Jeff_Birt
04-20-2007, 02:57 PM
I have been testing one of the new 1/16" ball nose carving bits now being offerd by precisebits.com (http://www.precisebits.com/products/carbidebits/taperedcarve250b4f.asp?txtsearchParamTxt=tapered&txtsearchParamCat=ALL&I1.x=0&I1.y=0&txtsearchParamType=ALL&iLevel=1&txtsearchParamMan=ALL&txtsearchParamVen=ALL&txtFromSearch=fromSearch). There was a thread about this bit a week or so ago and I promised a more thourough review. I asked precisebits some questions and have inserted the answers I recieved. In general the new bit works very well and I would reccomend it to anyone. It's nice that we now have a US made alternative to the OEM bit.
I have found the carving bit to work very well. I have carved with it in a variety of ‘difficult’ woods including soft maple and poplar. In general the pieces have been a bit easier to clean up, flat bottomed pockets have come out especially nice. Considering the machine carves in a 'raster' method, climb milling one direction, conventional milling the other I'm not sure much could be done to improve the slight fuzz left on difficult woods without more control over the tool path (something like a more traditional rough and finish pass).
Softwoods HAVE to be conventionally milled, or climb cut at a VERY slow feed. Of course, going that slow will burn the wood and reduce the life of the bit.
From a qualitative analysis I would say the bit is defiantly quieter. I did do a simple test with a dB Meter (only a Radio Shack unit) carving a two sided project, using the OEM bit and the new bit on alternating sides. A reduction of 1-2 dB was noted at distances of 1’, 3’ and at the spindle drive cable slot. The machine seemed to vibrate a bit more with the OEM bit as well but this observation was rather seat-of-the pants and no formal method of confirming this was investigated
Q: I would assume that the bits now offered for sale come sans the bit adapter,I think someone reported such on the forum as well; and the production bit has only one flat spot?.
The production bit has only one flat spot (called a Weldon flat) because the way that we mount the bits in an adapter benefits from having a clean cylindrical surface to seat against the cylindrical bore of the adapter. Using our technique for mounting the bits virtually eliminates diagonal (azimuthal) runout in favor of the much smaller offset (radial) runout.
Q:In the documentation accompanying the bit I received it was stated that heat release super glue was used to lock the bit in place. Can you share a brand name for this type of glue (or perhaps you carry it and I just did not see it on you web site.)
it is sold by LocTite under the ahporism "Loctite® Control Goof-Proof Super Glue" at Home Depot. It works quite well for securing the bits, even if they do not have a Weldon flat. We have not had a tool break loose since we started using it. Being based on a cyanoacrylate monomer, the bond degrades somewhere between 80° and 100°C, a temperature easily reached with a hot air gun (e.g. MHT Model 750).
I have found the carving bit to work very well. I have carved with it in a variety of ‘difficult’ woods including soft maple and poplar. In general the pieces have been a bit easier to clean up, flat bottomed pockets have come out especially nice. Considering the machine carves in a 'raster' method, climb milling one direction, conventional milling the other I'm not sure much could be done to improve the slight fuzz left on difficult woods without more control over the tool path (something like a more traditional rough and finish pass).
Softwoods HAVE to be conventionally milled, or climb cut at a VERY slow feed. Of course, going that slow will burn the wood and reduce the life of the bit.
From a qualitative analysis I would say the bit is defiantly quieter. I did do a simple test with a dB Meter (only a Radio Shack unit) carving a two sided project, using the OEM bit and the new bit on alternating sides. A reduction of 1-2 dB was noted at distances of 1’, 3’ and at the spindle drive cable slot. The machine seemed to vibrate a bit more with the OEM bit as well but this observation was rather seat-of-the pants and no formal method of confirming this was investigated
Q: I would assume that the bits now offered for sale come sans the bit adapter,I think someone reported such on the forum as well; and the production bit has only one flat spot?.
The production bit has only one flat spot (called a Weldon flat) because the way that we mount the bits in an adapter benefits from having a clean cylindrical surface to seat against the cylindrical bore of the adapter. Using our technique for mounting the bits virtually eliminates diagonal (azimuthal) runout in favor of the much smaller offset (radial) runout.
Q:In the documentation accompanying the bit I received it was stated that heat release super glue was used to lock the bit in place. Can you share a brand name for this type of glue (or perhaps you carry it and I just did not see it on you web site.)
it is sold by LocTite under the ahporism "Loctite® Control Goof-Proof Super Glue" at Home Depot. It works quite well for securing the bits, even if they do not have a Weldon flat. We have not had a tool break loose since we started using it. Being based on a cyanoacrylate monomer, the bond degrades somewhere between 80° and 100°C, a temperature easily reached with a hot air gun (e.g. MHT Model 750).