How to choose a milling cutter: types of tools, their features and characteristics
Milling cutters are used for processing wood, metal and other materials. There are several types of these tools. Instructions on how to choose a router and what technical characteristics you need to pay attention to are described in detail in the article.
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Main types of devices
First of all, it is necessary to consider what types of milling cutters are used today. There are different classifications, but in general they can be divided into 2 groups - universal and specialized.
Universal
If we talk about which hand router to choose, you can first focus on universal models. They are designed to perform all basic work. There are 2 representatives in this group - submersible and edging.
The submersible manual milling cutter for stone and wood is represented by a body in which a motor and a mechanism are installed in 2 guides. The cutting part is directed perpendicular to the workpiece. With the help of such tools, you can perform several types of work, including making a groove, a hole of one shape or another. You can make a rounding, create a complex or simple pattern, make a connection or a cutout.
Such a device is also called vertical or rod.
Another option is an edge router for composite and wood.It is easy to operate and can work in the vertical and horizontal plane. The body is small in size, represented by a handle. The depth can be adjusted using the scale. The tool allows you to perform the following operations:
- rounding corners;
- chamfer removal;
- groove extraction;
- fit of the workpiece;
- veneer surface treatment;
- removal of grooves.
If we talk about how an edge router differs from a regular one, first of all – the scope of application. The first one is used around the house and in the workshop, and the second one is used only for professional purposes. In addition, the edging works both vertically and horizontally, while the usual submersible one works only vertically.
Specialized
This group is represented by 3 types of tools - rotary, lamellar and filler. If we describe what a rotary router is, we can say that it has a narrow, elongated body, equipped with a rubber insert, which is convenient to hold while working. The device is designed for forming holes and processing edges on different materials:
- wooden surface;
- various ceramic tiles;
- plastic parts;
- drywall.
There are also lamellar routers. They have horizontal bodies on which a handle with an actuator is attached. The working surface is represented by a disk cutter located horizontally. It is this that cuts into the surface of the material, resulting in lamellas, that is, oval-shaped plates. It is used as a pruning tool.
The filler mill is somewhat similar to the lamella mill. But here the equipment function is performed by 2 spiral cutters. The operating principle is exactly the same. Used to form paired holes that are made at a predetermined, precise distance.This device is especially often used in furniture production.
How to choose a router: basic parameters
There are different types of manual milling cutters, which differ from each other in the operations performed and technical characteristics. When choosing, you need to pay attention to several parameters described below.
Power
This is the main criterion that you need to pay attention to first. Based on this indicator, there are 3 groups of devices:
- Lightweight with power ranging from 420 to 750 W. They weigh 2-3 kg and are quite convenient to use.
- Medium with a parameter in the range of 800-1450 W, weight up to 5 kg.
- Heavy - the most productive - in the range of 1500-2300 W. Weight starts from 6 kg.
The power indicator also determines the largest diameter and length parameter of the cutter. For example, to make paneled doors you need a powerful device (at least 1800 W). And for processing edges, a device from the middle group is sufficient.
Advice
If you need to make a choice between devices with a difference of up to 200 W, it is better to choose a more powerful device. He only a little heavier, but can process wood or metal for quite a long time without interruption.
Cutter rotation speed
On the one hand, it is important to understand different types of devices, for example, what is the difference between an edge router and a vertical router. But it is also useful to know about the technical characteristics, for example, the rotation speed of the cutter itself.
It is no less important than power. The fact is that the speed must be adjusted taking into account the diameter of the cutter and the hardness of the material being processed. For example, with a tool diameter of 10 mm, it is recommended to set 20,000 rpm, and with 40 mm, 10,000 rpm is sufficient.
Working stroke
Another way to choose a router is to evaluate its working stroke.It characterizes the maximum processing depth. As a rule, for light devices it is no more than 50 mm, for medium ones 50-60 mm, and for heavy ones it reaches 70-80 mm.
Thus, before choosing a tool, it is better to study what types of milling cutters there are and their technical characteristics. Along with the main indicators, it is necessary to take into account additional features, for example, the presence of an option that locks the spindle, with a fixed start button, a protective mechanism against inadvertent activation, and others.
