I am new to CNC and just finished assembly of my XXL. I want to load a new tool/bit but don’t know what should be the correct feed rates and plunge rates. I looked up the specs on the bit and here they are. Since this is new to me, I don’t want to screw things up. Can anybody provide any insight?
3d speeds and feeds:
finish allowance ?
Feedrate?
RPM ?
Stepover ?
I haven’t found a detailed video where it clearly explains each of these fields or how to adjust these based on these specs / material to cut. I appreciate the help!
Feeds & speeds is a wide topic, so initially you will be better off trying to mimic the defaults provided in CC database for similar tool/material combinations.
You are correct in assuming that you would need to create multiple entries, one for each tool+material combination you want to use.
That said, there is currently no entry for a surfacing bit in the CC tool database, and surfacing is quite a specific operation. The feeds and speeds that people on the forum tend to mention for surfacing ops are:
RPM in the 16k–20k range
Feedrate in the 80–100 ipm range
Depth per pass in the 0.01–0.05’’ range
Plunge rate is mostly irrelevant for such shallow passes, any value will do.
3D speeds and speeds is irrelevant for a surfacing bit (you won’t be using a surfacing bit to do 3D toolpaths…), so you can drop any values in there.
If you do want to learn about where all those magical values come from and how they relate to each other, you may be interested in this chapter in the ebook on this topic. There is no need to understand all of that, using proven recipes is quite fine, this is just for you to know, you can come back to it later once you’re familiar with the machine.
I agree with Julian’s data for the fly cutter. I have a Whiteside 6120 that is very close to your Amana and those are the F&S I use (80 IPM) and have had good success with those numbers. I usually only cut about 0.01 inches per pass and just do multiple passes until my spoil board is flat and all the previous scars are gone.
One thing to remember about an XXL is it cuts off the front of the machine but because of the router configuration you cannot go all the way to the back when cutting. So adjust your spoil board so you can cut the whole thing back to front. If not you will have a ridge in the back that can cause issues if you have a piece of work that is larger than the cutting area or like when tiling. It would make your work piece not lay flat on the spoil board.
I fasten my spoilboard on the 4 corners by drilling a 1/4 inch hole, placing the spoil board on the base board and marking through the 1/4 inch holes with a drill bit. I then drill the correct size hole for brass inserts that are screwed into the base board. Be sure to countersing your holes and use flat head screws. Be sure they countersink is deep enough so when surfacing you do not cut into the flat head steel bolts. You could use brass bolts but still you dont want to cut into them.