How Long Does a 1/16" Carving Bit Last?

[5twenty]

I'm having problems with Y axis stall and I suspect a dull bit as it stalls only during very deep carving. I can feel the bit is much more dull at the carving tip than it is higher up the bit where it doesn't touch anything when carving.

My question is: How long should I expect a bit to last? The bit has 35 hours on it carving 70% poplar wood and 30% Corian lithopanes.

[FINGERS]

you should get at less 200 hr. out of a bit .

[AskBud]

I do not carve Corian, however, I think it may take its toll on bits.
I would not use the same bit on both wood and Corian, but rather have one for each.
AskBud

[Wilbur]

I think you are right on the Y axis and dull bit. To your question I can't say for sure.
I have had one last for a good 200+ hr but had one that only last for about 40 and it was suppose to be a bitter bit, sure cost more.
The type wood you use has to make a difference. Hard wood over soft will give the bit a shorter life but again I can't say for sure. I use poplar and cedar and they are not hard on bits as say, oak.
I have found that it seems as if the bits from CW out last some others but then they all may be the same.
I know that bits from Northern and Amazon comes from LHR of at lease they do this week.

Wilbur

[Jeff_Birt]

The failure mode for most bits is damage due to handling, i.e. it gets dropped or banged around and chipped. As has been mentioned the life of the bit will greatly depend on what you are cutting as a bench mark it should be around 50,000 inches in western red cedar.

For really hard materials like corian using a ZrN coated will will improve bit life: http://soigeneris.com/PreciseBitsCarving.aspx, top left of page.

[5twenty]

Just got my new 1/16" bit from Mr. UPS. It is SIGNIFICANTLY sharper than the old bit. I'm carving the lithopane now that's been giving me problems with the dull bit. I'll report back in 8 hours and 21 minutes, hopefully. Any earlier would be bad news.

[Steven Alford]

My experience is in red oak and I have never gotten more than 50 to 60 hours out of a bit. That 200 hours must be in balsa wood!!!! LOL:mrgreen:

[5twenty]

Everything worked just fine with the new bit.

[liquidguitars]

Nice work..

LG

[autobodyman]

can the bits be sharpened or do you just toss them when dull?

Thanks ~Mike

[seabass]

I have dressed up(clean it and a quick pass with a little diamond tool) a bit during a carve or a routing, but after that I toss it. That goes for my router bits too. I have never found resharpening to make them much better.

I have found sometimes I forget just how good a new bit works. I tend to use them to long and than am so surprised when I change them!

[jcorder]

Beautiful Litho!

I change mine when I notice the machine starting to work harder on a carve.


Jeff

[billybehr]

I used to sell Trex (50% recycled hardwood and 50% recycled grocery bags) when I worked for a lumber company years ago and we always recommended to our customers to have two different saws or blades for cutting: one for the Trex and one for any wood. The blades would cut the plastic quite well, but once you did cut any of the plastic it would dull it considerably for the wood. I guess the long and the short of this whole novel I am writing here is to go with Bud's recommendation and have a bit specifically for cutting Corian or any other plastic-type stock.

By they way, on a side note; thanks Bud for your contribution on your vacuum head. I bought and built one and am quite happy with how clean my machine is after a carve. Now with Bud's vacuum head and Ron's Rock Chuck I am one happy carver!

Bill

[AskBud]

Bill,
Thanks for the good review on the Vacuum Head. Enjoy your projects.
AskBud