Cutter for inlays

[rs6mra]

I was using my Trend downcut spiral cutter bit (3.2mm) this morning when it hit a knot and snap!
Is there a superior cutter bit I can replace it with? It was part of an inlay cutter kit.
Would I be beneficial to spend more and get a bushing set where I can use something like a 5mm or 6mm cutter?

 

[yetloh]

I suspect that any bit that small is likely to snap in that situation unless you slow down and cut the knot with great caution.

Jim

 

[yetloh]

No one else has come in so I thought I might add a few further thoughts.

You don't say what sort of kit you are using the cutter in. When I do inlay work it is generally small and I use Proxxon cutters of 3.2 or 5 mm mounted in a Dremel . The Dremel is itself mounted in a Veritas plunge base which works very well. I haven't yet broken a cutter, but I do proceed pretty slowly because cutters this thin cannot be expected to take much sideways stress. I also don't cut to a depth of much more than 1mm at a time. If I'm doing stringing I will use a 12mm shank cutter in a big router in a router table with a fence. Even then, considerable caution is needed because again a 1, 2 or 3mm cutter can still snap easily no matter what the shank size. If the area to be inlaid is larger it will always make sense to use the biggest diameter cutter you can sensible accommodate. Hope this is of some help.

Jim

 

[rs6mra]

@yetloh I responded to your intial message but obviously it didn't get posted possibly due to me shutting down the laptop too soon.

What I am trying to achieve is to have a surface to enable me to screw my door handles on to. I think over the years the timber has given way so much so there is no surface to screw the handle to on one side and I think I have about 4 doors like that.
The plan being to glue and and clamp and inlay

After my initial post what I found out is that the speed for that 3.2mm drill should have been high. The setting on my Trend T5 was at 3.
So I'm thinking slow action no matter what and at a high speed. What I think i should consider doing is finding a bigger cutter to clear the old timber but something tells me it won't be as straight forward as that.