Hey everyone,
I’m hoping someone can give me some insights to the tool life I should expect from a 1/4" compression bit. I’m using Spetool bits, specifically: SpeTool – Innovative Woodworking Tools for Precision & Clean Results
I’m cutting 1/2" fir exterior sheathing as well as birch, and getting about 6 sheets before I have to slow down the feed and I start generating a burr on the top surface of the material. What sort of lifespan do you see on your compression bits?
Way longer than that unless you are not using right speeds/feeds etc.
No, I can’t help with speeds/feeds etc.
If you can provide the following, maybe someone can see if something looks off …
Spindle or router?
Depth of cut?
RPM?
Feed speed?
Also, be sure to have good chip evacuation. Either a good chip collector or directed compressed air or even both. Cutting already cut chips can quickly mess up a bit.
I use SPE bits a lot and I like them. It is possible that my expectations of a ‘clean’ cut are not the same as yours …
For this specific example, I’m using a hiteco 4hp spindle on an Avid machine. I use the same cutters on my altmill, but not in a production setting.
Spindle
0.5" DOC, full slotting
18000RPM
100IPM feed, sometimes 110.
I have good dust collection
IMHO you are moving way too slow for that speed. Your chip load is .003. Optimal is between .009 and .016 depending on the material. You are frying the bit.
full send! I’ll give it a go.
I found their recommended feeds and speeds chart.
They recommend a 1xD stepdown and 220ipm
Update: Mach3 stutters hard trying to manage tons of G01 moves (MillMage does not output arcs) and the controller is so locked down that I can’t even tinker with the curve tolerance.
Running at 16500rpm and 220ipm commanded, but getting less than that on most sections of the cuts due to curves being tessellated. Hard to say if it will result in better tool life now that I’m doing 2x the depth passes and using only 1xD the tool’s cutting edge.
Further update - she chooches well. I also turned on G64 Constant Velocity (CV) mode to great effect.
‘chooches’ ???
extra characters to keep the gods happy
