[Woodcarver] Re: rotary carving bits
Ramsey
ron at carvedbyramsey.com
Fri Nov 19 20:26:29 EST 2004
Over the years I have used about every rotary carving bit made. For
fast stock removal for rough out the carbide rotary chisels from
Creative Technologies cut twice as fast as Kutzall bits and never
load up. In fact, due to their design it's impossible for them to.
They far and away the best product on the market. Well worth their
high price.
For medium stock removal, high speed steel cuts much faster and
cleaner than carbide. The reason is that carbide is much harder,
hence more brittle. This requires a wider flute to keep the edge
from breaking off. High speed steel is softer but has more tensile
strength allowing for a sharper flute that slices cleaner. The
downside is that high speed steel wears out much faster than carbide.
It's cheaper though. I buy my bits by the dozen and when they start
to dull I send them in to be re-sharpened. I have my bits custom
made at Rico Tool. They are pretty reasonable. The key is to order
bits with 11 flutes. These are more coarse than standard rotary burrs
allowing for better chip removal and faster cutting. It's amazing
how fast they cut compared to carbide fluted burrs. They also leave a
very smooth finish unlike Kutzall bits. The advantage to Kutzall
bits is that they are less likely to follow the grain in wide grained
woods.
--
Ron Ramsey
http://www.carvedbyramsey.com
Be sure to look at the incredible nature inspired art jewelry hand
fabricated by my wife, Karen Olsen Ramsey. It's worth the time to
take a look!
http://www.artjeweler.com
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