router question
- Thread starter yahosh
- Start date
depends if you are just rough turning or doing final pases..
At the very slow feet rate you use it doesn't really matter. The cutter is just nicking out tiny pieces of wood either way you go. The thing that matters to me is I like to cut from the larger to the smaller and have the router ride down and not up the tracer bar.
I always run my feed left to right. I get a much smoother cut this way.
mine seems to cut much better from headstock/butt to tailstock/joint.
dont know why, but it does.
another reason i go that direction, is i did have some tips of butterflies rip out on me doing the last few passes from joint to butt once.
and i slow feed rate to a crawl
cuts so smooth, damn near almost no sanding is needed
dave sutton
Banned
Funnt im opposite. I find running right to left slow feed i get the smoothest cue also i usually taper my ss joint on the cue so thats on the tailstock side so that has to be very small passes..
People need to post where their router is in relative to the wood.
And the direction the spindle turns.
With spindle spinning clockwise, and the router vertical in front of the wood ( nearest to me ) right to left ( tailstock to spindle ) cuts better for me.
I think that'd be considered climb cutting.
dave sutton
Banned
Btw the bit matters so show us what but you are using.
3-wing 1/8" kerf 1 7/8 diam. slot-cutter.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2008151/WHITESIDE-3-Wing-Slotting-Cutters.aspx
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1/4 inch bit running left to right, taking small cuts for final passing. Using a porter cable with the lathe spinning at 600 rrm , or slow speed.
I like using the smaller bits as they cut really smooth and turn more rotations for a cleaner cut. IMO of coarse. With the lathe turning toward me or clock wise.
I like using the smaller bits as they cut really smooth and turn more rotations for a cleaner cut. IMO of coarse. With the lathe turning toward me or clock wise.
common 3 wing slot cutter found at Home Depot. Used to use a 1 1/2 x 1/4 inch key seat cutter but get just as good a result from the slot cutter.
Just curious, why do they turn more rotations? A larger bit is actually turning much faster. (Merry-go-round) theory. Such a small bit is turning really slow compared to a bit say 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
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damn!!! he's right
i never though of it that way
mac, youre a genius :thumbup:
Mac,
Not sure where you get that understanding, if you are using a 1/2 bit, then go to a 1/4 bit in size, you are contacting the suface of the wood at a 2-1 ratio with the blades of the router bit. A 1/4 cuts smoother due to the blades hitting the surface more than the 1/2 router bit.
Sort of like a table saw blade. Same size blade, but more teeth cut smoother.
Just my opinion of coarse.
Not sure where you get that understanding, if you are using a 1/2 bit, then go to a 1/4 bit in size, you are contacting the suface of the wood at a 2-1 ratio with the blades of the router bit. A 1/4 cuts smoother due to the blades hitting the surface more than the 1/2 router bit.
Sort of like a table saw blade. Same size blade, but more teeth cut smoother.
Just my opinion of coarse.
well, ONE of you is right.
im gonna sit back and let the smarter people figure this one out,
cuz my brain is too friggin' tired today to think that over
woooooooooooooooo, late nite last nite
I am still single pointing so to those of you using 'live' tooling on the lathe, how do you do when you hit the nickel-silver trim rings and/or the stainless joint collars?
I turn everything at the same time to keep it all even (I know some of you add the steel collar later), and even with the TiN coated inserts I use, going from wood to stainless can be a bit hairy sometimes.
I had also thought about using a 1/4" TiN coated roughing end mill (with the wavy cutting edges) in the router and trying that; or a straight cut (finish) end mil. Also setting the router at an angle, as opposed to 90 degrees to the axis of the cue- thought being I would (theoretically) get more of a slicing action rather than a chopping action...
Anyone have any thoughts on this? It is clear I have to go this route because it takes me about 4 hours to cut 0.020" now... (not that I'm in any rush)... And you really haven't lived until you single point a shaft.:smile:
Any issues with cues 'singing' when live tooling is used? Particularly in the middle, but to a lesser extent at all the nodal points along the length, I get some vibration and chatter that can sneak up on you if you aren't ready for it.
And yes, larger diameter at the same RPM is higher surface speed... And I think more surface speed is better for this job, but I could be wrong.
And I run from butt in tail stock to joint at head stock with the lathe running forward (counter-clockwise). Small parts around 1000-1100 RPM (between centers- short lenghts [generally in the Hardinge]) and butts around 550-600 RPM.
This will be new territory for me, so I'm all ears (or, eyes in this case)
I turn everything at the same time to keep it all even (I know some of you add the steel collar later), and even with the TiN coated inserts I use, going from wood to stainless can be a bit hairy sometimes.
I had also thought about using a 1/4" TiN coated roughing end mill (with the wavy cutting edges) in the router and trying that; or a straight cut (finish) end mil. Also setting the router at an angle, as opposed to 90 degrees to the axis of the cue- thought being I would (theoretically) get more of a slicing action rather than a chopping action...
Anyone have any thoughts on this? It is clear I have to go this route because it takes me about 4 hours to cut 0.020" now... (not that I'm in any rush)... And you really haven't lived until you single point a shaft.:smile:
Any issues with cues 'singing' when live tooling is used? Particularly in the middle, but to a lesser extent at all the nodal points along the length, I get some vibration and chatter that can sneak up on you if you aren't ready for it.
And yes, larger diameter at the same RPM is higher surface speed... And I think more surface speed is better for this job, but I could be wrong.
And I run from butt in tail stock to joint at head stock with the lathe running forward (counter-clockwise). Small parts around 1000-1100 RPM (between centers- short lenghts [generally in the Hardinge]) and butts around 550-600 RPM.
This will be new territory for me, so I'm all ears (or, eyes in this case)
Regardless the number of the teeth, all things being equal the larger cutter is turning much faster. The cutter is passing the surface of the wood and cutting at a much faster speed even if turning the same number of times per second. Also a larger cutter that is more broad delivers a smoother cut from my experience. It is less likely to dig in. The larger cutter also has more mass and has a flywheel effect producing less vibration. Years ago I used a 1/2 inch shank 2 inch key seat cutter that weighed 4 ounces. It really delivered a smooth cut equal to say a 320 sandpaper sanding. Something like this
http://www.indiabizclub.com/uploads05/31/0/2041816169.jpg
You could play with the shaft right out of the lathe. It was kind of over kill though and the cutters cost over a hundred each. The slot cutters I use now are almost as good.
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Both Ways
Cue Guru,
On a metal lathe, I use a 2 fluke 3/8" router bit within a laminate router mounted on my cross slide t-slot perpendicular to the butt on a 5 degree angle so the angle of attack only allows one fluke to cut per revolution. I do all of my tapering or straight cutting from left to right with the joint section at the tail stock. The router is going 30,000 rpm and silver rings cut perfectly. Never had a problem with them.
I also use this set up for cutting my wrap grooves. I do 11" left to right, then I reset my router on the tool post so it is 5 degrees the other way. When I cut that last inch of my wrap groove right to left, it does a very good job without a noticeable change to the RMS finish of the groove face.
With my feed and speed set up the finished product feels like it was sanded with no lines or chatter whatsoever. When I had vertical router mount I had finish problems near the center area of the butt due to slight deflection pressure. The perpendicular set up works 1000 times better for me.
I go right from the lathe to the sealing process without sanding. For my last pass or when cutting wrap grooves, I always use a bit that is very sharp that is dedicated for final passes.
Rick Geschrey
Cue Guru,
On a metal lathe, I use a 2 fluke 3/8" router bit within a laminate router mounted on my cross slide t-slot perpendicular to the butt on a 5 degree angle so the angle of attack only allows one fluke to cut per revolution. I do all of my tapering or straight cutting from left to right with the joint section at the tail stock. The router is going 30,000 rpm and silver rings cut perfectly. Never had a problem with them.
I also use this set up for cutting my wrap grooves. I do 11" left to right, then I reset my router on the tool post so it is 5 degrees the other way. When I cut that last inch of my wrap groove right to left, it does a very good job without a noticeable change to the RMS finish of the groove face.
With my feed and speed set up the finished product feels like it was sanded with no lines or chatter whatsoever. When I had vertical router mount I had finish problems near the center area of the butt due to slight deflection pressure. The perpendicular set up works 1000 times better for me.
I go right from the lathe to the sealing process without sanding. For my last pass or when cutting wrap grooves, I always use a bit that is very sharp that is dedicated for final passes.
Rick Geschrey
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