Jim Dawson with Synergy Sign wanted the ability to machine through 2″ thick Precision Board HDU in a single pass, but he didn’t have a router bit that could get the job done. He reached out to X-Edge Tools to see if they could develop something for him. They worked extensively with Jim to create a new ball nose router bit (XCT518) that was up to the task. Dawson successfully tested it out on a sheet of PBLT-30 Precision Board HDU from Coastal Enterprises.
“Hard to believe, but the new bit hogged through the Precision Board at 500 inches per minute while maintaining a nice, clean edge,” Dawson stated. “More importantly, I was able to rout the material at a depth of 2.25″ on the first pass,” he added.
Not only is this new ball nose router bit available and on the market now, but we’ve got speeds and feeds info to help you use it to cut Precision Board HDU down to depths of 2″+ on your first pass. You can also watch videos of the router bit in action to see and hear how it sounds hogging out HDU.
“I contacted X-edge tools with a need for a longer tapered ball nose bit that would allow single pass machining in 2” high-density urethane material. X-Edge obliged and worked with us to develop and prototype and bring that bit to market,” says Dawson. He adds, “what we got in the end was an amazing piece that allows us to machine faster and more accurately thanks to X-Edge!”
Jim’s MultiCam CNC went down to a depth of 2.25 inches at 500 IPM and 16000 RPM on the first pass.
Here’s more information about the new ball nose router bit (XCT518):
- Brand: X-Edge
- Diameter: 1/8″
- Cut length: 2 1/2″
- Overall length: 4″
- Shank size: 1/2″
- Taper: 4º
- Flutes: 3
Jim tested the new router bits from X-Edge by designing some test shapes using Enroute software and routing them out of a single sheet of Precision Board PBLT-30.
You can also watch other videos of Precision Board HDU being routed by X-Edge bits on our YouTube Channel. There are videos for PBLT-15, 18, 30 and 40 in the routing playlist.
X-Edge is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and manufactures CNC router bits and accessories. Their tooling was designed specifically to maximize the capabilities of CNC Routers. eXcellent speed, eXcellent quality, eXcellent tools. You can call them at (224) 534-9653 or visit their website.
Coastal Enterprises is happy to help if you’ve got a technical question or are trying to figure out how to do something with Precision Board HDU. Some of our best “how-to’s” have been the result of a customer contacting us with a problem they can’t quite solve. We put our 30+ years of experience into coming up with a solution and then sharing it with everybody, so give us a call at 800-845-0745 or drop us an email. We’d love to hear from you!
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