Slitting Saw Arbors
Picking your slitting saw arbors is just as important as picking the right slitting saw blade. There are actually hobbyist-type websites recommending a slitting saw arbor as an “easy-to-make” project. Talk about giving bad advice! Ask yourself, if high-quality slitting saw arbors can be had for under $50 or less why on earth would you waste your precious time and material on a crappy arbor? Besides it's a boring project. You never want your blade to wander, no matter what cut you are making. With slitting saws, the slitting saw arbor must absorb the cutter vibration. If you don't handle the vibration you destroy the blade. Destroy the blade and destroy the work. No good! Select the arbor that gets your blade close to the work area. Once you start cutting, dive in! Bury the cutter in the work early. It will actually provide support to the blade. That doesn’t mean speeds are high. Speaking of which, let’s look at feeds and speeds.Speeds and Feeds
The rule of thumb that says to keep two teeth in the work is a carry-over from cutting with a band saw. It’s not true with slitting saws. RPMs always depend on the saw blade material. The RPMs for high speed steel are different than carbide blades. The work material comes into the equation as well.Cutting Speed/Saw Diameter x 4 = RPM
Calculate the saw speed then figure the feed.Chipload per Tooth x No. of Teeth x No. of Teeth = Feed
The most accurate way to calculate your speeds and feeds is with software. FS Wizard is an on-line calculator that is free. The G-Wizard calculator is available for purchase at CNCCookbook.com. Purchased software gives you the advantage of storing tool information for repeated use.