Tis the season already.

[Steve knight]

This is the first time I made Christmas stuff. 13 sheets of 1/4" Russian plywood all cut today. started cutting it at 10 when it was delivered and will be done around 9:30. there were several shapes some I could cut with a 1/8" bit and those were fast at 2ips but there were more parts. then a couple sheets with a 3/32" bit those were still cut at 1.5" ips full depth. but these raindeer they needed a 1/16" bit. Pretty much all of then I could find just did .25 but the material ended up about 2.6 or so. so I could not use the straight bit I had planned. got some 1/16" endmills that were longer but it was a battle with surface tearout even with a climb cut. So I ended up cutting them with a 1/8" then the same cut with the 1/16" to get into the tight area's. this let me run the 1/16" bit at 3ips.
I need the weekend off this was a long day but it payed very well.

[Mark Johnston]

Steve,
Nice job. Can you tell us where you got the Russian plywood and the cost? I’ve never hear of it before, is it like Baltic birch? Were you able to deliver the parts right off the machine or did you need to sand at all? Did you use the tab option or onion skin?
Do you have any more pictures?
Thanks for sharing.
Mark

[Steve knight]

got the wood at crosscut here in Portland Oregon. it is really ero ply. it is a little better quality then bb I think and it is more practical.
Right off the machine I would not have wanted to sand them. My customer got several people together to sand. there were a lot of parts. The raindeer were the least of them. there were a lot of trees.
no tabs or onionskin I seldom use them. if you use a downcut bit or a straight bit on the ero plys the sawdust will keep the parts in place pretty well. though the 1/16" upcut caused a few problems on the last sheet.