HQMaster Spiral Router Bits Down Cut 1/4 inch Shank Solid Carbide Nano Blue Coated Spiral Downcut CNC Bits End Mill for Wood Cut Carving Engraver (1/8 Cutting Diameter)

The HQMaster 1/8 inch Ball Nose End Mill will be used to make a decorative edge on jewelry boxes. The bit was tested in Cherry wood and produced a perfect clean cut.

The quality is fantastic and I use 1/4 more than any other and do tend to wear on them. These hold an edge well and have been put to great use cranking out holiday gifts. I cant think of an argument to pay more when this quality stands up to other really expensive options Ive tried. Update: This bit continues to hold an edge well after dozens of operations through hardwood at pretty aggressive settings of speeds. These are a fantastic workhorse bit to use.

Im still kind of a newbie in the CNC Router arena, and while learning how to use the software thats needed to work with these machines, I am gradually building up my arsenal of bits so I can effectively use the machine. One thing I look for is bits that are made of solid carbide. They just keep their sharpness longer than high speed steel bits, so they run cooler and smoother longer. I also try to get bits that have a coating over the cutting area of the bits, as this also contribute to longer life and smoother cutting. I used this HQMaster 1/4 inch shank 1/8 inch cutting Ball Nose End Mill today as I was experimenting with 3-D carving. I created a simple half-torus model that I intended to carve, but was running into problems with the machine plunging deep into the wood before starting to carve the shape. It was supposed to start at the surface, but started probably 10 or 15 mm BELOW the surface instead. I never did figure out why it was doing this, and after a long period of trying I have up for the time being. BUT...I was amazed that this HGMaster bit still cut smoothly and evenly despite the fact that it was being forced to carve from a much deeper depth than it was supposed to. I let the program run a few minutes at this wrong depth before I shut it down, and observed the edges of the cuts - they were perfect, really nice and clean. Thats a great testament to the quality of this bit. Most bits can cut well when the machine isnt trying to power through a cut thats outside of its design parameters, but it takes a special one to be able to deal with it and do a good job anyway. Recommended!

I bought the 1/8” cutting diameter bit, and used it with my router and DIY circle jig to cut a perfect, 11” diameter circle in 1/2” plywood. The down cut left no splinters on the top side of the plywood, and very few on the bottom side. I do not know how long it will last, but it worked very well on its maiden voyage.

This cutter is dimensionally accurate according to my caliper. That is good as sometimes 6mm shank are sold as 1/4 (6.35mm). Under magnification the ball end is smooth without burrs. It is only 2-flute so I wouldnt try to cut metal with it but wood and plastic should be fine.

Ive been using this bit in my wooden sign making business and so far it works great and has remained sharp. Ive used it for 3d roughing passes in hardwood and in other applications where a ballnose bit is useful. So far, I havent noticed much difference in the quality of cuts from my more expensive bits. Its amazing to me that you can get quality tooling these days at this price point. These bits would make a great go to bit for production without having to stop to resharpen tooling. I would definitely recommend, and will order more!

Good bit, does what I need it to do and worth the price, will buy more in the future.

Worked well even with a very high feed rate and stepover of about half the width using the entirety of the flute for quick roughing. Ran it for about 8 hours so far and it still feels very sharp.

Nice ball nose CNC router bit. Good quality. Clean, sharp cutting edges along entire flute.

This 1/8 cutting 1/4 shank ball nose bit came in a standard end mill case that protected it during transit. The case was nicely labeled so you dont have to. The nano-blue coating covered the top end of the bit evenly and cleanly. The ball nose left a nicely rounded bottom on the groove. The bit cut easily and dispelled chips well due to the up-cut flute design. This bit seems well designed and stayed sharp through my testing on both soft and hardwoods and I expect to get a good long life out of this bit.