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Would you allow me to copy the material specific Chipload figures from your spreadsheet in order to add them to my spreadsheet?

I don’t know about everyone else, but I think obsessing over used the “correct” feed and speeds is silly. Sure you want to be in the right ball park. But if you follow a few simple rules of thumb, the X-Carve/Dewalt will work well.

To be clear, one type of "wrong feed" is too little feed. Unfortunately with hand drills, there is no such thing as feed rate, and "feed force" is an imprecise substitute. Being gentle/wimpy is the most common error.

If the bit is sharpened incorrectly, that's probably going to ruin your day. It's not easy to hand-sharpen a drill bit exactly correct; a mechanized sharpener is a good investment if you use your drill bits with any regularity. You're NOT going to be able to sharpen a carbide drill bit btw. Dull bits will 'walk' the hole location before you know what's happening.

You can make really nice cuts without having a perfect chipload, The perfect chipload will prolong the life of the bit and make good cuts. But not having a perfect chipload is not a huge problem (as long as the tool is being operated within reasonable speed limits)

Mainly, we are concerned with feeds and speeds. The rotating speed of the tool (e.g. drill bit) and the speed of movement into the material. The machine industry has exhaustive tables and formulas which serve as starting points, but it's also helpful to listen to what the tool is telling you. You are seeking the "sweet spot".

Use a 'speeds and feeds' calculator to determine the ideal combination for the material, diameter, etc. in question. This should help you get a feel for the best possible circumstance and see how close you can get to it with the stuff you have available. Here is an example: https://www.whitneytool.com/SpeedAndFeedCalculator.aspx

I am unable to open that file format as I am still using Excel 2003. Are you able to save it as an old fashioned .xls file ?

Just how can the X-Carve be used with those figures because, I understand that cranking it up over 74 inches per minute causes problems. I have certainly not gone over 30 mm per second (about 72 inches per minute) as I think that is the limit of my setup.

CNC chip load chart

If I am reading your chart correctly it says that for a 1/4 inch compression bit with the Dewalt set at its lowest RPM of 16,000 (1) my feed rate should be 162 mm/sec = 385 in/min.

Chilled cutting coolant is the way to go but that's usually only available on big cutting machines (I used to work in machine shops and studied tool/die.) Cutting oil is cheap, works pretty well, makes quite a mess.

The only way you're going to control heat apart from a cooling agent is to graduate from pilot hole to final dimension in increments--probably four drill bits ending in 3/8". This has the potential to skew the final location of your hole, but nowhere near as bad as just center punching and going for gold straightaway.

Onsrud chip Load Calculator

This would mean it is impossible to use a 1/4 inch compression bit (with a decent chipload). But I do it all the time at a feed rate of 40 to 50 in/min with good results. So I am confused about what your chart is showing.

There are other factors such as Depth of Cut and the stepover that can have a much greater influence on the quality than chipload

Each bit has a unique chipload specification, but most of the bits I purchase from resellers do not include detailed specification (I feel lucky if the diameter is marked). So the “correct” chipload is just a approximation based on published data from other manufacturers

Chip load for wood

The diameter of the tool makes a huge difference, in general the larger the diameter of the tool the better. So I will always try to use a 1/4 inch tool if the project allows.

A carbide drill bit is the real deal, but usually not cheap--check eBay. A titanium coated metal-cutting bit is arguably the next best thing. Regular high-speed steel bits--meh.

Honestly, I'm a big fan of pilot holes simply because they are easier to position precisely. Punch a dimple with a center punch, and start with a small drill, which will stay in the dimple better than a big one. My go-to is 1/8”. A hole, even a small one, also makes drilling much easier. Probably because the larger drill doesn't have to cut the center, which is difficult because the center of the drill is at the wrong speed (nearly 0).

I have used the Chipload figures provided by Whiteside and they do seem to compare with example figures that I have seen elsewhere on the web. I have not checked out other manufacturers Chiploads for their 1/4" compression bits so that might give a clue.

So based on that, what I learned from building my chipload based feed rate calculator is that the most important thing to do with the Dewalt is to keep the speed setting under 2 for most bits (there are some small bits and materials were it may be better to go to 4 but those are the exceptions)

Do not under any circumstances use used motor oil, as has been suggested. As well as being filthy it is seriously carcinogenic and an environmental hazard and should only ever go to your local recycling site. You really need machine cutting oil, which is much more of a coolant than a lubricant, and needs to be supplied continuously in adequate quantity, normally the machine having a pump and recovery tray. The idea is to prevent the cutting edges of the drill from overheating, not to lubricate the cutting process.

Unless you don't care where your hole ends up, center punching alone instead of drilling a pilot hole is a losing proposition: too big a final diameter against too much material thickness. If a center drill is not in the mix, 3/32 to 1/8" is near ideal for doing pilot holes.

Any ideas where would burrs fall on this chart? I cant even start to comprehend what chip load if any applies to them. I managed to start nice fire in MDF with this 1/4 baby … IMG_20160209_191626.jpg4032×3024 1.89 MB

Continuing not only wrecks the bit, but can work-harden the surface of the hole, which will make it harder to start doing it properly.

The lowest RPM the Dewalt will run at is about 16,000 RPM so we are already outside the recommended chipload range for feedrates that the mechanical stiffness of the X-Carve can reasonably support (less than 120 in/min)

Chip load Calculator mm

Try running it a little slower as you said that you were getting some over heating. Try not to force it too much but keep it moving and see how that goes.

The church we used to attend had to build scissor trusses to support a remodel and tried to drill the steel plates. it took forever and was costly in terms of drill bits (Good steel is tough on bits.) They bought a drill press for the job, was drilling slowly and using oil, but the number and size of the holes was just taking too long. They took the job to the local steel fab shop, and they had it done in a matter of a few hours, at a higher quality, at a much cheaper price point (considering the labor they were paying.)

You're not likely to EVER get a proper sustained 'curl' without a mechanized feed, to which you don't seem to have access. Your scenario is more likely to produce small, potato-chip-like chips combined with the occasional hair-thin curl. Just telling what you should probably expect.

Using a good cutting fluid helps a lot keeping your drill bit from overheating. Also keep the drilling speed low prevents unnecessary heat buildup.

When you get into this level of thickness, a center drill is your best friend as long as you can keep from tilting it during drilling, in which case it becomes your worst enemy, breaking off in the material. In other words: drill press=good; handheld=bad.

One more thing: you might consider using a drill press, because that allows much higher pressure and much finer control, including direct control of feed. Don't buy one (and especially don't buy cheap Cheese, as people are wont to do for one-job tools). However check out a local maker space and see what it'll take to get some time on their competent drill press.

upgrade? ummm just got it … I guess you never used Burr bit before. They are usually to my understanding used for carbon fiber but it has been recommended to me for wood as well to achieve ultra smooth surface. I used it with success on both MDF and Ply. I just feel like flying blind with the feed and speed using it.

Best chip load for aluminum

Chiploadcalculator

You have work-hardened the holes by letting the bit turn without removing metal. Work-hardening can increase the steel strength by 6 times+ ;like from 50 ksi tensile to 300 ksi tensile . One the hole surface in the plate is hardened above 200 ksi , it is too hard for a new sharp bit to cut. Every turn should remove metal or the bit is burnishing/hardening the work. I am guessing you need more pressure and lower RPM...... If you look at the drill point , the small straight line that crosses the center is the chisel; it does not cut, it pushes metal out of the way . So if you drill a smaller hole first ,it removes the metal from the center of the hole where the chisel would need to push, that helps because pushing is more difficult than cutting.

I had to drill some 1/2" holes in 3/8" steel plates. In addition to taking something like 15 min per hole, a brand new drill bit lasts maybe two holes and it is trash.

Good quality drills, properly sharpened, and used in a rigid drilling machine with the workpiece securely held, should not be giving the problems you are having.

Also, if anyone has any Chipload figures from other sources that are wildly different from the one above then that would be useful to know as well.

As a general point I would say that the X-Carve, as an entry level machine, cannot be expected to perform like a $7,000 machine. The practical expectation figures are based on seeing someone say that they could not go over 74 inches per minute on their machine.

The Chipload numbers that I used were just general wood ones that Whiteside had sent to me. In fact all of that area is just copied and pasted from their original spreadsheet, including the notes at the bottom.

I have been looking at Chipload figures for the types of cutters that might be used on the X-Carve and have had support from the Whiteside Machine Company. I have also looked at various threads on this forum to discover the theoretical maximum X-Y speeds possible and the practical expectation based on user reports.

On a large bit diameter, the pressure required to hit the "sweet spot" may be impractical with a hand tool. In that case, drill a smaller hole of a size where it is practical. Then step up in increments. The hole also makes a good "pilot hole". It's hard to gauge feeds and speeds when overdrilling in small increments, but again you have it right if you have cool fast running with long chips.

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Chip load Chart mm

we used carbide drills in a titanium shaft and marm247.cimcool coolant.Very hard aerospace metal used for a.p.u,s. drill,rough ream, and finish ream.250 +/- .0005

If you have access to a vertical milling machine you could try a carbide tipped slot drill, which is centre cutting, not an end mill, which is not. One advantage is that the mill enables the exact position of each hole to be set and locked, effectively using the machine as a jig borer. Vertical mills should have a coolant pump.

Chip load chart

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So off to Lowes .. I found a Bosch 1/2" bit that had an aggressive carbide tip. Now I ain't gonna lie, it did get dull but not like a HSS or cobalt bit would. I dressed it up w/a grinder and she kept on plugging away. 1 bit did three blades.

I had to drill 1/2" holes in hardened steel mower blades. The blades were meant to go on a 5/8" arbor 5ft mower deck. After a lot of research on machinist sites & discussion boards I found that these guys were recommending to use carbide tipped concrete bits.

3/8" mild (hot-rolled) steel isn't difficult to drill, but any bit will fail if you get it hot enough to melt the cutting edge. Each hole should take no more than a minute.

Then with the RPM at 1, I start off with a feed rate of about 40 ipm and a DOC of half the tool diameter and then look at my results, If I am making several copies of the same project I will try increasing the feedrate in increments up to about 60 to see if the cut quality stays the same or not.

Your Chipload numbers are slightly different from those from Whiteside. I have checked your source and you have made no transposition errors as far as I can tell.

Drilling a pilot hole is usually a good idea as has been suggested. However, it is important only when using inappropriate drill tip geometry. There is a way of sharpening the drills, called split point geometry, or four facet geometry, which is far better than the standard cheap and nasty two facet geometry, which is not centre cutting, so needing a pilot hole.

The quickest and easiest way is to take them to a steel fabrication shop. They have hydraulic punches that would make short work of that.

On lubricant, I am pretty slack about that if the cutting is going well. After all, things aren't getting hot, so it's only lubricant, not heat removal, and efficient cutting is easy on tool heads. In the shop, cutting oil or GST are right at hand, but in the field on small holes, I'll use spit, or even nothing if I'm "dialed in" and being highly productive. Really, anything will do - motor oil, 3-in-1, a spray can of Liquid Wrench, remember, we're not letting things get hot!

It goes without saying not to use Harbor Freight or other cheap Cheese drill bits. Again, whole industries are built on the premise that you can drill hundreds of holes with a single bit, so bit quality is no excuse.

As far as I know there are no chipload figures for rasps. By the look of the one in the picture it would deserve a very low chipload figure as one should not expect much from it. The cutting edges are just ordinary steel with no hope of staying in temper from what you say so that too is working against you. It may be time to upgrade !

From this I have produced a spreadsheet which may serve as an indication of what an X-Carve might be able to do. I do not claim that my work is definitive and must warn everyone that looks at it that their particular X-Carve may be better or worse than these figures predict. So please do not dial in any of these figures unless you are satisfied that your machine is capable of performing at that particular rate with whatever cutter you choose.