stylus heating

[sat159p1]

Mixed thoughts. Read here about it that it helps cutting, and stylus has less torque to the plastic so it will last longer.
Read here also that it…. shortens stylus life. Two years of cutting, still little confused… (Souri told me also that he probably will not implement stylus heating in the future because of problems/stylus life).

So from my searches STYLUS HEATING = LESS NOISE, BETTER CUT, SHORTER STYLUS LIFE.

true?

Any opinions?

[opcode66]

It is really hard to make statements like this regarding diamond. Your results and the lifespan of the diamond are so very dependant on your skill as an operator. In fact I would say that The lifespan has more to do with how you were using the diamond than any other factor.

This brings us to the topic of heat. It is really easy for less experience cutters to apply too much heat. That is problematic. It is also very easy for new cutters to allow heat to be applied to the diamond without suction also being applied. This is also problematic. Finally, newer cutters arent as concerned with 100% chip pickup and allow plastic chip to ball up on the tip while cutting. Problematic...

Why are these things problematic? Heat in general isn't a problem. But, letting it sit and bake with too much heat, then sudeenly running vacuum puts strain on the chrystal. The huge temp fluctuations tend to degrade the tip of the diamond making it brittle and easier to break. If you read any of the materials about heated stylus from back in the day they always mention running the vacuum simultaneously with the current for hear. Why is that important? It keeps the stylus from overheating. While cutting any material, tiny bits of the material will settle on the surface of the stone. If yoi run heat without suction, the stone gets hotter than it should. You run the pissibility of baking chip to your stylus. Once baked on, it will not come off with acetone. Your stylus will now always cut noisey grooves with streaking. On my lathe, I made heat tied to suction. There is no heat current applied without the vacuum running.

Chip balling up on the stylus with too much heat is a recipe for disaster. The plastic melts and sticks to the stylus and shank and possibly torque tube. It makes it harder for anyone to do a regrind on them. Finally, balled up chip will slip under the cutting point causing lift off and when the tip comes back down hard on the disc, it can chip off.

These factors alone are enough to get an idea of how trying to give a lifetime measurement is nearly impossible since it has little to do with the tool itself and nearly everything to do with its application.

[sat159p1]

Yes.. You are totally right on this.

But, cutting with lower temperatures applied to the stylus like 0,3-0,4A is OKEY? I mean, with being very careful? I found these values (up to 0,4A) not giving me a better cut, mean, less noise. On almost all disc I've tried, the way higher settings gave me ultra quiet grooves, but I'm avoiding that temperatures because it melts plastic to the stylus in a second...

So now, the question is, use that 0,4A even if the sound is the same like without heating? Just only to have gerater stylus movement/less move torque?

[opcode66]

I use 0.4 for cutting poly. I also use a heating lamp to get the surface temp of the disc up somewhere in the 90's F. I get quiet grooves with a good stylus. Worn styli give noise regardless of heat. Even slightly worn. That is the downside to diamond.