Hello again! I was wondering how to avoid chips while cutting plywood? (see the picture attached) How do you guys protect the board?
SharkBits Downcut bits from openbuildspartstore.com And also note some plywood (quality vs price) has spots that werent laminated with enough glue or pressure.
The downcut bits work, and so do straight flute type in my experience. I use the straight flute because they also work well cutting the plastic stock I use for projects. The upcut - or "normal" - endmills will cause tear out in wood. Here are a couple of straight flute bit. Straight 3 Flutes Solid Carbide End Mill 1/4" Nano Shield and Straight 2 Flutes Solid Carbide End Mill 1/8" Nano Shield I use a 2 flute.
That looks like Baltic birch... the good stuff Like Giarc said, I put off trying a down-cut for ever, recently starting using them and I'm now mad at myself for not getting them sooner! straight flute works fine as well, but down is even better. That said a corner like that can be tricky and can tare out no matter what bit! Side note.. Best place to get plywood is from a lumber supplier (not big box stores or specialty woodworking stores) I can get Baltic (Russian) birch for $29 for 5x5x1/2 and $47 for 5x5x3/4. Cheers Gary
Yeah, looks like BB to me too. Unfortunately, even top quality BB can give problems like this. Especially on acute points like in the photo. As was implied earlier, there is no substitute for good quality and sharp bits. A down cut spiral is a good start. If you are using those eBay/Amazon 10 for $15 bits, stop. Toss them out and get decent quality bits. Life is too short for dull bits. I try to use Whiteside bits when possible but even CMT, Freud and Rockler are generally OK. Some other things to consider: - Use a low tack film to add some support. I use Oramask stencil film when cutting fragile material. Be careful peeling it off. - Take a very shallow first cut (half way through the first ply) - Climb cut those points - reduces chipout pressure. - Use a sanding sealer before cutting. It adds a little support. - Do check how sharp your bit is - they can dull up pretty fast.
