CNC Cutting Plywood CNC Router Beginner to Pro EP 04

CNC Cutting Plywood CNC Router Beginner to Pro EP 04 is the title of the next chapter in learning your CNC Router.
This episode is packed full with useful hands on tips to make you more successful in using your CNC machine.
First I will show you how to set Z0 on top of your spoilboard and explain the advantages of doing it this way. Next I am using painters tape as a spacer to separate the plywood project from the spoilboard. I am going to use my trusted Z height tool setter to set up the machine so precise that I can split the painters tape in half.
As a beginner or as a pro it is important to set up save Z height (in VCarve) so that you do not run into any of your clamps while the machine makes rapid moves.
To cut out the Standing Desktop Converter from baltic birch I am using a 0.125 inch (3.175mm) compression cnc router bit. These are awesome and make a smooth surface without any tearout in the Baltic Birch veneer.
You can find the file as a download on my Webpage:
www.jbworxstud...
This is an Amazon affiliate link to:
The tool height setter in metric:
amzn.to/3NcpDwv
The tool height setter in imperial:
amzn.to/3OQIr5F
The bits from Hozly:
amzn.to/42kQtH6

[@BeaulieuTodd]

Concise. Helpful.

[@JBWorx]

Thank you Todd!!

[@jobaecker9752]

Sehr gutes Video. Und Ihr Projekt ist eine gute Idee!

[@JBWorx]

Vielen Dank !!

[@ronmisiura9169]

Totally...on the Z tip . I measured my 3/4" MDF at .755" and set my zero at top. I set Z cut depth to .760" with painters tape and CA glue for hold down. I was amazed at the accuracy of the depth of cut as it cut all the way through the MDF and it only scratched the painters tape. So satisfying!

[@JBWorx]

Yes same for me, I really like this solution as my spoil board stays nice longer.

[@AdamCaveAyland1]

Great way to avoid hitting the spoil board all the time - thanks!

[@JBWorx]

Glad you find it useful !!

[@rmholladay]

Yeah! Tape as a spacer is pretty smart for this kind of project.

[@JBWorx]

I made 50 lantern parts that I had to cut trough the material and my spoilboard looks just like before. Works really well.

[@mpkleinbreteler]

Thank you for your informative videos! I have quite some experience with CNC machining wood, but I always learn something new from your videos! :)

[@JBWorx]

That is excellent and thank you for your feedback

[@berendlucasvanderweide]

Conventional cutting works best for birch plywood, it give the best finish is my experience. I normally cut it in 1 stroke, till 25mm thickness with a 10mm up/down cutter. (at around 12m/min). It's one of my favourite products to machine. Prices increased a lot in the last couple of years though.

[@JBWorx]

Yes it has gotten really expensive. Personally I don’t like the 10mm bit the radius in sharp corners is too big and going fast it produces heaps of dust removing a lot of material. My favorite is a 5/32 (5mm) it can do anything a larger tool can do with better access and does not overpower the dust collection system. And yes Baltic Birch is difficult to get and expensive !!! Thanks for reaching out.

[@xyzspec82]

@berendlucasvanderweide, that's some agressive cutting 😮😅 It must be very cool to watch 😁

[@berendlucasvanderweide]

@@xyzspec82 i thought i had a movie of that on my channel?

[@spendymcspendy]

Great video! I have been using thin (1mm) basswood, as shim, to prevent the endmill from cutting into the base plate

[@JBWorx]

That will work nicely too.

[@gthmcty111]

Great video! Thanks for sharing I have always been confused with measuring from the spoil board. Thanks for the explanation and tip!

[@JBWorx]

Great that it was helpful to you !! Thx for your comment

[@rmholladay]

Thanks for the bit recommendation.

[@JBWorx]

Glad if it was helpful

[@michaelmessuri7746]

Thanks for the tips. Im looking to get more accurate on my cutting so i really found the setting of Z 0 information useful and will be picking up the gauge you show

[@JBWorx]

Excellent that is was useful to you !!!

[@peterandrade4313]

Putting these videos together in a series will make for a great library reference for all of us. Keep it coming and as always well done... Also, I have never set my Z height off the spoilboard but your explanation as to why you prefer to do this was spot on!!! Thanks.

[@JBWorx]

Thank you very much for your comment and feedback Peter!

[@MrJamesv004]

I agree with everything you said here. Compliments to JBW for sharing his knowledge. Liked and subscribed!

[@JBWorx]

Thank you 🙏

[@sultankuto8724]

Your work is great good sir,well received.Goodwill.

[@JBWorx]

Thank you 🙏

[@gerritvisser]

Some great tips. I often use .125" thick hardboard as a spacer, but with more experience the tape works fine. Not quite cutting all the way through is frustrating and messy to tidy up.

[@JBWorx]

Yes that is a solution as well. Sure many people say hey I cut right into my spoil-board because that is what it is made for, however it takes o extra time to simply not do that. Thanks for reaching out Gerrit.

[@gabrielbranco2013]

Hello. Thanks for the informative content. It would be cool to see your considerations regarding cut quality x speeds and feeds.

[@JBWorx]

Wood in general has a rather wide spectrum of cutting parameters that will work. I think the biggest impact has a finishing pass with removing less material.

[@7alfatech860]

True Baltic birch plywood is getting quite hard to find here in the US, in addition to being expensive. And I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of some Shars stuff. I work with metal, and I recently used one of their parting tools with quite a large stickout of about 1.5" to part off a 3" (~75mm) diameter 8620 (low alloy) steel bar and it did not chatter or break off!

[@JBWorx]

Yes it’s not easy to find luckily I have a stash from years ago when Rockler had a sale. I also have some lathe tools from Shars (boring bars, collets) and I am quite happy with the quality for the price. Yes sure there is better but for the money it seems quite good.

[@gordongroves6674]

Thank you for sharing. A very informative video.

[@JBWorx]

I am glad you liked it Gordon !

[@josephjones4293]

Love the content, keep it up

[@JBWorx]

Thank you Jeff

[@vasyapupken]

compression bits are good, but for deep pockets/slots there is a better solution. i cut it in two steps. at first i rut all contours with a down cut bit for about 1mm depth just to pass first layer of a plywood (to the middle of a second layer to prevent delamination). and after that i cut all remaining material with a regular up cut bit. and for up cut i like to use 3 flute roughing (chipbreaker) end mills for aluminium. they are really fast )

[@JBWorx]

That is a very good method I think ! Deep pockets are a problem for compression bits. Yes a 3 flute would probably require a too high feed rate for my machine in Al.

[@graveurgraveur2691]

I enjoy your content.

[@JBWorx]

Excellent !! Thank you !

[@davefrankman6181]

Great video. Thank you.

[@JBWorx]

Thank you Dave

[@ouroboros5378]

Awesome content! Thanks

[@JBWorx]

Perfect that it was right for you !!! Thx for reaching out.

[@MrTheganman]

Great video, thanks!

[@JBWorx]

Thanks Mark

[@kevinbaxter1571]

thank you!

[@JBWorx]

And thank you for leaving me a note !

[@kevinbaxter1571]

you may want to mention Every compression bit has a different depth it must be plunged into the surface to cut cleanly. this is where the flutes change direction. also that when you don't use are blast, fast enough speed, or dust collection that the bit will heat up and fail in short order as you are recutting chips manty times. I realize this was for instruction but beginners may not.

[@JBWorx]

Yes this is a very important point that you make. Thank you 👍

[@Canas_Things]

When I cut wood like that, I usually cut in mirror,and my first tool is almost always a 10° engraving bit with a 0.1mm offset. It's important to choose the cutting direction wisely. After this tool has cleared the initial path, I proceed to cut the interiors in a single step, while for the outer edges, I divide it into two steps. The first step with a 0.2mm offset, and finally, the last step to clean it all up. 😊😊😊"

[@JBWorx]

Yes that is a good method. So you basically have a finish cut. And doing it this way allows also to choose different cutting parameters for each cut.

[@Canas_Things]

@JBWorx, yes, I prefer to separate the interior and exterior cuts. Some software allows you to select all vectors, apply the toolpath, and define the passes in one go. However, when creating a thin frame, I typically prefer to cut the exterior first and then the interior. This approach works better, especially when using a vacuum hold-down system. This is my channel youtube.com/@mycut-cortecncparaprofissionai?si=_Y9oTPFd24GOrQaV

[@JBWorx]

Yes the order of operation is always important and totally depends on the part and the clamping method too. Often the machining is the easy part … holding the part can be the challenge that particularly counts for metal working. Thanks for sharing your channel.

[@silvansilva8939]

Vejo os dados da fresa no vídeo e vou pra calculadora e certifico que a regra é bem seguido a risca.assim aprendo a economizar minhas fresas 😉 Parabéns pelo vídeo bastante explicativo

[@JBWorx]

Not all values provided from the manufacturer will work for every machine. It will be good practice if you start a simple sheet for the tools you have and note down the optimal parameters you find. This way you can go back to them and also keep optimizing. I was very surprised how fast a 1/8” (or 3mm) bit will cut through plywood in one pass.

[@silvansilva8939]

​@@JBWorxmas nesse corte feito por você os dados estão certinho com a tabela então, não só você. Mas eu também fiquei admirado por ver compensado sendo triturado corretamente um belo trabalho sem perdas

[@JBWorx]

Thank you ! Excellent 😀

[@bogas78]

the most important thing is missing in this video FEED and SPEEDS for the tool that you recommended for beginners

[@JBWorx]

That is not correct, please look at 9:33 the values are on screen in a red banner you can’t miss them. 😀

[@ahphiell]

I'm watching from Korea. Thank you for the content. I recently assembled a CNC and it's not working due to controller issues, but I'm watching and learning from your videos while waiting for a new controller. Anyway, good content thanks. By the way, what is the difference between mounting a z-axis probe?

[@JBWorx]

It is amazing to see people from all over the world tuning in. Thank you for leaving me a note. However I don’t understand your question.

[@egraffius]

Shrars has a digital version of the x-axis zero setter, have you used that one?

[@JBWorx]

I have not, I like the one with the dial. No battery to go dead and I like the idea to be able to read in between 2 increments something you cannot do with the digital one. But I am sure it will be a great addition either way

[@egraffius]

@@JBWorx thank you for the quick reply! I am new to CNC , your content has helped me tremendously. I have a Foxalien CL 4x4. Will be cutting a lot of plywood to make retail displays for my business, similar to the ones you cut in this video. I don’t want to have to keep changing out my wasteboard. This setup and the tape trick is brilliant. I am a Mechanical Engineer so your approach really appeals to me.

[@JBWorx]

Excellent ! I think you will be up and running in no time. There are a couple “how to” hurdles to overcome but after that it’s just practice and experience as with many other things (just thinking of my 3D Printer 😬). Thx for reaching out.

[@chrisadesigns]

Some good tips but your cutting speed is waaaay to slow, good way to start a fire (yes I've seen machines catch fire from new users running those speeds), you should be up around 8m per min at a minimum with those rpm's.

[@JBWorx]

The cutting parameter I provide are the minimum to use so exactly that does not happen. Also the rpm is directly connected to the bit diameter so the surface speed of a 3mm bit vs a 10mm bit at 18k rpm is obviously very different. Furthermore look at the Amana Tool 1/8” Bit Feed recommendation … it’s 1m/min at 1x tool diameter DOC at 18k rpm for a 2 flute tool. My goal is to provide the cutting parameters that will also run on lower end desktop machines. That my machine has servos and runs 12m/min is not really relevant for the playlist that I created for the beginner.

[@elvalau288]

Amazing! We can s custom-supply the CNC cutter at the best price, no matter what materials. pls contact me if you need it, tks.

[@KingZeusCLE]

No, the manufacturing industry standard is not to set Z0 underneath the part. Sincerely, Professionals Machinists Everywhere.

[@JBWorx]

Interesting, and oI thought most industry machines use an ATC and that will have a tool touch Probe that is always referenced to the table …

[@Tservo243]

Great video! Thank you!

[@JBWorx]

👍