Milling wood?

[WolfieParticipant @wolfie]

Is there any reason why I can't mill wood?

I need to make another display case and using the mill would be handy.

And for that matter, can I use milling bits in my router?

I know the answer to both questions is yes, but are there any hidden pitfalls (apart from sawdust)

[WolfieParticipant @wolfie]

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Posted by Wolfie on 05/03/2012 08:37:07:

Is there any reason why I can't mill wood?

I need to make another display case and using the mill would be handy.

And for that matter, can I use milling bits in my router?

I know the answer to both questions is yes, but are there any hidden pitfalls (apart from sawdust)

Hi Wolfie,

I haven't come across any yet.

Regards

Terry

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Mike Chrisp gave our club a very interesting talk about encouraging Model engineers to think of wood as just another material. He used the mill extensively on his railbus.

The pitfall is in the cutter design. Bits for wood have straight flutes and metal spiral. That causes some 'grab' and can pull out the bit.

Wood routing is done at high speed and throughput. The latter is oddly to cool the bit as the flex in wood causes rubbing when the job is staionary that caused heating.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

If you are milling wood in a mill, use the fastest speed, consistent with diameter and use very sharp cutters intended for aluminium.

I use a ball ended cutter to mill patterns for castings, before hand finishing.

Keep the wood dust away from the slideways as much as possible by covering everything with plastic sheeting, run some form of extractor at all times to remove the chips/dust.

WEAR A MASK!

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Did it on my lathe once…and once only…holy smoke what a mess

I would recommend breathing protection, and don't run the cutter too fast or it will get too hot and blunt faster, you'll have to suss out your own cutters speedwise

Very noisy and messy at high speed with bits and dust floating all over the shop, every piece of equipment and tooling in your workshop will have a covering of fine sawdust after 5 minutes so watch your electric motor inlets etc

gl

Edited By Ady1 on 05/03/2012 09:55:00

[maurice bennieParticipant @mauricebennie99556]

Hi Wolfie . No problems ,have just finished turntable for Thomas the tank engine ,1/8" deep in 1/2"ply.

Clamp the end of vacuum cleaner nozle close to the cutter and as said before ,WEAR A MASK.

Good luck ,Maurice

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi Wolfie

My Dad had a woodworking business and his workshop had a large Wadkin vertical router. This had just two speeds :- 18,000rpm or 24,000rpm.! ( Sounded like a Lightening Jet when starting up) So the first rule is run your mill at its highest speed! My suggestion is that, rather than use your milling cutters for this task, you use a proper router bit. It should fit in your collet chuck OK. Finally, as has been said, cover up everything and WEAR EYE PROTECTION and maybe a mask.. I've seen Dad completely covered in woodchips and looking like a snowman after some jobs! He was careful though and lived into his 90's – along with all his fingers and eyes!

Regards

Norman

Edited By NJH on 05/03/2012 10:27:17

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Forget you are routing! With routing you aim to remove as much wood as you can achieve in a single pass. Pic is real, where is the dust? In the extractor as it happens. Take it easy, cutter is at 2000RPM Depth of cut 1mm.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I think the first job I did on the mill was a wooden pencil box with a sliding top , and two trays,from a bit of Maple, I think he still has it, but as he is a cabinet maker, fitting out luxury yatchs, he could proberbly knock up something flasher, in half the time it took me. I prefer not to machine wood, I used to be into wood turning, but it started to affect me, I kept getting bleeding noses, found it was mainly one of our native timbers, Rimu, even a mask did'nt seem to help. Ian S C

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I have to disagree with the advice to use a standard router bit over HSS tooling as you won't be able to get the speeds needed for the straight or slight skew on the TCT router cutters. If you want to use router cutters then buy the upward flute spiral cutters which look similar to slot drills but have larger gussets to remove the waste.

As I work with wood for a living I've routed and milled a fair bit.

J

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Guys,

I would take issue with any one who suggests using a router bit in a mill or an end mill in a router, the speeds are all wrong both ways around.

Milling wood is quite fun but works best with the harder, close grained varieties and think in terms of Aluminium for speeds and feeds, but depth of cut can be markedly deeper.

What you do have to remember that almost all woods will distort and continue to do so depending on moisture content in the air, so don't think of working to metal working tolerances.

As has been mentioned, some oily woods, Rosewoods and Lignum Vitae in particular, can cause a nasty , itchy rash if you happen to be sensitive and you wont find out if you are till it is too late . The voice of experience from a former wood turner.

chriStephens

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Jason & Chris

I bow to your greater knowledge and withdraw my suggestion of the router cutter in the mill ( although I wasn't suggesting a TCT cutter). How does this fit with Bazyle's comment above re straight / spiral flutes and the tendancy of the bit to pull out?

N

[alan knightParticipant @alanknight67321]

From experience, I would rough out with the router then do any fine tolerance work on the mill unless you enjoy milling and breathing in dust for an extended period. I normally use quite harsh cutting cutters like 2 flute spirals and ripper/hoggers as these tend to burn and chatter less. I also hold a vaccum near the cutter to keep dust down. Another cosideration is ceaning your crossfeed down after so you dont start causing wear from all the dust mixed with lubricant. I normally blow the bedways down with an air line then wipe them off with a rag and solvent then relube after.

[David Paterson 4Participant @davidpaterson4]

I have not milled wood, but when making the forms for boiler end plates I started them on the wood lathe and finished on the metal late. There is a standard holding approach for wood turning that uses a coarse thread into the back of the work. I simply transferred that screw into the 3-jaw on the metal lathe.

The advantage is that the wood lathe and hand tools are very quick for roughing a blank, the metal lathe allows easy creation of an accurate cylinder – precice diameter, no taper.

david

[JonParticipant @jon]

In all fairness i have never had an issue with a variety of woods in lathes and mills using whats available be that HSS and carbide milling cutters or TCT router.

After all its just another material like any other but different woods and moisture content affect the tolerances, even birch laminate.

Further to that on larger mill i am limited to 1250rpm, this bits 22" long http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL15/728921/1243583/311528971.jpg I have done many even with home made cutters.

After all its just another material like any other but different woods react and have different moisture content.

Its good to do woodwork in winter, it stops or reduces the cold coming through the floor, i leave the dust and shavings down as long as possible.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

NHJ

The straight fluted (brazed carbide)bits won't have any tendancy to pull or push for that matter. The solid hss or carbide spiral upcut router bits have no more helix than the average 2 flute milling cutter so there is no more risk and lets face it the average router collet is very similar to the ER design and you don't see many comming out at 30,000rpm when useed in routers. The spiral upcut and alternate up/down spiral again the risk of pulling out or getting pushed up is unlikely.

The main reason bits come out of router collets is due to not having sufficient shank in the collet but that would also apply to milling cutters.

J

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