to cut with whatever RPM but at a low feedrate in wood without dulling as fast.

My machine can only go about 30 IPM tops. Being stepper motor driven. There is no way it'll go 300!