Traditionally, the limiting factor in what we can build are the tools that allow us to accomplish what we imagine. With the right partners this is no longer the case. I recently spoke to our good friends at XEdgetools.com and they asked me what kind of projects we were working on and how could they help. The tool I was looking for did not yet exist but they immediately said they would be happy to create some prototypes for me to try.

We received one of the first long cutting edge tapered 1/8 inch ball nose bits they manufactured a few years ago. We use it almost exclusively on our routing projects and it has been going strong since then. Even after years of heavy use it is still perfectly sharp. That super long cutting edge brought down our routing time on our projects immensely and it changed the way we built our files.

The tools I was seeking this time were smaller versions of that same tool. Today I received a package via courior that contained 3/32” and 1/16” bits each sporting 2 1/2” of cutting edge. That will allow us to achieve amazing definition and detail without the limitations of a traditional small diameter bit.

I have just the projects to test drive this tool. The Sign Invitational pieces demand this kind of precision and in the next few days our ShopSabre CNC is going to be hard at it. Stay tuned…