On 4/13/2015 6:11 AM, Greg Guarino wrote:
On 4/11/2015 12:09 PM, Leon wrote:
If it were me I would get a HSS 4 flute end mill bit. Less expensive
than a regular carbide router bit.

I've heard this before and am looking into it, especially as I may have
outsmarted myself a bit with the jig I built. (it's 3/4" thick) I'm
going to need a longer bit for the through holes; that, or a separate
jig for that purpose.

But I read things that confuse me about the ends of these bits;
specifically that they are not designed to cut "forward", only sideways.
Some of those accounts say they cut "forward" OK in wood, just not in
the metal they were designed for.

I have to wonder what the difference between forward and sideways is.




Did the bit you got have a different sort of end? Or does the relative
ease of cutting wood render the subject moot?

The neighbor that gave me the bit knew what I was looking for an brought
me this bit.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb11211/16512586204/

I will say this however the piece of Ipe that I was holding and plunging
was trapped so that it could not go too far in either direction against
the router table fence. I also had the bit about 1/2" above the table.
I put one end of the wood against one stop and pressed the opposite
end down onto the spinning bit. So, the bit engaged the wood at a
slight angle until the wood was all the way down on the table top and
then I pushed the piece towards the other stop.
Going in at a slight angle may have aided the plunge.
As the bit was about to penetrate the top surface of the wood it would
often throw out a 3/8" round plug of smoking wood. ;~)
While the bit would look charred after a run of dado's, 200+, it would
always clean up except for the slight tarnish that you see in the
picture. The bit pretty much shows no signs of wear.



One more thing: The 3/8" adapter you used worked well? Is it just a
split tube or something like that? No worries about a secure grip on an
object spinning so fast?

Yes it worked well, it was a slip in adapter, 1/2" down to 3/8" I even
have a similar adapter to go to 1/4" and us that one pretty often.



OK, one more, more thing. I have done the very tiniest bit of metal
milling in the distant past. In those applications (aluminum) the speed
was lower. What speed did you use for wood routing?

I do not recall but it was not slow. May have been wide open as smaller
bits need to run faster.




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