Hi I've found suggestions and comments on laser cutting but nothing so far on router bits, if I mixed Amy posts on the subject, my apologies. I'm looking for a decent 1/8" or 1/4" shank with either a 1/16" or possibly a 1mm to 1.5mm cut. (What ever would be better). I would be cutting 3/16" balsa or up to 1/4" lite ply for model making use. While I've found some suggestion for what different cuts will do, I'm still not sure what would work the best for this type of wood. I'm hoping someone's previous experience can point me in the direction of what to use. The more details the better and would be greatly appreciated. FYI, I'm using a makita router and just ordered a new collet for it. Thank you and have a great week!
A simple 2 flute down spiral for ply will eliminate fraying. Balsa is more of a struggle to hold down, but you don't have to worry about laminating. You should be able to get away with a straight 2 flute for both, but I'm not a woodworker.
I know many people swear by the diamond pattern type "bur" bits for balsa, I built my machine for balsa and as of a year after completion have cut everything but Balsa! Get lots of cheap bits (amazon or ebay) and experiment with speeds and feeds, with the small dia bits (1mm or even less) you will break a few. Something like these on Amazon Gary