Source for 3/8 single flute upcut for plastics?

[Bruce Page]

I'm not having much luck in my search. Would like to keep it as budget friendly as possible.

[BradyWatson]

eBay is probably your best bet. For example: onsrud

Budget is relative...good tools last longer than cheap ones.

[Jim_in_PA]

https://www.toolstoday.com/solid-car...keywords=51414

That's a big cutter for plastics, isn't it?

[Bruce Page]

Thanks, I never thought of eBay.
Is polycarbonate considered a "soft" plastic?

[Jim_in_PA]

I don't believe that polycarbonate is considered a "soft" plastic...

[Bruce Page]

I’ve machined a lot of it over the years in a machine shop setting and never thought of it as “soft”. Onsrud lists the 63-776 single flute (for example) to be compatible with “Soft Plastics”. I don’t know what they mean by soft plastics.

I guess the question I should be asking is what cutter is best suited for machining polycarbonate?

[BradyWatson]

Soft plastic = stuff like HDPE etc

Hard plastic = polycarbonate

EVERY plastic machines differently. For example, clear acrylic made by Cyro machines differently than smoked clear acrylic by Cyro - since it has more rubber in it. Cast is easier to machine than extruded. Etc...

Polycarbonate is one of the most difficult plastics to machine. It has a tendency to chip, crack and/or melt if you don't get your toolpath right. There is no practical way to drill it on the CNC because it has a tendency to birds nest leaving chips on the bit and then 'spin burnish' the top of the material around the hole. Use a small (1/16" etc) spiral-O flute tool and an inside profile to 'drill' instead.

Pick the right tool for the specific material you are machining: Plastic Routing

FYI - A Single Flute Spiral-O will cut ANY material your CNC router is capable of cutting. Max speed with one flute will be limited to about 90 IPM so keep that in mind. If you need higher throughput, buy a 2 or 3 flute spiral-O finisher, but be conscious of chip clearance...the more flutes, the less clearance you have for evacuating the chip from the kerf. Onsrud has both...and if you are cutting plastics - buy a few of different sizes and keep them in your kit. They last a very long time in plastic...

-B

[Ger21]

They last a very long time in plastic...

Provided you NEVER use them to cut anything else.

[Bruce Page]

Great info Brady, thanks.