20% off sale on select Whiteside Machine bits!
Sale ends June 28.
New items, which are included in this sale, still to be uploaded to EOASAW.com so check back with us.
Thank you for your business and continued support of our small business.
Here are some links to get you started!
Holding the part to be cut firmly and without movement or vibration is often the biggest challenge faced when cutting on a CNC. Chatter, movement, premature tool wear, tool breakage, poor edge finish, and chipping are the result of inadequate hold-down. How well you can hold the part is perhaps the biggest factor in how fast you can cut.
There is a lot of information on building dedicated spoil boards and jigs so we cover the basics in our free downloadable CNC Manual, and will provide an excerpt here. For the rest of the article, refer to the CNC Manual pages 13, 14, 15.
Some factors to consider include:
• Some CNC operations are best suited to using flow through or suck through vacuum systems. Particularly well-suited for cutting large parts and sheets of material, these types of routers utilize replaceable spoil boards—so called because they are underneath the material to be cut and are cut and “spoiled” during machining. The spoil board can then be resurfaced and used again, sparing the router table underneath from damage. These types of systems are easy to use and require minimal maintenance. Using low (LDF) or medium density fiberboard (MDF), both sides are machined level using a large “fly” cutter to remove any imperfections or coatings. Vacuum is evenly distributed to the entire surface of the table. Air loss from the sides can be minimized by using rubberized or latex paint. Areas not to be used should be sealed with sheets of laminate, plastic, or other non-porous materials. Grooves resulting from the cutting process can cause vacuum leakage when cutting a variety of patterns. Resurfacing the spoil board should be done regularly.
• Smaller or more intricate parts are better suited to dedicated spoil boards due to vibrations and part movements. Cutting small parts can be challenging since a larger volume of air is lost due to the number of channels cut between parts. As more parts are cut, more air pressure is lost, resulting in vibration and part movement.
• Leaving a thin skin (onion skin) or programming tabs at certain points can help to hold small parts together but require a secondary routing or sanding operation.
• Use dedicated spoil boards for recurring part runs. Taking the time to make a proper spoil board will pay for itself by allowing faster feed rates, giving you a better finish, and prolonging tool life.
To continue, refer to the CNC Manual pages 13, 14, 15.
10% off sale on all Freud Tools & Diablo Tools products. Online orders only.
Our Arlington Showroom will be closed Friday December 22 through Monday December 25. We will re-open on Tuesday the 26th.
As always, you can shop online at eoasaw.com!
Our EOASAW family warmly wishes you all a wonderful holiday season.
Our Arlington showroom will be closed Thursday the 23rd & Friday the 24th for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Our EOASAW family wishes you and yours a great Thanksgiving. We are grateful for our customers, vendors, and our EOASAW Family.
Our Arlington showroom will be open today the 17th until the 22nd, and open again on Monday the 27th.
Always feel free to peruse eoasaw.com!
A combination saw blade is used for both ripping (cutting with the grain) and crosscutting (cutting across the grain).
Combination saws are designed for all-around use when acceptable rips and crosscuts must be made with one saw blade. The larger gullets allow for deeper cuts and efficient saw dust escape on rip cuts.
Their unique design makes them a popular choice for all-around use, providing acceptable rips and crosscuts with a single blade.
Popular Tools sells more combination saws than any other category simply because of its unique design.
Featuring our new manufacturer to the EOASAW family of fine manufacturers: Popular Tools. We are now adding more Popular Tools saw blades so come back and visit us often!
Popular Tools is one of the largest saw blade companies in the U.S., specializing in carbide-tipped circular blades for every application. By controlling the complete manufacturing process, our saw blades maintain a consistent level of quality and performance, providing clean cuts and a long blade life. Since 1989 we have built our business by partnering with sharpeners and machinery manufacturers. With over 100,000 blades in stock and three warehouses across the nation, Popular Tools services customers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to provide courteous service, fast delivery, and exceptional product quality to our customers.
With insert tooling, the carbide is affixed to the tool body by the use of gibs and screws instead of being brazed / welded on. There are two basic types: dedicated insert heads and universal insert heads. With dedicated heads the body is machined to match the profile of the insert to provide support. With universal insert heads the body is open and does not provide support; instead, there is a “backing plate” that is profiled the same as the insert to provide support. With the Universal design you are able to use the same head with multiple profiles by changing the backing plate and inserts. The Universal design is generally more expensive since it consists of an additional backing plate and the inserts are in general larger to accommodate a variety of profiles. We would be happy to help you select the style that will work best for you.
Where can insert tooling best be utilized?
Insert tooling is appropriate in a wide variety of applications – just about any application where you currently use a carbide-tipped tool. There are some common profiles available that utilize standard inserts, making them very affordable. Standard Insert heads are very common on edgebanders, standard shaper cutter profiles, planer heads, and router bits. Edge of Arlington can make you custom inserts to match your unique profiles. We will assign them their own unique part number and they will be the same today, tomorrow, or years from now.
Benefits of Insert Tooling
Inserts can provide consistency in production, allowing you to maintain tight tolerances in critical operations such as cope & stick applications. Using replaceable inserts instead of brazed-on carbide allows you to maintain a constant diameter, which simplifies set-up. Insert tooling is also able to utilize harder, more wear resistant carbide than traditional CT tooling. These micro-grain carbides, while more wear resistant, tend to crack when brazed on. While the initial set cost may be more, inserts are more economical over the long run due to the carbide lasting longer. When purchasing a new profile, it is customary to have to order 9 to 12 inserts to cover production set-up costs. However, if you have a brazed cutter, you generally have to buy multiple heads in order to have a back-up for when the tool is serviced. With insert tooling, one 3-wing body and 12 inserts is equivalent to 4 brazed heads – except they should last several times longer due to the superiority of the carbide.
Limitations / Drawbacks of Insert Tooling
While very versatile in nature, the design does not lend itself well to small diameters due to the need to affix the insert with gibbs and/or screws. This is especially an issue when it comes to router bits. Furthermore, there is more user maintenance involved with insert tooling. When the inserts are changed, everything needs to be cleaned and inspected for any damage. Inserts must be properly aligned when replaced in order to maintain the profile. If the inserts are not aligned properly, one wing is going to do most of the work, resulting in distorted profiles, poor finish, loose fits for cope & sticks, or insert failure. Machinery must be well maintained in order to assure tight tolerances. If there is run-out in a cope & stick set for example, the fit is going to be loose. There is no way to adjust the fit with shims as there would be in traditional carbide-tipped stackable sets.
Can’t find a stock tool for your cutting situation? Edge of Arlington can help you with a unique cutting solution tailored to your particular needs. We are experienced in a wide variety of materials, applications, and processes. We have on-site manufacturing capabilities and represent some of the finest industrial manufacturers in the world.
Purchasing custom tooling doesn’t have to be complicated, intimidating, or mysterious. It is really a simple matter when broken down in steps:
1) Gather information
The more information we have to work with, the better. Many times the type of tool that we will design will be dictated by the machinery to be used, material to be cut, ability to hold the material, etc.
2) Supply profile to be cut
Please supply a wood sample, dimensional drawing or .DFX file of the profile to be cut. If the profile is too large it may be necessary to break up the cut, utilizing multiple tools.
3) Drawing approval
Once we have all the information and your profile, we will supply a detailed print for your final approval. Please make sure that you verify the information closely as custom tooling is not returnable after approval. The print will have a unique identifying number for easy re-ordering and will include details, such as tool rotation and orientation.
4) Tool delivery
Delivery of custom tooling can vary greatly from a few days to many weeks. Some processes, such as heat treatment or grinding diamond, cannot be sped up. We try to work with our customers to deliver in the time frame needed. We have on many occasions performed near miracles, such as overnight delivery; however, that can come at great cost and is not always possible.
There are too many cutting situations to try to cover all possibilities. Please fill out the request for quote form with your contact information and as much other information as you can supply. We will contact you and ask specific questions as needed.
Examples of basic information can be found on our Custom CT & HSS Tooling Page.
Understanding the different variables involved in CNC routing can be overwhelming, especially to anyone new
to CNCs. That is why Edge of Arlington Saw & Tool is here to help you in selecting the proper tool for the job.
Don’t let the complexities involved keep you from maximizing tool life, machine time, and profits—help is only
a phone call away.
• Dead stops, also known as “dwelling in the cut,” can lead to premature tool wear and failure. When
changing directions of travel or when cutting small pieces, a one second stop at 18,000 RPM generates
enormous heat and no means of extraction. Imagine rubbing your hands together 300 times per
second—a sure way to form a blister. This is more of a machinery and software issue. Certain
programming techniques can help to compensate, such as ramping, use of loops at sharp outside
corners, and the use of exit ramps.
• Plunge cutting. While this is the oldest and most widely used method of entering the material, it is not
always the most efficient. Plunge cutting can lead to chips wrapping around the router bit after
repeated plunges. Whenever possible you should Ramp into the cut. This eliminates the heat
generated during the plunging process and can eliminate burn marks at the plunge point. Plunging can
also cause the bit to “walk” because there is no centering point—this will be evident as ovals, holes,
and entry points larger than the diameter of the tool. If you cannot ramp in, a good alternative is to
plunge down outside of the workpiece and enter from the side. Spiraling in can also help. Whatever it
takes to keep the router bit moving.
• Routing holes is never the optimum choice. Use drills for drilling, routers for routing. Drills turn at
much lower RPM than routers do. Router bits generate too much heat when drilling. Drilling just a
couple of holes per sheet will significantly reduce the life of your tooling. In fact, you will dull more
drilling the two holes than cutting the entire piece. If you do not have drill heads to take advantage of
European type boring bits, turn the RPM down as low as possible, 4,000-5,000 RPM at most, and
plunge as fast as possible. An upshear will help to remove the chips if hold-down is not a problem. On
deep holes “pecking” can sometimes help.
• Small parts and scrap pieces can become projectiles if left after the cutting process without sufficient
hold-down. They can also be sucked into the dust collector and cause a blockage. Skin cutting and the
use of tabs can help to hold small parts.
• Over tightening of the collet and collet nut is a common mistake. Most operators assume that the
tighter the better—this is not true and can lead to premature tool and collet wear and tool breakage.
Collets are the most misunderstood and overlooked part of the CNC, often the cause of poor finish,
short tool life, and unnecessary machine wear. Collets are made of spring steel and are subject to
distortion when put under undue pressure. It is highly recommended that collets be tightened to
manufacturers’ specifications with the use of a torque wrench.
• Fires—yes it happens. A tool left in the same place for enough time can and will start a fire. It is
important never to leave a CNC running without an operator. You wouldn’t believe how fast things can
go wrong. The dust collection system and the vacuum system will aid in the fires speedy travel. If this
ever happens to you, beware of flash-back when the vacuum is turned off. When it is safe to do so, it is
important to remove and examine the bleeder board and table underneath, as embers can remain and
once again flair up.
For more, download our free CNC Manual.
