Post a Response Subscribe Guidelines

Furniture Making

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

How to make better router cuts

6/6/21

brad

Member

I'm in the process of building some molds out of 1/2" acrylic sheet and I'm using pattern pieces and a straight cut bit on my router to cut the acrylic to size (first time I've done this btw). Although I know my pattern pieces are good and straight (come from a pro cabinet maker) the acrylic ends up having little ripples on the cut face no matter how little I try to take off at a time. Since the patterns are good I guess the problems got to be with my setup.

I'm running a Dewalt DW616 1.75? HP router on a flimsy Skill RAS900 router table that weights maybe 15 lbs. and not held down. The bit set was cheap off amazon and unfortunately has a 1/4" shank.

I'm guessing I need to at least screw the router table down and use a 1/2" shank bit. Any other suggestions?

6/6/21 #2: How to make better router cuts ...

Jack Mazzuchelli

Screw it down yes. NO on straight bit use very good spiral carbide bit. Southeast tools have excellent bits

6/6/21 #3: How to make better router cuts ...

Jim Clark

Member

See if you can feel any play in your router shaft.
Sounds like something is loose, like a worn bearing.

6/6/21 #4: How to make better router cuts ...

duster

I get great results cutting acrylic on my cnc with a single flute down cut spiral bit. On a router table, an upcut spiral will probably work better. If your router has variable speed, try running at a lower rpm than you'd use for wood.

6/7/21 #5: How to make better router cuts ...

Tom Gardiner

If the pieces are large enough, the jointer is al lot faster and gives good results ( if the knives are sharp).

6/7/21 #6: How to make better router cuts ...

Thomas M Diel

Member

Website: http://thomasdiel.com

Hey Brad, The best answer you don't want to hear is pricy; but you can you a 1/4" and I would recommend stepping through the materials only 1/4" (or dia = step through depth) at a time but rewelding is an issue with straight flutes. The chatter your seeing is probably bit deflection if hogging 1/2"th w 1/4"dia in one pass. The big bucks solution is you might also step up to a low helix upspiral AKA O flute bit to clear chips in a router table and if you can step up to a 1/2"dia bit. Plexi is alot more dense so slow you feed down and cast vs extruded will give you varied results stringy vs spitting rewelded balls all over. If you do go for a O flute don't use it on anything else but plexi, it will stay sharp longer.
Your using expensive material so you'll see amazing results from O flute.

https://www.vortextool.com/1230.html

6/7/21 #7: How to make better router cuts ...

rich c

Onsrud O flute is the cutter I prefer. You use a Skill router table in a commercial shop? That's a huge mistake. If you are using a pattern, run it on a shaper. Get some real equipment!

6/8/21 #8: How to make better router cuts ...

Keith Newton

Back when I ran a plastic shop, we would use a 1/2" cutter with a 5/8" bearing for fast rough out, then follow with a half inch with 1/2" bearing for the finish cut. Plastic is very sensitive to feed-rate. Too fast, gives tearout, and too slow melts and welds to the cutter. A small router with too little power has a narrow range of speed it can handle, so it's time to move on up, not to mention that by doubling the shank diameter from 1/4 to 1/2" is 4 times the area or amount of metal in the shank.

6/8/21 #9: How to make better router cuts ...

brad

Member

Thanks for the great input everybody. Aside from getting my machinery stable it looks like I need to get a 1/2" shank bit and just a better bit all around. I'll look into all the suggested bits here and do an upgrade.

6/15/21 #10: How to make better router cuts ...

brad

Member

Update. I've had a lot of suggestions for a O flute upcut bit but despite all my search I don't believe there's one of these made that's designed to be a trim bit, with a guide bearing. All of them I found were meant for CNC.

The closest kind of bit I can find to what's been suggested is something like the Whiteside RS5200 1/2" shank 1/2" bearing 2" cutting surface length. If a O flute upcut can't be found would this do it?...

View higher quality, full size image (1125 X 1500)

6/18/21 #11: How to make better router cuts ...

Adam

Starting point:

Dewalt router(good)
cheap bit(bad)
1/4" shank(bad) should be 1/2" it makes a big difference especially with 1/4" cheap bits.
no prior experience cutting plastic(bad)

You need a good feel for the feed speeds on plastic. It does not cut like wood.
Ideally, you should be taking 1/16 a pass. Unlike wood where taking 1/8 or 1/4" is no big deal.

You've got several major variables to play with, before you go out and spend your time and money buying some special bit. Buy a typical good pattern bit from the usual suspects.

I've cut a fair amount of plastic in my day with regular two flutes and never had a problem.

The other guys are talking about perfect cutting on a cnc router. You are obviously not on that course.

Post a Response

Notify me of responses to this thread

Subscribe to email updates on this Forum

Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.

Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.

A valid email return address must be included with each message.

Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.

Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.

"Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.

Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.

Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.

Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.

Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.

Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.

Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.

Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
(return to top).

Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

Libel: Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

Improper Decorum: Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

Advertising: The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)

Forum Posting Help
Your Name	The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
Your Website	Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
E-Mail Address	Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
Subject	Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines	Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
Thread Related File Uploads	Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips) If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)

Related Information:
Products
Knowledge Base: Furniture
Shop Gallery

Recent Threads at all Forums

To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread, enter your name and email address, and then click the "Keep Me Posted" button below. Please Note: If you have posted a message or response, *do not* submit this request ... you are already signed up to receive notification!
Your Name:
E-Mail Address:
Enter the correct numbers into the field below:

Date of your Birth:	Return to top of page

Furniture Making

How to make better router cuts

FORUM GUIDELINES

Forum Posting Help

Sponsors