You can have the finest
SaberJet XP equipment and the sharpest blade for the material and still end up with a less than quality cut. High quality cuts require the right saw arbors, the proper coolant or lubricant for the material, and just the right combinations of feed and speed.
How Slitting Cuts Differ
If you visit any of the internet forums frequented by pro and hobby CNC’ers you will see hundreds and hundreds of threads about slitting saw cut problems. Grown men figuratively cry over broken blades, broken arbors, and ruined work. Seems like if it can go wrong when you are machining, it will probably go wrong when you make a cut with a slitting saw. But some times, you just gotta have a slitting saw cut.
Pros. Slitting saws are perfect for a very narrow cut. You don't want to use them for thick or deep cuts. But even if you must go deep it's still easier than using an end mill.
Cons. Slitting saws need slow cutting speeds. Especially for large blades. Feed speeds need to be slow, too. But don't let the blade dwaddle in one place or run super slow. Slitting cuts need lots of cutting oil or lubricant. If the slit is really thin, it's hard to get the fluid into the scene of the cutting action. Same for deep slits.
Don't Skimp on the Fluid
It doesn’t matter the material or the blade type, slitting cuts demand plenty of lubricant. Slitting saw blade are thin and fragile.
The blade metal is heat treated. That keeps it hard and sharp. As the blade cuts, friction is created. Friction equals heat. Heat ruins blade treatments. So, the blade dulls quickly. In addition, swarf can fuse to the blade. Swarf fusion ruins work and kills blade. All bad things.
Stop swarf fusion with plenty of cutting oil, lubricant, or even air. Provide a constant flow of liquid or air to the slitting blade. The blade stays cool and the chips stay clear. All good things.
Don't Skimp on the Saw Arbors
So you have a most excellent piece of equipment, a fabulous saw blade, and a flood of fluid, coolant or air. It's the perfect set up. Don’t mess it up with a crap saw arbor.
There are plenty of cheap, imported saw arbors on the market but you need to steer clear of them. You get what you pay for when it comes to CNC'ing. If you don’t pay much, you won’t get much. Chinese-made arbors are rarely every true. That's a problem when making horizontal slits and slots.
In one of those famous internet forums, a fellow CNC’er complained that his
saw was wandering like a drunk sheepherder. The group told him to get a grip and get a saw arbor made by
Sierra American! Except they forgot to tell him where to find Sierra American products. And that's at
The Tool Company.
Slitting Saw Arbors and Precision Arbors
Whether you need an
arbor for ultra precision or a quality slitting saw arbor, trust The Tool Company for saw arbors engineered for CNC applications.
Buy
slitting saw arbors to fit blades from ¼” to 1 ¼”. Enjoy deep, low profile caps and enjoy reduced slippage. The extra long reach out takes you where other slitting saw arbors won't go. Forget the drunk sheepherder here, just a faithful servant.
All Tool Company products are made in the USA. Don’t settle for cheap imports.
Buy your slitting saw arbors on-line from
The Tool Company and make quality cuts.
