Hi Eric,
I think you're pushing it at that depth of cut for such a small cutter. Does it clear the chips really well? I'm surprised you haven't just broken it off.
Jen,
I heard you work with MDF alot. What thickness? What sort of feed rates, tools etc?
I was cutting 3/8" MDF in one pass at up to 40" per minute but tool life isn't great (1/8" carbide 2 flute endmill). I would say it starts getting dull in about 2 hours. Still cuts but you get more fuzz on the edges. The dull carbide still seems to cut oak and other materials fine.
Is there a trick to making the cutter last a little longer?
Eric
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I wish it wouldn't crash.
Hi Eric,
I think you're pushing it at that depth of cut for such a small cutter. Does it clear the chips really well? I'm surprised you haven't just broken it off.
Well the MDF becomes super powdery and comes out no problem so far. Most of my cutting has been at 20" or so but lately with my faster machine I have cut at 40 with no problems. I broke a cutter at 25" in oak the same depth mind you... oak prefers around 15" at that depth.
Eric
I wish it wouldn't crash.
At work I use 1/2" spiral cutters to cut 3/4" MDF @ aroud 400 ipm and 15,000 rpm. Our machine won't go much faster, but at that rpm I could probably cut almost twice as fast. Try slowing your router down to around 10,000 for the speeds your using, and use a larger bit whenever you can. ( I know a 1/2" bit won't work for those clock gears or probably your plane parts.) Also, endmills have a different geometry than wood spiral bits, which probably contributes to there short life. Bottom line, though ; go as fast as you can with the slowest spindle speed. To slow a feed and to many rpm's cause heat which dulls bits. I would think with your machine and a GOOD 1/4" spiral bit spinning about 10,000 to 12,000 rpm, you should be able to run it as fast as your machine can go. Personally, with anything smaller than a 3/8" cutter, I would cut the 3/8" in multiple passes, probably depth = diameter or something like that.
Gerry
Gerry
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I run all sorts of thicknesses of mdf at work, typically I run a 2 flute 1/2in compression cutter at 17000 rpm and a 300ipm feed rate. I am limited by the holding power of the vaccum table (15hp machine isnt enough) and the feed rate of the machine. about 475ipm is max travel speed. I HATE that it doest rapid at something like 650.
about the .125 cutter, i use 2 flute downcut amana carbide tools and at 3/8 material, 275 ipm at 18000 is all the tool can handle. The tool remains sharp for many many sheets, but cant handle the sideways load of a full .375 cut past 275 ipm.
hope this helps