1/16 carve bit

[aokweld101]

I got my carvewight machine 5 weeks ago and I was courious to know how much time you can run the bit I've got 280 running hours on the machine and went though six bits and heard on the forum that there getting 500 hrs. per bit. I know that when it starts peeling the wood back like a banana its time to change the bit. I've been running popular wood .

[fwharris]

I go by how my detail is coming out more than the peeling. Some woods (soft) I think do tend to peel.

[cnsranch]

Wow - running your machine 56 hours per week? Gotta be a new record.

You "went thru 6 bits" - is that because you thought they were dull, or the carves were coming out poorly.

Mr. Harris is right - but I do find that my 60 degree v bit (that I use much more than the 90) leaves "peelings" and the 90 doesn't.

[liquidguitars]

Makes sure you clean the bits of pitch.

[chief2007]

How fast a bit will dull depends on the type wood carved. Harder the wood and the more you carve, the faster your bit will dull.

Easy test to tell if your bits are getting dull is to take an edge on the tip of the bit and scratch it across a nail on your finger. Sharp bit you will get some nail shavings. Dull bit little to none.

[aokweld101]

I want to thank you , for the feed back on this question about the bits I am a weldor,fabacator and do know what im looking for I was just wondering if i was running it to hard i have been using the optimal setting on all my carves

[rcdages]

Good point chief2007 the old finger / thum nail test.

I us that test pattern and it works well.

I did get 5 years out of one of my carving bits, keep in mind I only carved pine with it.
It was way over due to be replaced.

Much much better to carve with a sharp bit.

[cestout]

When I had a large project carving a lot of poplar, I cleaned the bits regularly with some cheap oven cleaner - seemed to help, but still getting 150 hrs from a bit really good, more like 100 hrs.
Clint