I just finished my Primo build and have a DWP611 router on it and I’m trying to setup my endmill settings. This is all new to me, so my apologies if my question is obvious.
For my first project I want to mill a simple part from a piece of wood. I bought an 1/8" 2 flute endmill and trying to figure out the proper speeds and feeds. I’ve looked for a speeds and feeds resource and see wildly varying settings, so I must be missing something. My router can be set from 16,000 RPM to 27,000 RPM. For a small endmill in wood, should I run it at 27,000 RPM? Does that allow for faster feed rates, so am I just doing damage? Is there an optimal methodology for these settings? Are the speeds and feeds set based on the material or the tool?
I made my first test cut and nothing broke, but the “output” is more saw dust than chips. I’m not sure if that matters, but I was hoping that there is a way to validate my settings based on chips size.
Anyway, in short, I have no idea what I’m doing and looking for a good resource/advice on running an endmill.
BTW, I did read the milling basics page, but wasn’t sure if the settings mentioned was set based on the job/material/tool/etc.
Congratulations on your build! Most people seem to use lowest router speed possible to get chips that’ll help reduce and remove heat from the bits. You don’t want fine dust or heat that’ll dull your bits.
Like driving a car, I started out getting used to the process of handling the CNC at slow feedrates, focusing on getting acceptable quality. Before trying to maximize material removal rates by tweaking feedrates and depth of cut. Relatively slow feedrate with deep passes seems to be the way to maximize material removal rate with acceptable quality on these machines. If only bits, wood and time were infinite/free.
The milling docs, this forum and watching a bunch of YouTube videos of cuts (sharing their EstlCam config/profile) made by comparable sized V1E machines helped me realize what’s possible.
I would go buy some cheap pine and practice cutting on it first. I used some old fence pickets. Then I bought some 8" pine boards. You don’t want to run your router at 27,000 RPM. You will only produce saw dust, which is bad and will end up burning your router bit. I started in the middle of my routers speeds and ended up adjusting it down until I saw wood chips, not saw dust. I used 15 mm/s and 2mm depth of cut as a starting point. Do lots of practice cuts and take notes of the changes you make and their effect.
Good luck
Two of my recent videos give workable speeds and feeds for cutting plywood and plexiglass:
Plywood — settings shown from about 4:28 to about 5:01:
Plexiglass — settings shown from about 7:24 to about 7:38:
Creating a “helpfully named” tool in ESTLcam can serve as a sort of database of “speeds and feeds.” There is nothing saying you can’t put the targeted material in a tool’s name!
Thanks again, guys!
I finally had a chance to work on my Primo and play with the settings. Fusion 360 sure has a lot of CAM settings! I started running my router set at “2”, which is ~18.200 RPM. I played with my depth of cut and feed rates and found that when I really get on it, their is enough deflection that my profiles get wavy, so had to back it up. At a high feed rate, the DOC was just too much. I might be able to get away with it with shallow cuts, but I imagine deeper cuts with slower feed rates is probably better.
One thing that was a bit strange is that my pockets looked pretty good until the finishing passes. They looked too aggressive and splitnered up the wood, so I’ll have to slow the finishing passes way down.
Anyway, thank you all again for getting me pointed in the right direction! It’s greatly appreciated.
