# When you choose the WRONG bit for acrylic

**URL:** <https://community.inventables.com/t/when-you-choose-the-wrong-bit-for-acrylic/68612>\
**Category:** Projects\
**Created:** [February 8, 2019, 2:25am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/when-you-choose-the-wrong-bit-for-acrylic/68612 "2019-02-08T02:25:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JoelCampbell](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/joelcampbell/32/68392_2.png) [@JoelCampbell](https://community.inventables.com/u/JoelCampbell)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:25am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/when-you-choose-the-wrong-bit-for-acrylic/68612/1 "2019-02-08T02:25:32Z")

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**Author:** ![FatKatOne](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/fatkatone/32/73156_2.png) [@FatKatOne](https://community.inventables.com/u/FatKatOne)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:41am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/when-you-choose-the-wrong-bit-for-acrylic/68612/2 "2019-02-08T03:41:04Z")

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Your depth of cut may be too deep , I use the same bit just slow down a bit and don’t go so deep.

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**Author:** ![HaldorLonningdal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/haldorlonningdal/32/72377_2.png) [@HaldorLonningdal](https://community.inventables.com/u/HaldorLonningdal)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 7:21am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/when-you-choose-the-wrong-bit-for-acrylic/68612/3 "2019-02-08T07:21:19Z")

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In general, its best to expose as little as possible of the tool as possible to reduce stickout. Longer stickout = more tool deflection = lower edge quality and greater chance of tool breaking 🙂

PS - dont clamp down on the tool cutting edge either 🙂

For plastics I use a 3mm 1F bit with a 6mm long cutter edge = only like 8mm of the tool is exposed.

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**Author:** ![JoelCampbell](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/joelcampbell/32/68392_2.png) [@JoelCampbell](https://community.inventables.com/u/JoelCampbell)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/when-you-choose-the-wrong-bit-for-acrylic/68612/4 "2019-02-08T14:36:50Z")

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Good to know. I realized right away that with that amount of tool stick-out, I should have cut the depth in half and sped up, not slowed down. Even cruising at 65ipm, the acrylic melted around the bit and contributed to snapping it.

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**Author:** ![JoelCampbell](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/joelcampbell/32/68392_2.png) [@JoelCampbell](https://community.inventables.com/u/JoelCampbell)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/when-you-choose-the-wrong-bit-for-acrylic/68612/5 "2019-02-08T14:42:22Z")

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I had a brain fart on my bit choice because I programmed this in Fusion for a 2F and then ran the Gcode through Easel without remembering that I have a sweet 1F Onsrud upcut bit that I usually use for cutting acrylics.

Once I snapped this bit, my memory jogged and I put in the Onsrud. After that, it cut like butter at full depth (.086" acrylic with a .125" 1F bit). Totally agree with you on tool stick-out and sadly, I knew better (being a machinist) but pressed my luck anyway.

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**Author:** ![BlueLocktite](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/bluelocktite/32/68346_2.png) [@BlueLocktite](https://community.inventables.com/u/BlueLocktite)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/when-you-choose-the-wrong-bit-for-acrylic/68612/6 "2019-02-08T15:29:09Z")

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Doh! I like the “F%$#\*” as soon as it breakes… although I feel your pain.