Crazy hardwood (mesquite)

How To
1

I’m trying to mill ~5mm mesquite. As a test, I used the ball nose end mill (#101) and cut a few simple dome shapes. That went well.

I then tried cutting out a simple extruded 2-D heart using the square end mill (#102). That has not gone well. Towards the end of the cut, the piece consistently vibrates loose from the double-sided tape.

In MeshCAM, I’m using Tools / Carbide Auto Toolpath with Material set to Wood - Hard, Cutter set to #102, and Finish set to Higher Quality. I assume I need to adjust the step-over, feed-rate, and/or plunge rate but I have no idea what would be reasonable adjustments. Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

2

You could cut the feedrate by 25-50% and run it again. It may also help to wipe the wood really clean before putting the tape on there to make sure you’re getting all the adhesion you can.

Rob