# Solid carbide bits chipping out.



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

I sent 3 solid carbide bits to be sharpened. Two are Whiteside and the other Katana. Two are 1/4" and the other is 3/16" and they are chipping out on the very end. I know the tips are small and carbide is brittle but I don't think they should chip. The only thing I have done different is slow the router speed down to about 16,000 or 17,000 RPM. At 23,000 the router was screaming like it should but at a slower speed, I got good cuts and no signs of overheating. Do y'all have any idea what the problem is?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

the sharpener over heated the bits...


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Stick486 said:


> the sharpener over heated the bits...


You misunderstood Stick or I wrote it wrong. It was the factory edge that chipped then I sent them out to be sharpened.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I think maybe he means the original sharpening. They shouldn't chip in normal use. Uneven heating if the carbide will cause them to do that. I tried using carbide tipped bits on my lathe when I first got it but I chipped them all because I couldn't get the initial feed rate right.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

hawkeye10 said:


> You misunderstood Stick or I wrote it wrong. It was the factory edge that chipped then I sent them out to be sharpened.


in that case... DIIK..
softer carbides tend to break while harder carbides tend to chip.. the harder the carbide the more brittle they are...
softer carbides sharpen easier but in the same token dull easier while harder carbides take more to sharpen and the cutting edge lasts longer...
softer carbides costs less and harder carbides cost more...
softer carbides tend to break loose from their brazing while harder carbides have a more solid weld/braze...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Stick486 said:


> the sharpener over heated the bits...


or did so unevenly...


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

I may be wrong but if they are sharpened on a CNC machine the speed of sharpening would be set in the software of the CNC for that size bet.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

My DadoWiz calls for carbide down spiral bit, but the tip chipped out during use. I now use HSS in it, don't use it very often, so it works fine. The fragile nature of carbide applies to regular bits as well, which is why they should all be stored so they can't click against other bits.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

hawkeye10 said:


> I may be wrong but if they are sharpened on a CNC machine the speed of sharpening would be set in the software of the CNC for that size bet.


the settings on the CNC weren't what they were suppose to be????


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