Acrylic Cutting Help

[Dean jeffery]

I'm also considering getting a more suitable tool for cutting plastics. Looking at the Cutwell Tools site.. what do you think is better for acrylic they have 45deg Helix flutes (do these extract the chips better?) plus some YG single flute HSSE and some Karnasch cutters. Are the Karnasch worth the extra money?

I've just bought a 2mm single flute cutter from cutwel last week for cutting acrylic, 10mm think stuff and ran at 24k 2000 feed 1.5mm DOC the finish is fine but needed some 400 wet&dry treatment not a great deal though.

I didn't bother with a finish pass no real need when I was polishing the edge anyway, it cost £32 or £34 and like a tool it slipped from the collect and lucky as I am hit a metal bolt I use to hold the spoil board down :( still cuts ok but not the same :(

Top tip before undoing the collect nut put a silicon boot on the cutter :)

But I've now change the profile method and use a larger dia cutter 10mm doc taking a finish pass, the edge is spot on, no wet&dry treatment and can be buffed to a shine straight on the buffer.

Can't be seen very clear but the finish is flawless using my new method, I now use the 2mm bit for rapid removal rate and semi finished profile.

[AdCNC]

If your looking at cut-wells range have a look at the YG1's Alu-power, summat like a 6mm 2flute should give you good results but with these you need to keep the RPM down or the feed up when cutting plastics. The bests cutters I've used so far are OSG and M.A. Fords for Aluminium and plastic but that all depends on your budget and how sturdy your machine is.

[Tenson]

Unfortunately I need to use a 3mm bit for this work.

Do you think the Alu-Power are better for plastics than the HSSE ones? Cutell seem to suggest the HSSE are better for plastics.

[JAZZCNC]

Unfortunately I need to use a 3mm bit for this work.

Do you think the Alu-Power are better for plastics than the HSSE ones? Cutell seem to suggest the HSSE are better for plastics.

Most of the Alu-power are HSSE cutters and the single flute certainly are. That said other than the Karnasch I think HSSE give a better finish in Ali than carbide does.! They just wear quick.

[AdCNC]

Ive never used the hsse cutters but i dont see why not! Give one ago.

[m.marino]

That can also be a byproduct of feeding to slow as you get melt and fusing at the top of the piece being cut. Just something that came to mind as I was cutting and cleaning up a new jig for the machine. When doing finishing surface profile with a 6 mm 2 flue I am normally running at 2.25 m/min or slightly faster (up to 3m/min on really thin finish passes) and that leaves a very nice smooth finish that polishes easily if needed.

Michael

[Tenson]

Any comment on the 45deg helix cutters? Is assume this is done to get better chip evacuation? Worth a go?