I just bought some of the above lubricant, will probably take a long time to test and see if it actually improves the bit life, but it certainly can’t hurt.
This topic interests me greatly, because of the insane amount of differing information out there.
I realize it is almost always going to be “it depends”, but can someone generate some Maslow specific guidelines to fall within? I’d been running the router at max RPM “just because”, I didn’t know any better.
From reading here… it sounds like we should be starting at the minimum RPM for most applications?
I’d be very interested in some simple, once and for all type rules for us router newbies. Such as answering some and more of the following, which seem to have conflicting info in various locations even on these forums:
If I’m cutting most species of regular (meaning not special order or marine grade or hardwood) plywood with the 1/4" single flute up-spiral bit found in the Maslow store… what should the depth per pass, RPM, and IPM settings be?
If I’m cutting harder wood, meaning poplar or oak plywood, what should the depth per pass, RPM, and IPM settings be?
Then, the same two questions but using a 1/8" single flute up-spiral bit. Then the same two questions using a v-carve or 1/16" bit.
What does optimum chipload look like, assuming the above parameters? Is it more fine sawdust or more curly chips? I realize this is subjective because it is trying to measure/describe appearance, but I’ve had both types of chips at various times during various cuts.
I am advanced enough to set the depth per pass and RPM and IPM… but I am not advanced enough to wade through the mountains of info to try and determine the answers to these questions.
Thanks!!!
Wish it was that easy. I don’t think there’s a consensus on this. As I understand it, to avoid buildup in heat, you want to make chips, not dust. Unfortunately, the Maslow isn’t fast enough to make chips like you want and you make a lot of dust.
To get the best “chip load”, you’ll want a very high IPM and very low RPM. Too high of an IPM and you’ll lose accuracy on the cuts (I tried to do some “stairstep” cuts at a high IPM and they came out like crap). I try to run at 30 IPM and when I’m doing something intricate or with sharp bends, I may drop to 20 IPM. I guess if using a very thin bit, you also need to worry about it breaking at high speeds.
Too low of an RPM and your router bit won’t cut through the wood. For the R22002 router, 10K is the lowest RPM and I’ve not run into any issues with cutting at that speed. I think a “too low” RPM setting might be achieved with a spindle, but not the R22002 router. I think @bar runs at 12K RPM.
Also consider the number of flutes. If you double the number of flutes in a router bit, you need to either double your IPM or halve your RPM to get the same chip load, but good luck doing either of those.
As for depth per pass, a rule of thumb is to step-down at 1/2 the diameter of the bit. So for a 1/4-inch, you’d step down 1/8-inch (0.125 inches). I typically step down 0.14 using a 1/4-inch bit when cutting 3/4-inch ply… that way I get a good last pass.
What I suggest, if worried about heat and router bit longevity, is to just run at the lowest RPM you can do and get clean cuts and run at the highest IPM you can and still be accurate with your cuts.
This (from my single view) highly depends on the quality of the material you cut.
I get 5th grade stuff that would not be accepted in the rest of the world.
The CPLEX (china) had the gaps in the wood filled with cement and my bit did not survive that once.
Generally it seems to me we are cutting at to high rpm to match our feed rates (router).
Not up to date on how much this can be compensated by the diameter of the bit.
If there was a vote on a phrase to describe the answer it would be:
If it sounds and looks good, it’s right 
analysis paralysis. What’s easier, keeping track of how many hours your maslow has run, they type of materials and scientific analysis of router bit life, or just picking it up and running the router through some scrap wood to see if it feel slowdull or fast/sharp. If I am cutting stuff in my kitchen I don’t keep track of how many carrots, heads of broccilli etc I have cut. .then the kife gets dull I just sharpen it. and I can tell it is dull because it doesn’t cut well when I use it.
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