OneFinity newbie here, just ordered my first Gen 2 Foreman. Question, where should I look to get quality end mill bits starting out. I’d like to go ahead and get a good “starting lines up”. I saw the options available with OneFinity but I’m looking for more of full starter set if that makes sense. I am planning to start out with smaller one off projects…trays, cutting boards with inlays and small signs for local businesses.
Appreciate any guidance you can offer!
I’d suggest against getting anything advertised as a “full starter set". You’ll end up with a bunch you never use and a couple you ought to have more of.
You’ll probably only need a 1/4 & 1/8” down cut, a 1/4" up cut, a 3/8” bowl bit and a 1" surfacing bit. I’d get 2 of everything but the bowl & surfacing bits just in case you break one in the middle of a project.
Starting out I’d use the Spetool brand on Amazon. They’re a good balance between the quality of a Whiteside, Amana or Cadence (Jenny bits) but not so cheaply made as the random letter named Chinese bits. Get coated carbide bits not HSS.
Later as you find out what you’re interested in making, get the specialty bits you need by project. You don’t need tapered ball nose bits until you’re doing 3D carvings or inlays so you can save the $80 an Amana 5 degree TBN costs for instance.
I think @cyberreefguru had a list of starter bits on one of his YT videos. Most of the YouTubers do in fact.
I’ve mostly worked with 1/4” and 1/8” flat end mills. I usually have 3 to 4 of each on hand, because I’m still breaking bits occasionally (generally user error). A 60º engraving bit is nice if you want to do some quick lettering, and I’ve purchased but not used yet, a bowl cut bit.
You’ll also run into downcut, upcut and compression bits. Downcut leave a cleaner surface cut (especially on plywood) but as you’re forcing the chips into the cut don’t leave as good a bottom surface and in my experience I’ve cut with slower feed rates. Upcut pull the chips out of the cut, have faster feeds and better bottom finish, at the expense of surface edge quality (particularly, again, with plywood). Compression bits attempt to do a bit of both, with the upper part of the cutting flutes that will likely engage with the surface being downcut, while they reverse the flutes on the bottom to create upcut for chip clearing, bottom finish. I’d say if you’re cutting a lot of hardwood, the downcut isn’t as valuable since you still get decent surface edges and a quick sanding clears everything up quite nicely. If you’re doing a lot of plywood, particularly finished plywood with thin surface veneers (aren’t they all THIN now?) downcut is definitely the way to go. Compression bits are of course the compromise and sit in the middle though I’ve found them to be somewhat more expensive, so that’s part of the compromise calculation as well.
At the end of the day, I’d suggest whatever you start with, buy middle of the road bits that aren’t terribly expensive, because it’s likely you’re going to break bits. The more expensive bits tend to have much better wear lives, but if you break them before you wear them out, then it’s a bit of a waste.
When you’re ready (at whatever point you feel is appropriate) I highly recommend Cadence manufacturing bits, I’ve had very good luck with them (other than the ones I’ve broken because like a bone head I didn’t think of the above advice until after I broke a couple, LOL). https://www.cadencemfgdesign.com/shop
I’m sure other folks will chime in with some great tooling suggestions as well.
Good luck, happy carving.
Buy a few 1/8 and 1/4 ups and downs and buy cheap if you can as you will break a few when starting out. I run SPE from Amazon in my production shop
If have an MDF spoil board and use a cutter with replaceable carbide inserts, also good for flattening end grain boards
All of this is good advice but hey left out one important fact IDC woodcraft will replace bit you break for free no questions asked. At least that is what they say I would look into that. but do not buy a set buy what you need as you need them, and yes multiples because as stated here many time you will break some. the multiples are just so you don’t have to wait for the replacement to arrive LOL. and as an unashamed self promotion you can avoid many bit breaking crashes by using these clamps. Instead of the towering metal monsters some folks still use.
I do – in the bits 101, digital manaufacturing series as well as the “total cost” video series.
Whole enchilada is here: CNC Cost Calculator - Google Sheets - go to the bits tab.
Or, a few listed below.
Starting out, I recommend just a few:
1 - inexpensive 1/8” end mills from eBay
2 - inexpensive 1/4” down cut (like Spe or others)
If you want to do bowls, then add
BUDGET BITS
1/32", 2 Flute, Up Cut End Mills - http://ebay.us/A7qv3f
1/16", 2 Flute, Up Cut End Mills - http://ebay.us/nZ5Ccv
1/8", 2 Flute, Up Cut End Mills - http://ebay.us/b4fNK7
1/8", 2 Flute, Down Cut End Mills - http://ebay.us/QHmoDh
1/8", 1 Flute Up Cut End Mill - http://ebay.us/et4DGC
1/4", 2 Flute, Up Cut End MilL - 46315-K - http://ebay.us/W48DLF
1/4", 2 Flute, Down Cut End Mill - http://ebay.us/ueEQml
60 Degree V-Bit - 132-0412 - https://www.hvalleytools.com/product/…
90 Degree V-Bit - 132-0822 -https://www.hvalleytools.com/product/…
PREMIUM BITS
1/4", 2 Flute, Up Cut End Mill - 46315-K - https://amzn.to/3jTSW8s
1/4", 2 Flute, Down Cut End Mill - 46415-K - https://amzn.to/3BJLSkO
1/4", 1 Flute, Up Cut End Mill - 51404-K - https://amzn.to/2X6qOpN
1/4", 1 Flute, Down Cut End Mill - 51504-K - https://amzn.to/3E08hML
1/8", 1 Flute Up Cut End Mill, 0.125 Shank - 51410-K - https://amzn.to/3DWXYJg
1/8", 1 Flute Up Cut End Mill, 0.25 Shank - 51411-K - https://amzn.to/3DWYbMy
1/8", 1 Flute Down Cut End Mill - 51510-K - https://amzn.to/3jTE3D5
1/8", 2 Flute, Up Cut End Mill - 46127-K - https://amzn.to/3n8NlNw
1/8", 2 Flute, Down Cut End Mill - 46227-K - https://amzn.to/3nih4Ub
60 Degree V-Bit - 45705 - https://amzn.to/3E8D5Lk
90 Degree V-Bit - 45704 - https://amzn.to/3E1tJRe
45 Degree V-Bit - 45622-K - https://amzn.to/3BTJhVy
30 Degree V-Bit - 45771-K - https://amzn.to/3l5keIb
15 Degree V-Bit - 45611-K - https://amzn.to/3DY00ZK
45 Degree V-Bit - RC-1145 - https://amzn.to/3l5tJqT
60 Degree V-Bit - RC-1148 - https://amzn.to/2YtxSgA
90 Degree V-Bit - RC-1142 - https://amzn.to/3E8gwXd
Sign making kit - 45, 60, 90 - https://amzn.to/3zXmpng
We sell a great starter bit set!
IDC Woodcraft offers a good starter set and have a replacement guarantee.
Sounds advice. And I would add 2 vbits; 45 and 60.
Just by the way a large number of your links dont work anymore.
In addition to everyone’s great suggestions, you should also get roughing bits (1/4 and 1/8). Use these to clear out most of the material, then finish off with the other endmills. This will keep your finishing bits sharper (and last longer) and your project will have cleaner cuts.
Thanks Calvin - looks like YT inserted itself when I copied from the video. I will paste full links later today.
The TwoMoose kit is nearly identical to what I recommend to all beginners:
Just the right combination of bits to get going, and fairly economical.
-Tom
This is a better beginner set than the OF version. Both are missing a flattening/surfacing bit though.
For a first set beginner I’d get the same bits as Two Moose has but I’d source them from Amazon using the Spetools versions. Then after a few months step up to higher end manufacturers like Cadence, Whiteside, Amana, IDC or CIC.
The Spetools starter ones are good bits but may dull faster than the higher end ones. You can compare performance and decide if the price difference is worth the performance (sharpness life) difference.
Some of the ones in starter sets like drilling bits aren’t necessary unless you’re doing a lot of drilling as there are two different toolpathing options to drill holes in VCarve that reduce or eliminate the issue of tool wear when using end mills. The V-bits are a compromise - 30, 60 or 90 could all work well for engraving. I use 60s for engraving and 30 for standard VCarve inlays.
The compression bits are good but need special toolpathing to take advantage of their design - the first pass needs to be deeper than the upcut portion of the bit, so 3/8” for a 1/4” compression but and the last pass has to be less than the length of the upcut portion as well (1/8”) to prevent tear out on the bottom. For a beginner, that’s more complications than they’re likely ready to deal with.
For the OP starting out doing trays and such, the Two Moose set plus a surfacing bit (1” Binstak or Amana from Amazon) would be just the ticket. All the other suggestions start getting into more advanced project territory. About half the bits I bought when I first got into CNC routing are still in their original packaging.
That’s a great set also!
Sincerely appreciate the guidance, thank you!
Great info here! Thanks for helping the community!