I have a few CNC bits I have purchased that other than the size and type, I don’t know much about. What is the best strategy for entering these items in your tooling library? Even some of the larger brands I have bought, don’t include a ton of information - at least as much as the specifications allow.
Just wondering what the best thing to do is. I am using very thin tools for guitar fretboard work that include fret slots and inlay.
If you are not able to find the original bit specs you can use a set of calipers to find the overall length, diameter, cutting length and see how many flutes it has. You can use these measurements to either find a bit with the same measurements and get the feeds and speeds for that and enter them with your bit. I have done this same thing with some bits that were given to me. You can go to Amana, Freud or any other mfg that shows recommended feeds and speeds.
I use whiteside and other brands of up/down cut bits. I usually just copy an existing tool and modify it as necessary. When starting use the C3D parameters and use the CM +/- function to adjust the F&S. When you find a good spot then modify your custom tool database for the parameters that work.
Beware that many bits from the OEM with recommended F&S are fantastically high for a hobby level CNC. Many times they are for industrial CNC machines. Freud tools give very high parameters for their bits. Just be careful if you find the OEM F&S because likely not for hobby machines.
I appreciate both of your replies! I kind of figured this out on my own, and figured I would use similar bits to get the information in there - so I will continue to do that. I REALLY appreciate the info about Freud’s bits!! That is really good to know.
All of this stuff is pretty common sense, but sometimes sense isn’t common in my world!!