Router Cutting Bits and Techniques

dakota

dakota

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a Cuesmith Deluxe and I use the Porter Cable Laminate trimmer router. I have a newer deluxe with the variable speed motor control and the power feed and I run the lathe and the power feed at a pretty slow speed. I was just making some of the final cuts on some shafts and ended up barber polling some shafts :angry:

I have a couple questions for the other cue makers that use a lathe with a laminate trimmer. First of all what type of cutting tools do you use?

I have used Bosch and Freud slot wing cutters mainly. 3 wing slot cutting bits 1/8" slot. I have also used these bits on exotic woods like purple heart and goncalo and that may be the reason I am not getting much life out of these cutters. Do you use different bits for shaft cutting and for exotic wood cutting?

I have also just starting trying to add collars and ferrules to the shaft somewhat oversized and cut these down during my final pass with the router. This seems to give me very accurate ferrule and collar transitions, but I'm not sure if it is also ruining my bits.

Anyone that wants to share what cutting bits they use and how they use them, would be greatly appreciated.

dakota
 
I have an older Deluxe and use a Dewalt trimmer router in the vertical position with standard straight cutting bits. Chris Hightower sells a spring loaded live center that is great for shafts. It is longer than a standard live center and the spring loading feature helps to avoid locking down the shaft too tightly. Have had no problems with this setup to this point.
The lathe speed should be at it's slowest (300 rpm) as well.
Also light passes are preferred
Hope this helps
Weegee
 
dakota said:
I have a Cuesmith Deluxe and I use the Porter Cable Laminate trimmer router. I have a newer deluxe with the variable speed motor control and the power feed and I run the lathe and the power feed at a pretty slow speed. I was just making some of the final cuts on some shafts and ended up barber polling some shafts :angry:

I have a couple questions for the other cue makers that use a lathe with a laminate trimmer. First of all what type of cutting tools do you use?

I have used Bosch and Freud slot wing cutters mainly. 3 wing slot cutting bits 1/8" slot. I have also used these bits on exotic woods like purple heart and goncalo and that may be the reason I am not getting much life out of these cutters. Do you use different bits for shaft cutting and for exotic wood cutting?

I have also just starting trying to add collars and ferrules to the shaft somewhat oversized and cut these down during my final pass with the router. This seems to give me very accurate ferrule and collar transitions, but I'm not sure if it is also ruining my bits.

Anyone that wants to share what cutting bits they use and how they use them, would be greatly appreciated.

dakota
Click to expand...

Oh yea.... I got that too ..... then I fixed it....

I know there a lot of people successfully using a 3 or 6 wing slot cutter for turning butts and shafts but I didn't like it.... I went back to the 3/4 straight cutter that Chris provides with the lathe....

go to this post and read everything.... the answer is in there...........
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=260703

Kim
 
Thanks

Thank you for the responses, I am also wondering if most people use different router bits when cutting exotics versus shafts? Do others also install ferrule and joint collars when oversized and then make a final shaft cut which also cuts the ferrule and collars to size?

I'm worried that a couple of these techniques are probably dulling my cutters much faster...

Any opinions on these topics would be appreciated....

dakota
 
dakota said:
Thank you for the responses, I am also wondering if most people use different router bits when cutting exotics versus shafts? Do others also install ferrule and joint collars when oversized and then make a final shaft cut which also cuts the ferrule and collars to size?

I'm worried that a couple of these techniques are probably dulling my cutters much faster...

Any opinions on these topics would be appreciated....

dakota
Click to expand...

I use the same router bits no matter what I am cutting. I do have a roughing bit and switch for final cuts to a newer sharper bit.(3/4 straight)

I install the collars and cut them with the shaft. I put on the ferrule last so I don't cut it with the router but lots of other cue builders do.

Kim
 
When I mount wood, I squash it firmly with the tailstock to make sure that it is engaged with the driver in the headstock. Then, I release it and just settle the live center back into the hole. You may also want to use the steady rest and cut your shafts in stages. After toasting several primo pieces of maple, I've started cutting half of the shaft at a time, on either side of the steady rest.
 
Lexicologist71 said:
When I mount wood, I squash it firmly with the tailstock to make sure that it is engaged with the driver in the headstock. Then, I release it and just settle the live center back into the hole. You may also want to use the steady rest and cut your shafts in stages. After toasting several primo pieces of maple, I've started cutting half of the shaft at a time, on either side of the steady rest.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you are using a spur driver in the headstock. Most people do not. I just rely on the friction of a 60 deg dead center..

I personally think you are asking for trouble putting a steady rest in the middle of the shaft. But that is just me.

I tighten up the tailstock and then back off so that the spring center is holding the shaft. When the shaft is turning, I can easily stop it with my hand. When the router is cutting the shaft you can tell that there is no tool pressure because the shaft keeps turning.

If you "tune" up your method and equipment, I am sure you can do it this way.

Kim
Kim
 
Lexicologist71 said:
When I mount wood, I squash it firmly with the tailstock to make sure that it is engaged with the driver in the headstock. Then, I release it and just settle the live center back into the hole. You may also want to use the steady rest and cut your shafts in stages. After toasting several primo pieces of maple, I've started cutting half of the shaft at a time, on either side of the steady rest.
Click to expand...

How did the primo shafts get toasted ?
 
Hard question to answer as all machines are different. It is worth playing around with though. You really want to do as little sanding as possible on butts and shafts.

Here is my machine taking a shaft dowel to a .6 to .9 cone. 24000 rpm, 16 custom ground teeth and 30" a minute and a .100 depth of cut. Could take bigger passes but even these cuts overwhelm my dust collector.

http://youtu.be/4EP3FqV_cFE
 
Murray Tucker said:
Hard question to answer as all machines are different. It is worth playing around with though. You really want to do as little sanding as possible on butts and shafts.

Here is my machine taking a shaft dowel to a .6 to .9 cone. 24000 rpm, 16 custom ground teeth and 30" a minute and a .100 depth of cut. Could take bigger passes but even these cuts overwhelm my dust collector.

http://youtu.be/4EP3FqV_cFE
Click to expand...
love that hi-tech shield murray!!! :thumbup:
 
Yeah, I've been thinking about building a enclosure for a long time. Hasn't got much past the thinking stage though. It is only a problem when I am cutting shaft dowels and I hope to have my CNC saw machine done soon. I'm putting it on wheels so I can take it outside and make mulch.

IMAG0194.jpg


BHQ said:
love that hi-tech shield murray!!! :thumbup:
Click to expand...
 
Murray Tucker said:
Hard question to answer as all machines are different. It is worth playing around with though. You really want to do as little sanding as possible on butts and shafts.

Here is my machine taking a shaft dowel to a .6 to .9 cone. 24000 rpm, 16 custom ground teeth and 30" a minute and a .100 depth of cut. Could take bigger passes but even these cuts overwhelm my dust collector.

http://youtu.be/4EP3FqV_cFE
Click to expand...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KQg37QZzxE
Mine's noisier and uglier.
Dust Vac on Dust Deputy and well placed spout keeps it clean.
I could never mount a dust spout on my old cnc taperer.
 
I've found a great improvement on shaft cutting on my Deluxe by going to a Rigid laminate trimmer with variable speed. Just like you found by slowng down your lathe rpm, the same is true for the router.

I install my joint rings prior to the final pass but I leave the ferrule off until the after the final sand.
 
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