I am looking at getting a new surfacing bit for my CNC and I am currently comparing the Whiteside 6210 and Amana RC-2249
For those who have used either of these, how do they compare in actual use? I am mainly interested in surface finish, tool life, and how well they work for regular spoilboard resurfacing.
Is the larger diameter and replaceable inserts on the Amana worth it, or does the Whiteside 6210 do a good enough job for normal use?
I would appreciate hearing about your experience with either one. Thanks!
Well when you make a mistake on the depth setting they both eat stainless steel equally, however not for very long. I went back to the Whiteside when I had my 3XL as it never had an issue, most issues are operator error. ie the nut behind the wheel.
I use the Whiteside 6210. Works well but there is a void in the middle. That does not work with BitSetter. I only use it to surface my spoilboard so I remove my BitSetter so it wont get hit. The Amana has carbide inserts so you can rotate them and/or replace them. However I use Easy Wood Tools carbide scrapers for turning and have hardly ever had to rotate a carbide insert. I did have to replace one but that my fault for hitting the chuck by accident and took a nick out of the insert. I think either would work but there is a tremendous price difference for the convenience of changing the carbide inserts. However you could buy 4 of the Whiteside bits for each Amana.
Thanks for the insight! The BitSetter issue is something I had not considered. And yeah with that price difference, the Whiteside seems like a pretty practical option for just spoilboard surfacing.
For the BitSetter, you can attach anything of consistent thickness to the top of it, and it will work correctly.
I cut a 1"x1" piece of 1/8" Aluminum from some bar stock I had, and ‘glued’ it to the top of the BitSetter with LocTite. A piece of thick enough plastic would also be fine.
My cheapo tri-wing bit now works on the BitSetter just like any other bit.
Thanks for the tip! I will keep that workaround in mind. Also, could you take a look at the products I listed and let me know if any of them would work well for this setup?
I’m not answering your specific question, but I just bought a larger one from Haas tooling, for 1/3 of what Amana charges. It is a similar geometry, and similar to the McFly. I have not yet used it, but I have bought a lot of tooling for my CNC mill. They sell industrial CNC machines, so they know what they are doing. The build quality on the tool is excellent, and the inserts are very sharp.
Amana builds a great tool, but I’m not sure the delta in price is worth it. I think the Amana style is a better design, and being able to replace inserts will allow you to keep a good surface quality over time.
I had not looked at Haas or SpeTool yet. The price difference compared with Amana is definitely worth considering, especially if the cheaper options still give a good finish. Thanks for sharing those alternatives!
I use the Whiteside 6220 (1/2" shank, 2" diameter) that I already owned for other reasons, quite happy with it so far. You need to use the paper method to set the height manually, but for as often as I resurface the table (not often, only twice is the last 3 years) that’s not a big deal. The bigger bit is, of course, much faster to get the job done.
I have used the PowerTec 1" fixed blade, the IDC Woodcraft 1.5" fixed blade, and the CIC True Flat 1.75" replaceable blade ones. The latter two work really well (the PowerTec is just too small). The IDC is less expensive while the True Flat covers more area per pass. So far, the replaceable blade feature has not been a factor. One thing though, the wider the cutter, the more your machine needs to be in tram. With 75% more width for the 1.75" over the 1" you will have a much bigger sanding job if you are out of tram and your stepover is proportional.
I have the McFly cutter (C3D603E) and the RC-2255 Spoilboard 2.5" 3-Wing. The McFly works great but is time consuming as hell. The RC-2255 is HUGE and makes quick work of the surfacing that I do on pine/cedar. I have the 80mm spindle and the RC-2255 is all it wants, IMO. I check all the nuts and bolts after running it. It’s a beast and same as others have mentioned the bit setter cannot be used.
The 2" diameter definitely sounds useful for saving time, especially for larger spoilboards. Since you already had the Whiteside 6220, it seems like a practical option without needing to buy a separate bit.
I had not considered how much being out of tram can affect the finish with a wider cutter. The IDC sounds like a good middle ground, especially if the replaceable blades are not really necessary for occasional resurfacing.
It’s a beast and same as others have mentioned the bit setter cannot be used.