Working on a project and doing some inlays, problem im running into is the inlays are quite detailed in some spots and Ive snapped my 1/32" bit. So before I go and order another one and break that also, was wondering what would be the best choice. Here is material and cut details:
Material: HDPE
Inlay depth: 1/8"
Here is a picture of the inlays
What was your feed rate and depth of cut?
Depth of cut was .015, feed rate was too fast, i think i had it at 60 in/min, so i will have to slow that down, but still just making sure the best bit will be a 1/32" upcut
I’d cut that feed rate in half, and then try stepping up from there.
Up-cut is still probably your best bet. If you use a down-cut, you’ll likely get cleaner edges at the top surface, but you’ll have a bunch of smooshed/melted plastic stuck to the bottom of your cuts.
Upcut is the best to use for HDPE. That is a lot of material to clear with the 1/32" mill. It may be more work, but you may want to consider a two-step cutting plan, using a larger bit to clear out the broad fields of material and then switch to the 1/32" to do the finish contours.
I am doing a two-step cut. Ended up adjusting the model and cleaning it up so I could use a 1/8" and 1/16" for details. Came out good, needed a little cleaning up after the 1/16" pass but that was pretty simple
