A favourite of MDF & ply “decor warriors” a straight flute sports straight blades which is great for all timber types and suitable for laminate material like ply, melamine chipboard (whiteboard) and veneers. A 2 flute straight cut has the unique ability to be not only very well priced as compared to down and compression cutters but also give a great finish to your material on both top and bottom. A little brush is all that is needed to remove residual burrs. A disadvantage of a straight bit is that due to the geometry the bit does tend to blunt a tad sooner than other profiles. Popular sizes to look out for are the 1mm diameter bit for 3mm material, 1.5mm for 6mm, 2mm for 17mm and ⅛” for 18mm material.
Suitable for
- Plastics (ABS, acrylic, HPDE etc)
- Wood (MDF, hardwood)
- Wood (Ply & softwoods)
Adam’s Tips
A straight flute creates a lot of dust as opposed to chips so make sure you have appropriate ventilation or dust extraction when cutting. On the plus side, the dust gets stuck and packed back into the slot you have made and keeps your cut item in place. This has the advantage of not having to use tabs or tape to hold your material down and cuts overall handling time.
