Hi, I am having trouble cutting a 2 inch deep circular slot in hardwood. I am using a 2 inch cut length 1/4 inch upcut carbide bit. It is not clearing the waste and choking so badly it pulls the bit out of the collet. Should I look at lowering the step-down, feed speed or any other ideas? Machine is an Elite Journeyman.
Hi What RPM you running at? what feed speed and what step down?
How wide is the slot?
I do cuts like that quite often I run the router at max speed, F3000 or 3500 mm/min. 1 or 1.5 mm depth of cut per pass. If you have a spindle you can probably cut faster & deeper, but why bother. Only times I have had a bit pull out of the colet is if I got distracted and only finger tightened the nut. My bad.
PS people tend to overtighten the collets and on routers with Makita style collets you can damage them, on ER collets make sure the collet is seated in the nut properly.
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I had the same problem making profile cuts in 2+" material, using a 1/4 end mill. Couldn’t clear chips from the channel with any dust collection and eventually the bit would bind and/or begin to travel. Solution was to use an air compressor to blow out the cut ahead of the bit until the job was done. Also, on those deep cuts, I found that the screwing the workpiece down was the only sure way to prevent unwanted movement as the cut got deep. Tape and clamps just wouldn’t hold it in place. I’m using a spindle, btw.
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Hi Darren, #4 on the Makita or around 13000 RPM, 0.6 Inches per second and 0.25 inch stepdown.
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I run a spindle at 18,500 rpm
100 Inch Per Min feed
4mm / 160 thou / 5/32 depth of cut
I have found a compression / combi bit to be best
I do pause the cut at times and blow the chips out with compressed air.
I would think at the speeds and feeds your running at its likely that you are producing dust rather than chips which is harder for the cutter to move and also for you dust extractor to suck out.
Actual chips are less compact.
Most of my work is in kiln dried oak some of it around 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 thick
Not saying my way is the best way but it works for me
Hope it helps
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