This is going to sound silly, but what cutters or coating is going to have
the best life. I mostly work with aluminum and flood coolant which gives me
quite long cutter life, but I am working on a wood project and I am seeing
results which look like the cutter is getting dull about mid project.
(1/16 ball end cutter, and I need to finish with a 1/32 cutter)
"Martin Eastburn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> You don't say what kind of wood - many have a lot of silica in the wood.
> Carbide is the best. Don't use C2 wood working carbide - go steel working
> tools - C5 or higher.
>
> Wood is bad on cutters.
>
> I used to cut fiberglass with a 10 mil cutter and that was great carbide.
>
> Martin
Thanks. I am using the same cutters I normally use on aluminum. They are
definitely not lasting as long on wood as they do on aluminum. This project
is oak. Looks like red oak.
>
> On 7/14/2012 9:12 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
>> This is going to sound silly, but what cutters or coating is going to
>> have the best life. I mostly work with aluminum and flood coolant which
>> gives me quite long cutter life, but I am working on a wood project and
>> I am seeing results which look like the cutter is getting dull about mid
>> project.
>>
>> (1/16 ball end cutter, and I need to finish with a 1/32 cutter)
>>
>>
>>
>
>
"Artemus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Artemus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> "Bob La Londe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:%[email protected]...
>>> This is going to sound silly, but what cutters or coating is going to
>>> have the best life. I mostly work with aluminum and flood coolant which
>>> gives me quite long cutter life, but I am working on a wood project and
>>> I am seeing results which look like the cutter is getting dull about mid
>>> project.
>>>
>>> (1/16 ball end cutter, and I need to finish with a 1/32 cutter)
>>>
>>
>> It may be getting coated/clogged with resin from the wood. A soak
>> in Simple Green and then a toothbrushing could solve the problem.
>> Art
> Hit send too soon.
> Another possibility is that you are machining a high silica content wood.
> If so, the SiO2 dulls steel edges rapidly. Can you use carbide bit(s)?
> Art
I am already using a high quality micro grain carbide cutter. This job is
in red oak which is fairly hard as woods go. I was wondering if a diamond
coated or zirn coated carbide cutter might last longer.
You don't say what kind of wood - many have a lot of silica in the wood.
Carbide is the best. Don't use C2 wood working carbide - go steel
working tools - C5 or higher.
Wood is bad on cutters.
I used to cut fiberglass with a 10 mil cutter and that was great carbide.
Martin
On 7/14/2012 9:12 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
> This is going to sound silly, but what cutters or coating is going to
> have the best life. I mostly work with aluminum and flood coolant which
> gives me quite long cutter life, but I am working on a wood project and
> I am seeing results which look like the cutter is getting dull about mid
> project.
>
> (1/16 ball end cutter, and I need to finish with a 1/32 cutter)
>
>
>
"Bob La Londe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> This is going to sound silly, but what cutters or coating is going to have the best
> life. I mostly work with aluminum and flood coolant which gives me quite long
> cutter life, but I am working on a wood project and I am seeing results which look
> like the cutter is getting dull about mid project.
>
> (1/16 ball end cutter, and I need to finish with a 1/32 cutter)
>
It may be getting coated/clogged with resin from the wood. A soak
in Simple Green and then a toothbrushing could solve the problem.
Art
"Artemus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "Bob La Londe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:%[email protected]...
>> This is going to sound silly, but what cutters or coating is going to have the
>> best life. I mostly work with aluminum and flood coolant which gives me quite
>> long cutter life, but I am working on a wood project and I am seeing results which
>> look like the cutter is getting dull about mid project.
>>
>> (1/16 ball end cutter, and I need to finish with a 1/32 cutter)
>>
>
> It may be getting coated/clogged with resin from the wood. A soak
> in Simple Green and then a toothbrushing could solve the problem.
> Art
Hit send too soon.
Another possibility is that you are machining a high silica content wood.
If so, the SiO2 dulls steel edges rapidly. Can you use carbide bit(s)?
Art