Spoilboard, benchdog & Dowel Pin Holes

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I need to make benchdog & Dowel Pin holes with pocket toolpath into my spoilboard, i cant decide what endmill to use, i have endmills (Spetool 8mm Upcut) and (Amana 6.35mm Downcut). What would work best, downcut or upcut for this?

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If you have a compression bit, I would suggest that. You’re not so much worried about the bottom surface, but it would both evacuate chips and give you a good top surface. Failing that, I would say to use a downcut because of the need for a clean top surface. Alternatively, you could go back over each of the surfaces with a 60 or 45 degree bit to chamfer the top of each hole with like a .03 DOC.

I’m probably wrong, hope someone will correct me, but that’s my 5am no coffee first opinion…

Wayne

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If your spoilboard is MDF, pretty much any sharp bit will do, it will cut the MDF like butter. If it is plywood, either a downcut or compression.

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I forgot to say, its MDF. Tested with both downcut and upcut, not mutch difference at the top. Mutch faster with 8mm, but inside is much cleaner with downcut and smaller bit it looks like, maybe because i used smaller depth cut. Easier to push down bench dogs if i used the smaller downcut bit.

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If you’re using V-Carve, consider using an inside profile cut with a spiral ramp. That will work leaving a clean edge if your dog-holes are about twice the diameter of your bit or less. If they are larger, pocket out the excess using the same bit. You can combine both cuts in the same G-code. I use that method with a straight-cut end mill with good results.

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If you’re aiming for clean cuts on both the top and bottom surfaces, I recommend using a compression bit. Those are my favorites. A compression bit combines both upcut and downcut flutes, which would give you the best of both worlds: clean edges and effective chip evacuation. For more details and to check out a great option, take a look at this compression bit from SpeTool.

If you don’t have a compression bit, your downcut would be the next best option, especially for a clean top surface.

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