It’s the Christmas season and I’m trying to batch out a whole bunch of kitchen spreaders. I’ve made about 30 already and the process is working well with one exception. I can’t eliminate the end grain tear out. I’ve tried climb cuts vs conventional cuts and adding a finishing pass. But, so far I still have a significant amount of sanding to do on each spreader. I’d love to get to the point where I just have to finish sand (e.g. 180, 220). However, with the tear out I’m having to start at a much lower grit to clean up the edge. Has anyone else encountered and solved this problem? My next step is larger finishing passes (2+ mm).
Have you tried a smaller diameter bit?
Have you considered making it oversized then flush trim it on one done to size?
I feel like a larger finishing pass isn’t going to solve anything and depending on the tear out severity, only make it worse.
Can you share an actual Pic of the problem?
I’m currently using a 1/8” endmill for the 2D profile that defines the spreader. I’m then following up with a 3/16 radius point cutter.
Unfortunately I don’t have a picture right now as I’ve finished the batch and didn’t take pictures. I’m going to start working on another batch this coming week. I’ll take some pictures then.
interesting because a 1/8" was going to be what I would have recommended, and if you’re still getting tear out with that.. well, hmm. maybe slow your feed and speed down a little bit? either that or get a spindle sander.
also the alder that i have available is very knotty. My lumber dealer even calls it “knotty alder”. I imagine yours is pretty much the same, perhaps trading up to a more clear wood?
Upcut bit or downcut? May seem counterintuitive but in cases like this I would usually go with a downcut bit, conventional cutting. Reason being that I want each individual tiny slice to be backed up by existing material that hasn’t been cut yet, to act as a block against tearout, if that makes sense.
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It does. I don’t know if the shear matters much in this case as I’ve always attributed up/down cuts as how it leaves the surface
In my experience the shear makes a difference, because there’s essentially a new “surface” in play for every subsequent depth pass. So the idea is that by compressing the cut downwards into the spoilboard, we give the “bundle of straws” of the grain nowhere else to go but to be severed, instead of being able to expand upward into the trough of the cut, pulling ugliness with them.
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