Fly Cutters are cool

Fly cutting is fun, especially aluminum. What's not fun is cleaning up all the chips! :)
They do go sailing. Fortunately the direction is pretty predictable so you can be ready with a shield.
 
Fly cutters scare me, a lot.
I still use one all the time but they scare me.

When spinning, that tool hanging out there becomes invisible. It is way to easy to run it into something or put something like a chip brush or finger into the danger arc just because you can not see it. I now paint all fly cutter bits white so that there is a visible white disc when spinning. Black is a popular cutter color, black is also the worst possible color for visibility, that is why the back of an airplane propeller is black, so it disappears and does not block the pilots view, but the tips are always white or yellow so the the prop arc can still be seen. This is also why many window screens are black, it makes them less visible. I still give my fly cutters all the respect they deserve, I just feel better being able to see exactly where it is at all times
The paint on the cutting edge will wear off within one revolution, no need to waste time masking it..
 
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