Wood cutters - a useful do-it-yourself technique for an amateur

If your hobby is carpentry or you often repair wooden furniture, your workshop should have at least a basic set of router bits. Check out what types of wood cutters are available and which ones are especially worth having.

Wood cutters - what are they for and how to choose them?

These tools, found in carpentry, are the main equipment of the workshop. They are used for the mechanical processing of raw materials such as wood, mineral materials or wood-based materials with a milling machine. The milling process is the opposite of turning wood on a lathe.

What does wood cutting look like?

Wood cutters are part of a larger device - a milling machine, on which selected tips are attached. It is here that the wood is sanded, drilled, deepened and cut out holes, and the surface is leveled. Mostly milling cutters are used to process flat surfaces and give the raw material the planned shape. In addition to being used in carpentry, these tools are widely used in the manufacture of wooden furniture, as well as for the manufacture of display cases and wooden stands.

How to choose a cutter?

To select a cutter that will work with your milling machine, you need to know how it is attached to the machine. Cutters are of two types: overhead - equipped with a hole in which the tip is attached to the milling spindle and mandrel.

In addition, pay attention to parameters such as the design of the cutter and the material from which it is made. Most milling cutters are made from two types of steel: high speed or cobalt. There are also models in tungsten carbide and powdered steel. Made of carbide, they are characterized by high durability. The last important parameter is the size that must be selected for the type of planned work.

Wood milling - types of processing tools

The cutter blade rotates, giving the raw material the desired shape. Which cut you get depends on the shape of the tool. According to the shape, cutters for wood are distinguished:

• for square, triangular and trapezoidal grooves;
• cutters, rounding edges and edges;
• profiling cutters;
• cutters for folding, i.e. making recesses along the edges of the boards;
• edge cutters for cutouts for handles;
• cutters for loop grooves.

So before choosing a router for your workshop, you should think about what kind of work you will do with it most often. Some models are useful for making jewelry, others for creating wooden furniture, and others for processing simple wooden structures.

Which wood planer to buy?

Timber planning is the equation of a planer with a cutter. Standard cutters with 8 or 12 mm shank may be suitable for this application. Due to the specifics of this type of wood processing, high cutting resistance is observed. Therefore, in order to avoid damage to the cutters by breaking the tail, it is recommended to choose the largest possible working diameter. If your milling machine has a power of less than 1400 watts, choose a cutter up to 50 mm. Choosing a large diameter will make the task easier and will make the surface leveling faster.

There are cutters for planing wood on a brazed plate or - for advanced users - on a replaceable CMT plate. The former are distinguished by a lower price, but also a shorter service life, since it is recommended to sharpen them two or three times. These cutters are suitable for beginners. The indexable tile wood smoothing tool is a good choice for professionals.

How to mill wood - the main types of milling machines

Because of the placement of the spindle, a distinction is made between routers and routers. The first of them are suitable for simple work, and the second are indispensable in the professional workshop.

Cutters

For beginners, upper spindle devices are recommended. Thanks to them, basic wood processing is possible - leveling the surface, making straight grooves and rounding edges.

Cutter for milling machine

Milling machines are more difficult to operate. They can be used for profile milling. This tool is suitable for carving small ornaments on wood. If you are a woodworking enthusiast and want to refine the details, this device will allow you to make intricate patterns.

How to mill wood - choosing a working speed

In order to efficiently and easily perform wood milling, it is necessary to remember to correctly adjust the rotation speed to the diameter of the tools used. The larger the diameter, the lower the speed.

This parameter must also be selected in accordance with the hardness of the treated wood. If you are working with soft wood, a higher speed will be optimal. Incorrect selection of the working speed can lead to burning of raw materials.

Up and down milling

Depending on the feed direction, a distinction is made between up and down milling. For amateurs who do not have much experience, it is easier to perform processing by moving the cutter in the opposite direction to the rotation of its tip. This allows for better control but requires more strength.

On the other hand, climb milling of wood consists in the direction of the cutter in the same direction in which the tool rotates. This machining method allows the use of less force, but may result in loss of control of the tool. For this reason, climb milling is not recommended for beginners, as it can damage the material and even cause an accident.

A set of wood cutters - which one to choose?

If you can't decide what type of cutter you need for your job, buying a complete set of wood cutters may be the answer. Choose a professional set and you will be sure that whatever tool you need, you will find it in the set.

Milling is a popular way of processing wood. If carpentry is your passion, don't forget to equip your workshop with the right set of tools, in which the milling machine will occupy one of the most important places.

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