Carbide Precision Collets runout

Hi,

I keep breaking 1/8-inch endmills when I try to machine aluminum. They sometimes break with almost no load on them. I then tried using the feeds and speeds from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH4AXz_rtPo&t=17s.

I’m using cheap 2$ endmills I got from amazon, and they are very brittle, but I don’t think that’s the main factor causing problems in this case. When I tried measuring the runout on my 1/8 inch collet, I found that there was 2 thou of runout right below the spindle nut. I’m using the carbide compact router. The 1/4 inch collet was somewhat worse, at 4 thou of runout, but I’ve never had problems with 1/4 inch cutters in aluminum.

Is it worth getting those carbide precision collets, or is this runout problem unavoidable on a hobby machine like the shapeoko pro?

Do you have a probing pin? Check the runout on that. Try a second router to see if it’s better?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a probing pin or a second router. However, I found that there was no noticeable runout on the router itself. I was using the shaft of my endmills, above the flutes, to measure runout. It might be possible that these cheap endmills are slightly bent somehow.

Not sure this is applicable to you, I’m running a Nomad Pro. Replacing the collets which came standard on the machine helped me. (I typically use small bits, down to 0.17 mm.) I’m not aware of “carbide precision collets”, I got mine elsewhere on the web.

I’ll try replacing the collets then. Thank you. It would be great if Carbide 3D put a runout specification on their precision collets. I just assumed they were the same as what came with the machine.
These are the precision collets:

Checking runout at the top of the bit will not tell you much. The measure is at the bottom. C3D routers can have the bearings bad even in early life. You can put a bit in and just pull on the bit to see if there is movement. As you said you are using cheap bits. elairecorp.com sells good precision collets for most routers. There are other vendors out there that sell precision collets and ER11 collets.

You have to use a vfd spindle those hand router are not precision.

This topic was automatically closed after 30 days. New replies are no longer allowed.