What bit do you cabinet guys use?

[Blake Koehn]

I don't know if I have every posted here or not... Anyway I have had a CNC machine for several years, first a Shopbot and then I built a Mechmate almost 2 years ago. I own and operate a sign shop, but build stuff out of wood to...(read honeydo's for the house).

Anyway I have been trying to cut up some birch 3/4 plywood for a project I am working on. It seems that everything I cut needs a lot of cleaning up. Is there a good bit suggestion and speed and feedrate suggestion so that I can cut out some simple cabinet parts, dados etc. that don't need some sanding? What I am mainly seeing is splinters along the top and bottom edges of the cut.

Thanks
Blake

[Jerome Stanek]

try a compression bit. Centurion has then that cut very smooth.

[Jim Underwood]

I use a Vortex 3/8" compression bit. I'm using a 2 flute chipbreaker for plywood (3430), and a 3 flute finisher(3285) for MDF products. A lot of folks I know use an Onsrud 60-126MW, but I've found the Vortex Viper to be a tougher bit and last longer. Oh.. and use a conventional cut, instead of a climb cut - especially if your cuts on the scrap are cleaner than your cuts on your parts.

Since we have a KOMO our feed speeds are probably a bit higher than you can go, but I target about a .014-.015" chip load.

If you'd like a copy of the Excel file I use to calculate that, shoot me an email, and I'll send you the calculator file.

[Steve knight]

I always use a downcut bit usually from centurian. as long as my table is not chewed up I get clean cuts on both sides.

[dan nelson]

We use a 5mm compression bit that a local sharping/machine shop makes for us, not having big iron machine(bot) we cut in 3 passes @180in/min. The first pass is a down cut for the first .275 of the bit and than it is a up cut for the rest. 5mm works for us because we can use it to drill shelf pins also. 180 is kind of wimpy but it keeps me hopping average sheet time is about 17 minutes