3d roughing toolpath

[ajf]

I've been reading as many entries in the forums as I can to get a better idea on cutting 3d images. One of the things I've noticed is almost everyone says use a 1/8" ball nose cutter for the finishing tool path. However for the roughing tool path some say use a regular end mill other say use a ball nose mill. In 3d I would think the ball nose would be the best choice, but I would like to hear from others the pros and cons of using a regular end mill for this application.

[dlcw]

Al,

I've used both. I recently did a coffee table with a large carving on the top and I used a 1/2" 3-flute end mill for roughing. It really ate the wood. For other projects I've used a 1/2" ball nose, 1/4" ball nose and 1/4" end mill. It's a matter of matching the bit to the work and the time you have available. The bigger and more aggressive the bit, the faster you can do the roughing pass. For small carvings, the 1/4" ballnose works well.

The big difference between the ballnose and the end mill is the ballnose can get closer to the finishing pass. The end mill leaves things a little rougher for the final pass bit to clean up. That's really the big difference that I've found.