Greetings,
So I am doing a 3D carve on white oak. I am using a 1/4" upcut bit for the roughing pass.
When the machine passes along the grain instead of chipping, it pulls off strands of the grain—pictured below.
These strands eventually clog the dust shoe and I pause the machine, stop the spindle, and clean it out.
Any ideas of cause and remedy?
Thank you,
Ron
The cause is, it’s just really stringy wood. Lighter cuts can help. Do all of your roughing at an angle, or across the grain (Not preferred as end grain burns easily.)
Rough to within the thickness of the strings or more, then use a downcut to finish walls.
Soak the wood with a good penetrating sealer. Lacquer sealer thinned out just a bit will soak in well.
Look up impregnating if you want to get real serious. It uses resin & heat & vacuum to pull the resin further into the wood. If you can’t do the vacuum, heat up the wood & thin the resin.
I have been running a drilling pass with a row of holes 1/4" to 1/2" spacing between rows. I got some 1/4" carbide drill bits. Along the row the holes are almost touching.
I’m basically chopping up the fibers along the grain.
Tod,
Thank you for the reply. Roughing at an angle is a good idea. Next time I will do that.
I’ve been looking at impregnating for use with turning, it is an interesting concept. I’m saving pennies to purchase everything now.
Ron
Mark, I like it!!! Never thought of plunge-milling on these machines. Great way to remove material very quickly. 
Ron, I’ve worked with a lot of impregnated wood, but never made it myself. Hope it helps.
Does all that take longer than pausing to clear the strings? I guess on the 5Pro the pause doesn’t raise the spindle so clearing may be difficult in that scenario.
The deep sweep can accommodate more strings 
Good point!! As long as the strings aren’t chipping into / out of the finished part. 
I’ve ran into this a bit. Oak is a relativly cheap hardwood, so it’s attractive to use. I’m in the camp that just roughs cross-grain, then finishes with the grain when possible.
And I also agree the Deep Sweepy helps. But it only helps so much
A fresh bit reduced the strings on red oak. I used conventional rotation as well.
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