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Thread: Surfacing Resin?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
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    Default Surfacing Resin?

    So I am trying my hand at using castable resin making a resin river shelf. The pouring went fine, and after that i wanted to surface both sides to get it perfectly flat and the bit is badly taking chips out of the resin. ANy suggestions? Below if a pic. Bit i was using is amana 2250. thanks!

    shelfpic.jpg

  2. #2
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    Hi, what were your feeds and speeds and pass depth? And did you use all 4 insert knives or just two? Were they the knives made for MDF or the special diamond ones for hardwood?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by bking1836 View Post
    Hi, what were your feeds and speeds and pass depth? And did you use all 4 insert knives or just two? Were they the knives made for MDF or the special diamond ones for hardwood?

    I was cutting at 8" a second, tried 12k rpm and 18k rpm same result with both. using 2 of the hardwood cutters.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by ClayM325 View Post
    I was cutting at 8" a second, tried 12k rpm and 18k rpm same result with both. using 2 of the hardwood cutters.
    8ips at what pass depth? That strikes me as fast but I don't know what machine you are using.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by bking1836 View Post
    8ips at what pass depth? That strikes me as fast but I don't know what machine you are using.
    .100 inch

    Typing more here because it told me my message is too short lol

  6. #6
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    Others with more experience will hopefully weigh in, but 8ips with .1" bites seems like too fast and too deep, especially for something hard like resin. When I surface hardwoods with the Amana rc-2551 (similar, just larger), I tend to run 3-4ips at .05" bites. Epoxy is both harder and more brittle...Also, if your spindle is even a little out of square, you're going to end up digging even deeper than your .1" on the edges, and that might account for the chipping pattern that you're experiencing.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by bking1836 View Post
    Others with more experience will hopefully weigh in, but 8ips with .1" bites seems like too fast and too deep, especially for something hard like resin. When I surface hardwoods with the Amana rc-2551 (similar, just larger), I tend to run 3-4ips at .05" bites. Epoxy is both harder and more brittle...Also, if your spindle is even a little out of square, you're going to end up digging even deeper than your .1" on the edges, and that might account for the chipping pattern that you're experiencing.
    That would make sense, because the chipping is all occuring on the same side of each cut

  8. #8
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    Yeah slow it down - also test climb vs conventional. I surface a lot of resin and never have chip out like that but am moving much slower (I have a very small machine and palm router and use a 3/4 diameter surfacer). You might also try testing it when it's cured enough to cut but not fully. It will gradually get harder over some days or weeks depending on conditions and the resin you use, so the early stages of being solid and in the 60-70D range may be more forgiving.

    Also, this is fixable if you clean it up really well of any sawdust and pour the same resin on top of it. Don't make it too smooth - just make sure it's dust-free.

    Marc

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by mclimie View Post
    Yeah slow it down - also test climb vs conventional. I surface a lot of resin and never have chip out like that but am moving much slower (I have a very small machine and palm router and use a 3/4 diameter surfacer). You might also try testing it when it's cured enough to cut but not fully. It will gradually get harder over some days or weeks depending on conditions and the resin you use, so the early stages of being solid and in the 60-70D range may be more forgiving.

    Also, this is fixable if you clean it up really well of any sawdust and pour the same resin on top of it. Don't make it too smooth - just make sure it's dust-free.

    Marc
    Slowed it down and took out .030 at a time and got it cleaned up. Thanks for the help everyone.

    Marc what brand castable resin do you recommend? for resin river and such? Stuff I'm using seems expensive (Smooth On 690)

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by coryatjohn View Post
    Considering the bit is 1.5" in diameter, the 12k speed is really, really fast. The tips of those blades might be approaching supersonic! I suggest slowing way down, perhaps 6k and see what that does. The larger bit would also exacerbate any issues with your rig being out of square. Unless you have a real reason to use such a large bit, I'd suggest using a 2 flute 1/2" end mill running 12k with no more than 6ips.
    I will look into that bit next time, The 1.5" amana is all I had other than 3/8" and smaller compressions. thanks!

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