Okay, you can call me anal, but what would you guys consider acceptable
tolerance between a router bit's stated cutting diameter and its actual
cutting diameter?
I just bought a Whiteside spiral upcut bit, a 1/2" shank with a 1/2"
cutting diameter. This would normally have been a $50 bit, but all
Whitesides are 15% off at Hartville Tool through the end of the month.
Pretty little &^%$er, she is, all bright and shiny with her razor-sharp
curves ready to tear at a man's heart...
So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so, and
they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta believe them, you
know?
I know this is wood, and not metal, and I'm not performing brain
surgery with the bit. But I would have thought, especially for
Whiteside, that it would have been out by, at most, about +/- .002 or
so.
Any thoughts?
Leon wrote:
> "CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > For spiral bits, buy aluminum cutting end mills. Work great, are often
> > cheaper and have a size tolerence of +0 -.001.
>
>
> Not to mention that they stay sharper and hold up better than carbide
> tipped. I was plunge cutting 3/8" wide, 3/8" deep and 1/5" long slots
> through 3/8" thick Ipe typically 200 at a time. After 400 cuts the carbide
> bits were toast. After 600 the end mill bits still looked and cut like
> brand new compared to the carbide bit. I was using 4 flute HSS end mill
> bits.
Sounds like a good idea...thanks you guys.
I must say, though, I'm unfamiliar with what an end mill actually is.
It sounds like something more suited for drill press speeds, am I
correct? (I don't want to end up like the guy that put a rosette
cutter on his router, then through his aorta...)
Leon wrote:
> "CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > For spiral bits, buy aluminum cutting end mills. Work great, are often
> > cheaper and have a size tolerence of +0 -.001.
>
>
> Not to mention that they stay sharper and hold up better than carbide
> tipped. I was plunge cutting 3/8" wide, 3/8" deep and 1/5" long slots
> through 3/8" thick Ipe typically 200 at a time. After 400 cuts the carbide
> bits were toast. After 600 the end mill bits still looked and cut like
> brand new compared to the carbide bit. I was using 4 flute HSS end mill
> bits.
I work mainly with cherry, which is to say "I burn mainly with cherry."
Think I would have any problems with burning on a 4-fluter? I would
probably have problems lining up a 3-fluter, and I so far haven't found
a 2-fluter.
Also, what kind of RPM should I run something like that at? (I believe
my router goes 8,000 to 25,000).
I have the same problem with another brand of bit... same shank same
cutter size and slightly undersized and I paid top dollar for it. This has
REALLY annoyed me because I have a project that requires a precision fit in
order to work. I think quality router bits should have a higher degree
of precision. if it were from Harbor Freight, I could understand it.
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Okay, you can call me anal, but what would you guys consider acceptable
> tolerance between a router bit's stated cutting diameter and its actual
> cutting diameter?
>
> I just bought a Whiteside spiral upcut bit, a 1/2" shank with a 1/2"
> cutting diameter. This would normally have been a $50 bit, but all
> Whitesides are 15% off at Hartville Tool through the end of the month.
>
>
> Pretty little &^%$er, she is, all bright and shiny with her razor-sharp
> curves ready to tear at a man's heart...
>
> So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
> mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
> right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so, and
> they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta believe them, you
> know?
>
> I know this is wood, and not metal, and I'm not performing brain
> surgery with the bit. But I would have thought, especially for
> Whiteside, that it would have been out by, at most, about +/- .002 or
> so.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
Leon (in [email protected]) said:
| "CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
| news:[email protected]...
|| For spiral bits, buy aluminum cutting end mills. Work great, are
|| often cheaper and have a size tolerence of +0 -.001.
|
| Not to mention that they stay sharper and hold up better than
| carbide tipped. I was plunge cutting 3/8" wide, 3/8" deep and 1/5"
| long slots through 3/8" thick Ipe typically 200 at a time. After
| 400 cuts the carbide bits were toast. After 600 the end mill bits
| still looked and cut like brand new compared to the carbide bit. I
| was using 4 flute HSS end mill bits.
I've also had good experiences using end mills. I recently got a batch
of standard length 3-flute center cutting carbide mills from KBC Tools
(http://www.kbctools.com catalog #1-330-008 and #1-330-016) and really
like 'em.
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
>> mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
>> right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so, and
>> they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta believe them, you
>> know?
>
>
> Seriously, what are you going to fit into a 1/2" grove? Not plywood. If
> you do find something or cut something to exactly 1/2" to fit into the
> grove simply sand the edges that go in a touch and it'll go right in.
> Plus, try milling 20 or 30 feet and then remeasure. You will probably
> find that it is even smaller.
>
More important, consider that after you rout the first inch or so that bit
will have expanded say ... .006 from the heat, and we all know that you can
trim a tight tenon easier than you can add to a loose one.
Worry about the bit when you can cut your tenons to .006 tolerance.
Oh yes, put the goddamn Starrett in the drawer and learn to use a rule or
tape.
[email protected] wrote:
> So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
> mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
> right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so, and
> they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta believe them, you
> know?
What type of wood did you use for the test? For .006 I'm wondering if
the wood compressed while routing and then expanded once the bit passed.
Try mic'ing the bit.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]
(Remove -SPAM- to send email)
"CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> For spiral bits, buy aluminum cutting end mills. Work great, are often
> cheaper and have a size tolerence of +0 -.001.
Not to mention that they stay sharper and hold up better than carbide
tipped. I was plunge cutting 3/8" wide, 3/8" deep and 1/5" long slots
through 3/8" thick Ipe typically 200 at a time. After 400 cuts the carbide
bits were toast. After 600 the end mill bits still looked and cut like
brand new compared to the carbide bit. I was using 4 flute HSS end mill
bits.
Art Greenberg (in
[email protected]) said:
| On 3 Feb 2006 09:53:15 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
|| CNC Milling machines, starting around $15K up to $40K plus.
||
|| Devon
|
| Thanks Devon. I couldn't be sure if the print catalog Morris had is
| the same as the current one on the website.
|
| Makes sense that Morris would drool over that stuff. Despite readily
| recognizing the coolness of those machines, I seem to be immune
| from the effects Morris warned of. Maybe its the price range. <g>
The lure of that kind of stuff is that they so incredibly shorten the
distance between "imagine" and "use".
I don't know how many times I've said - and heard other people say -
"I wish I had a tool that could/would ..." With that stuff, if you can
imagine it, draw it with your CAD package, and figure out a way to
keep your workpiece from squirming around while it's beeing shaped,
you can have your new tool less than a day later.
The price range puts 'em out of my reach, too; but as the prices have
come down, my interest has gone up (and up and up). It's not so much
the coolness of the machines, it's the coolness of the machines that
can be made with the machines... :-)
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
> mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
> right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so, and
> they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta believe them, you
> know?
Seriously, what are you going to fit into a 1/2" grove? Not plywood. If
you do find something or cut something to exactly 1/2" to fit into the grove
simply sand the edges that go in a touch and it'll go right in.
Plus, try milling 20 or 30 feet and then remeasure. You will probably find
that it is even smaller.
On 3 Feb 2006 09:53:15 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
> CNC Milling machines, starting around $15K up to $40K plus.
>
> Devon
Thanks Devon. I couldn't be sure if the print catalog Morris had is the same
as the current one on the website.
Makes sense that Morris would drool over that stuff. Despite readily
recognizing the coolness of those machines, I seem to be immune from the
effects Morris warned of. Maybe its the price range. <g>
--
Art
no(SPAM)vasys wrote:
> CW wrote:
>
>> He did. Read it again.
>>
>
>
> I read it again:
>
> "So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
> mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
> right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so,"
>
> I read it as he measured the mortise.
>
>
And the winner...in this corner...wearing the...well who cares?...is...
Jack Novak
The OP mic'd the mortise; not the bit.
dave
For spiral bits, buy aluminum cutting end mills. Work great, are often
cheaper and have a size tolerence of +0 -.001.
"Toller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> > I know this is wood, and not metal, and I'm not performing brain
> > surgery with the bit. But I would have thought, especially for
> > Whiteside, that it would have been out by, at most, about +/- .002 or
> > so.
> >
> I bought a spiral bit from MLCS to use with my existing box joint jig.
The
> craftsman straight bit gave too much tear out.
> With the MLCS bit my joints didn't fit. Turns out the craftsman bit was
> 0.500, and the MLCS was 0.485. I complained to MLCS and they told me to
> return it for credit less a handling charge, since a 0.015 error was
within
> tolerances.
> I never bought from MLCS; I wish they would stop sending me their
catalogs.
>
>
CW (in [email protected]) said:
| Size is a bit of a problem. Shank sizes in solid carbide tend to be
| the same size as the cut diameter. I use three diameters for on
| size cutting (1/4", 3/8" 1/2"). For other sizes, standard router
| bits are about the only choice. Even though, many times you can use
| the endmills for the rough cut and standard router bits to finish.
|
| "Art Greenberg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
| news:[email protected]...
|| On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:36:16 -0600, Morris Dovey wrote:
||
||| I've also had good experiences using end mills. I recently got a
||| batch of standard length 3-flute center cutting carbide mills
||| from KBC Tools (http://www.kbctools.com catalog #1-330-008 and
||| #1-330-016) and really like 'em.
||
|| Morris,
||
|| Looking at that catalog, I found the parts by name on page 167.
|| Where is the first part of the part number (1-330)?
||
|| And, what do you do for a collet for the 1/8-inch cutter (and for
|| all of the cutters that aren't 1/4 or 1/2 inch dia.)?
[ with thanks to CW for context, Art's post didn't show up here ]
KBC doesn't have a very good on-line catalog and I had the same
problem. The part of their part number that doesn't appear in the same
line as the tool is shown directly above in a heading row. FWIW, their
print catalog is a _lot_ easier to work with. A word of caution
though - this is another of those catalogs that could lead to maxing
out your tool budget - for stuff that you probably never even dreamed
existed. If you get their catalog, turn to page 978, then rip out and
discard the next four pages - you've been warned. :-)
I took the advice I gave Bill Canaday in
news:mailto:[email protected] and use an
industrial spindle that uses ER-25 collets. These are available in
sizes to span from 1/16" to 5/8". I bought KBC's #7-171-295 so that I
could use end mills and twist drill bits of any size in that range.
Most routers come with 1/4" and 1/2" collets; and I understand that
3/8" collets are available for at least some routers from the
manufacturers. I've heard that there are 1/8" adapters available; but
I don't know offhand who makes/sells them.
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto
On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:36:16 -0600, Morris Dovey wrote:
> I've also had good experiences using end mills. I recently got a batch of
> standard length 3-flute center cutting carbide mills from KBC Tools
> (http://www.kbctools.com catalog #1-330-008 and #1-330-016) and really like
> 'em.
Morris,
Looking at that catalog, I found the parts by name on page 167. Where is the
first part of the part number (1-330)?
And, what do you do for a collet for the 1/8-inch cutter (and for all of the
cutters that aren't 1/4 or 1/2 inch dia.)?
TIA.
--
Art
Go to http://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/ and click on
CONTACT US. They will answer in a couple of days.
Frank
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Okay, you can call me anal, but what would you guys
> consider acceptable
> tolerance between a router bit's stated cutting diameter
> and its actual
> cutting diameter?
>
> I just bought a Whiteside spiral upcut bit, a 1/2" shank
> with a 1/2"
> cutting diameter. This would normally have been a $50
> bit, but all
> Whitesides are 15% off at Hartville Tool through the end
> of the month.
>
>
> Pretty little &^%$er, she is, all bright and shiny with
> her razor-sharp
> curves ready to tear at a man's heart...
>
> So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little
> test
> mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006.
> That's
> right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers
> say so, and
> they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta
> believe them, you
> know?
>
> I know this is wood, and not metal, and I'm not performing
> brain
> surgery with the bit. But I would have thought,
> especially for
> Whiteside, that it would have been out by, at most, about
> +/- .002 or
> so.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
[email protected] wrote:
> I must say, though, I'm unfamiliar with what an end mill actually is.
> It sounds like something more suited for drill press speeds, am I
> correct?
No.
Dave
> I know this is wood, and not metal, and I'm not performing brain
> surgery with the bit. But I would have thought, especially for
> Whiteside, that it would have been out by, at most, about +/- .002 or
> so.
>
I bought a spiral bit from MLCS to use with my existing box joint jig. The
craftsman straight bit gave too much tear out.
With the MLCS bit my joints didn't fit. Turns out the craftsman bit was
0.500, and the MLCS was 0.485. I complained to MLCS and they told me to
return it for credit less a handling charge, since a 0.015 error was within
tolerances.
I never bought from MLCS; I wish they would stop sending me their catalogs.
Nope - you should learn to read, nerd.
PLONK!
"CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So, within a 1/16" isn't close enough. Which is it? You really should
> stick
> with one story.
>
> "Vic Baron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Nope - I'm not that dumb. Also, I make my dados match the shelf.
>>
>> You won't have that problem if you cut more accurately.
>>
>
>
Nope - I'm not that dumb. Also, I make my dados match the shelf.
You won't have that problem if you cut more accurately.
"CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Horseshit. Ever try to fit a 3/4" shelf into a 11/16" dado?
>
> "Vic Baron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Considering that is less than 1/128" - I wouldn't concern myself. The
>> wood
>> will change size more than that daily. IMHO, in woodworking - about 1/16"
> is
>> within tolerance.
>>
>> Just MHO -
>>
>>
>> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > Okay, you can call me anal, but what would you guys consider acceptable
>> > tolerance between a router bit's stated cutting diameter and its actual
>> > cutting diameter?
>> >
>> > I just bought a Whiteside spiral upcut bit, a 1/2" shank with a 1/2"
>> > cutting diameter. This would normally have been a $50 bit, but all
>> > Whitesides are 15% off at Hartville Tool through the end of the month.
>> >
>> >
>> > Pretty little &^%$er, she is, all bright and shiny with her razor-sharp
>> > curves ready to tear at a man's heart...
>> >
>> > So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
>> > mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
>> > right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so, and
>> > they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta believe them, you
>> > know?
>> >
>> > I know this is wood, and not metal, and I'm not performing brain
>> > surgery with the bit. But I would have thought, especially for
>> > Whiteside, that it would have been out by, at most, about +/- .002 or
>> > so.
>> >
>> > Any thoughts?
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
Considering that is less than 1/128" - I wouldn't concern myself. The wood
will change size more than that daily. IMHO, in woodworking - about 1/16" is
within tolerance.
Just MHO -
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Okay, you can call me anal, but what would you guys consider acceptable
> tolerance between a router bit's stated cutting diameter and its actual
> cutting diameter?
>
> I just bought a Whiteside spiral upcut bit, a 1/2" shank with a 1/2"
> cutting diameter. This would normally have been a $50 bit, but all
> Whitesides are 15% off at Hartville Tool through the end of the month.
>
>
> Pretty little &^%$er, she is, all bright and shiny with her razor-sharp
> curves ready to tear at a man's heart...
>
> So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
> mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
> right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so, and
> they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta believe them, you
> know?
>
> I know this is wood, and not metal, and I'm not performing brain
> surgery with the bit. But I would have thought, especially for
> Whiteside, that it would have been out by, at most, about +/- .002 or
> so.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Leon wrote:
>> "CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>
>
> I work mainly with cherry, which is to say "I burn mainly with cherry."
> Think I would have any problems with burning on a 4-fluter? I would
> probably have problems lining up a 3-fluter, and I so far haven't found
> a 2-fluter.
I never had any more problems with burning in Ipe with the end mill bit
than I did with a 2 flute carbide cutter. Take in mind also that my bit
was in a router table mounted router. I would hold the pieces of Ipe over
the spinning bit and plunge the wood down over the bit to make the initial
hole. I did use a jointer style push block to push the wood down on the
spinning bit. The blocks of wood that I was cutting the slots in were about
3.5" long and 2" wide. There should be no alignment problems but as always
you whould make a test cut in scrap for insurance.
>
> Also, what kind of RPM should I run something like that at? (I believe
> my router goes 8,000 to 25,000).
Again, test for best performance but I ran mine wide open well over 20,000
rpm.
Look here for these bits and also keep in mind that like most solid carbide
spiral bits these end mill bits shanks are the same size as the cutting
diameter. You may need an collet adapter for the bit to chuck properly.
Still with that in mind I found this to be a far cheaper route to take.
http://www.mcmaster.com/index.asp Search on End Mill . There are probably
lots of cheaper places. Typically I found these bits to be in the $10-$15
range in 3/8" cutting diameter.
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:
> Okay, you can call me anal
You're anal.
I have several bits, some high-end, and the shafts measure all over the
place ± .006.
I have one bit which requires me to drive a steel wedge into a collet
gap to open it up enough for it go in. That's a $285.00 insert bit.
My experience has been that they're all over the map.
Err... that's one of the benefits of metalwork. There's a
collet for every size! And you really shouldn't use an end
mill in a chuck. You might be able to find a sleeve adapter
to fit it into your collet.
Art Greenberg wrote:
> Looking at that catalog, I found the parts by name on page 167. Where is the
> first part of the part number (1-330)?
>
> And, what do you do for a collet for the 1/8-inch cutter (and for all of the
> cutters that aren't 1/4 or 1/2 inch dia.)?
>
> TIA.
>
So, within a 1/16" isn't close enough. Which is it? You really should stick
with one story.
"Vic Baron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Nope - I'm not that dumb. Also, I make my dados match the shelf.
>
> You won't have that problem if you cut more accurately.
>
On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 22:07:58 -0600, Morris Dovey wrote:
> KBC doesn't have a very good on-line catalog and I had the same
> problem. The part of their part number that doesn't appear in the same
> line as the tool is shown directly above in a heading row. FWIW, their
> print catalog is a _lot_ easier to work with. A word of caution
> though - this is another of those catalogs that could lead to maxing
> out your tool budget - for stuff that you probably never even dreamed
> existed. If you get their catalog, turn to page 978, then rip out and
> discard the next four pages - you've been warned. :-)
Morris,
I asked KBC for their catalog. Today, I received a sale flyer, just ~50 pages.
I hope they follow up with the full-line catalog; I'm absolutely DYING to know
what is on pages 978-982!! 8-)
--
Art
On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:02:48 -0800, wood_newbie wrote:
> Also, what kind of RPM should I run something like that at? (I believe my
> router goes 8,000 to 25,000).
The same as for the equivalent-sized router bit.
At the same feedrate, the four flute tool has 1/2 the chip load of the two
flute tool, making for twice as many cuts per lineal inch, too. If burning
still occurs, boost your feedrate to take a bigger chip with each pass of
a cutting edge. The chip carries much of the heat away from the cut (says
a guy who has worked in a hail of blue chips coming from milling machines
and lathes).
Bill
On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 07:31:54 -0800, wood_newbie wrote:
> I must say, though, I'm unfamiliar with what an end mill actually is.
An end mill is what machinists use to make money cutting things to size
and shape.
Try this link to get a mental picture of the various shapes.
http://www.unionbutterfield.com/tech/amg/hss_end_mill_amg.asp
Bill
He did. Read it again.
"no(SPAM)vasys" <"no(SPAM)vasys"@adelphia.net> wrote in message > What type
of wood did you use for the test? For .006 I'm wondering if
> the wood compressed while routing and then expanded once the bit passed.
>
> Try mic'ing the bit.
>
> --
> Jack Novak
> Buffalo, NY - USA
> [email protected]
> (Remove -SPAM- to send email)
[email protected] (in
[email protected]) said:
| Leon wrote:
|| "CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
|| news:[email protected]...
||| For spiral bits, buy aluminum cutting end mills. Work great, are
||| often cheaper and have a size tolerence of +0 -.001.
||
||
|| Not to mention that they stay sharper and hold up better than
|| carbide tipped. I was plunge cutting 3/8" wide, 3/8" deep and
|| 1/5" long slots through 3/8" thick Ipe typically 200 at a time.
|| After 400 cuts the carbide bits were toast. After 600 the end
|| mill bits still looked and cut like brand new compared to the
|| carbide bit. I was using 4 flute HSS end mill bits.
|
|
| I work mainly with cherry, which is to say "I burn mainly with
| cherry." Think I would have any problems with burning on a
| 4-fluter? I would probably have problems lining up a 3-fluter, and
| I so far haven't found a 2-fluter.
|
| Also, what kind of RPM should I run something like that at? (I
| believe my router goes 8,000 to 25,000).
I've been running my 3-flute bits at 15,000 - 16,000 RPM and feeding
at 90 inch/minute (1-1/2 inch/second). Burning is as much controlled
by feed rate as by rotation speed.
With a hand-held router (I'm cutting with CNC router which allows me
to control both feed and speed) you'll benefit from practicing on
scrap to get a feel for feeding at a rate that doesn't burn. Remember
that it's the chips - much more than the airflow - that carry away
the heat.
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto
Horseshit. Ever try to fit a 3/4" shelf into a 11/16" dado?
"Vic Baron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Considering that is less than 1/128" - I wouldn't concern myself. The wood
> will change size more than that daily. IMHO, in woodworking - about 1/16"
is
> within tolerance.
>
> Just MHO -
>
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Okay, you can call me anal, but what would you guys consider acceptable
> > tolerance between a router bit's stated cutting diameter and its actual
> > cutting diameter?
> >
> > I just bought a Whiteside spiral upcut bit, a 1/2" shank with a 1/2"
> > cutting diameter. This would normally have been a $50 bit, but all
> > Whitesides are 15% off at Hartville Tool through the end of the month.
> >
> >
> > Pretty little &^%$er, she is, all bright and shiny with her razor-sharp
> > curves ready to tear at a man's heart...
> >
> > So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
> > mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
> > right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so, and
> > they cost a whole lot more than the bit, so I gotta believe them, you
> > know?
> >
> > I know this is wood, and not metal, and I'm not performing brain
> > surgery with the bit. But I would have thought, especially for
> > Whiteside, that it would have been out by, at most, about +/- .002 or
> > so.
> >
> > Any thoughts?
> >
>
>
On Fri, 3 Feb 2006 18:56:14 -0600, Morris Dovey wrote:
> The lure of that kind of stuff is that they so incredibly shorten the
> distance between "imagine" and "use".
>
> I don't know how many times I've said - and heard other people say - "I
> wish I had a tool that could/would ..." With that stuff, if you can imagine
> it, draw it with your CAD package, and figure out a way to keep your
> workpiece from squirming around while it's beeing shaped, you can have your
> new tool less than a day later.
>
> The price range puts 'em out of my reach, too; but as the prices have come
> down, my interest has gone up (and up and up). It's not so much the
> coolness of the machines, it's the coolness of the machines that can be
> made with the machines... :-)
Indeed. But making furniture is just a hobby for me (and a pretty new one at
that). So machines like that are fairly permanantly out of my reach. And I'm
not likely to want to contract out custom machining for cost reasons as well.
If I were ever so lucky as to fall into a sufficient fortune, I'd probably set
up a machine shop around such a machine (or maybe two). I've had just a taste
of working with metals on a vertical mill and a lathe, and I'd love to be able
to combine that with woodworking to make furniture.
--
Art
CW wrote:
> He did. Read it again.
>
I read it again:
"So I chuck 'er up (collet 'er up?), and rout a nice little test
mortise. Only to find out...she's undersized by .006. That's
right...she's .494, not .500. My Starrett dial calipers say so,"
I read it as he measured the mortise.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]
(Remove -SPAM- to send email)
Size is a bit of a problem. Shank sizes in solid carbide tend to be the same
size as the cut diameter. I use three diameters for on size cutting (1/4",
3/8" 1/2"). For other sizes, standard router bits are about the only choice.
Even though, many times you can use the endmills for the rough cut and
standard router bits to finish.
"Art Greenberg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:36:16 -0600, Morris Dovey wrote:
>
> > I've also had good experiences using end mills. I recently got a batch
of
> > standard length 3-flute center cutting carbide mills from KBC Tools
> > (http://www.kbctools.com catalog #1-330-008 and #1-330-016) and really
like
> > 'em.
>
> Morris,
>
> Looking at that catalog, I found the parts by name on page 167. Where is
the
> first part of the part number (1-330)?
>
> And, what do you do for a collet for the 1/8-inch cutter (and for all of
the
> cutters that aren't 1/4 or 1/2 inch dia.)?
>
> TIA.
>
> --
> Art
>