Precise cuts

Working on a stylised owl (what else) for a 7th fret inlay to be added to my legacy models. I am using a cutter that is 0.0156" in diamEter. That is 0.4mm in new money I am surprised with the recommended feed rates and how quickly the pearl is cut. The photo comparison shows UK 20p coin, I guess it's the size of a dime?

Pete, i don't know anything about cnc or the type of cutters they use, but I do know how easy it is to break very small router cutters as used in Dremel type gizmos. So I'm intrigued how such cutters work as you've stated. Is it that the cnc uses very shallow depths of cut and many passes, or are they special cutters?
Cheers Mike.

A big part of the reason for the longevity of fine cutters used in a CNC router is the rigidity and steady feed that they can achieve. Once you get your feeds and speeds set up correctly they will last an amazing long time. Heat is what kills cutters, and it's the chips that take that heat away. High speed and feed might be scary, but does the trick.

My fret slot cutter has done well over 50 fret boards and is only 0.58mm dia.

I've also found that the tolerences need to be altered for different wood species... Im tryign to get a 'no-line' fit in 'brown' wood. Just about managed ot but itis a real challenge!