Cutting speeds

🚧	This is very much likely to change - I'm still learning every day!

I used a 500W china spindle for my tests.

Plexiglas (PMMA)

Melts at 160°C (even earlier than your printer's PLA or PETG).

• More on PMMA at wikipedia
• Great tipps at CNC-Step
• Engraving tipps at CNC-Step

These are the main challenges:

• Make sure the chips leave the flute so they can't friction weld (dust shoe, compressed air)
• Finding the highest cutting volume (diameter*speed*attack) while keeping the tool as cool as possible

cutter	diameter (mm)	speed (mm/min)	plunge (mm/min)	attack (mm)	rpm	cooling	notes
single-flute	2.0	300	30	0.5	10,000	none	Great result, more should be doable!
single-flute	2.0	400	30	0.75	10,000	none	Looks good, might be the limit before it shows.
single-flute	3.175	100	50	0.5	10,000	none	Looks okay, but seems to be the limit. 300mm/min also tested, PMMA was melting.
single-flute	3.175	80	50	1.0	10,000	none	Too much. Melting after a couple of minutes (Attack 2.00 Speed 100 failed miserably with melting)

Cutter diameter of 2.00mm seems to be the most viable method - maybe trying a higher speed is an option?

Engraving

0.5mm deep TBD TBD

Poplar plywood (Pappelsperrholz)

cutter	diameter (mm)	plunge (mm/min)	speed (mm/min)	attack (mm)	rpm	cooling	notes
single-flute	2.0	30	300	2.0	10,000	none	Great result, more should be doable!
single-flute	2.0	80	500	2.0	10,000	none	Great result, more should be doable!
single-flute	3.175	80	500	3.0	10,000	none	Too much! Smells burnt!
single-flute	2.0	80	500	3.0	10,000	none	Great result, maybe the limit with this setup?

Pine plywood (Kiefersperrholz)

cutter	diameter (mm)	speed (mm/min)	attack (mm)	plunge (mm/min)	rpm	cooling	notes
single-flute	2.0	400	2.0	100	10,000	none	Works out fine, more speed should be possible.

OSB (Grobspanplatten)

cutter	diameter (mm)	speed (mm/min)	attack (mm)	plunge (mm/min)	rpm	cooling	notes
single-flute	3.175	500	0.75	80	10,000	none	Works out fine, more speed should be possible.
single-flute	3.175	555	1.00	127	10,000	none	Works out fine, more speed or attack should be possible.
single-flute	3.175	600	2.00	127	10,000	none	Works out fine, more speed or attack should be possible.
single-flute	3.175	600	3.05	127	10,000	none	I think that's the limit without more cooling or a different spindle. Maybe a little less might be better (2.5/500).
single-flute	3.175	600	2.5	127	10,000	none	This might be the best setting with 3.175mm cutter.
single-flute	2.0	600	TBD	127	10,000	none	TBD. If no pockets, and cutting depth is not too high, are needed, this might cut faster!

Examples

12mm OSB, 3.175 single flute

GCode created with LaserWeb4.

• Left
  • Cutting speed: 555mm/min
  • Attack: 1.00mm
• Left
  • Cutting speed: 555mm/min
  • Attack (only outer cut, inner are done with 1.00mm): 2.00mm

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