Max dept of cut for a 120 deg V-Bit

[Captive]

If cutting hard wood ( maple & walnut).. more specifically V-Carving what you be your max depth of cut in a single pass for a 120 Deg V bit you would do... and around what feed / speed & RPM would you use..thanks

[steve_g]

Depends on a lot of things… ie the diameter of the bit and the HP of your router/spindle… a ½” 120° bit doesn’t remove much material, but a 2” 120° bit takes quite a swath after you get down a bit!
More info please…
SG

[Captive]

Sorry should have mentioned 1 1/4 Diameter bit. Machine is a new model PRS Alpaha with a 2.2 Hp spindle.

[knight_toolworks]

one thing about the shallower bits is they cut cleaner then the steeper bits so you don't get as much tearout with them. not sure bit I would keep it at 1/4" to keep the cut nice.

[steve_g]

In my experience, rate of cut with a large V-bit is going to be a lot about your hold down method. There’s a lot of forces going on! Vibration can tear apart your setup unexpectedly!
Magnate recommends you not exceed 18K with a 1.25” d V-bit, and is a good place to start here… Move speed is almost irrelevant when V-carving as the bit is almost always ramping into and out of a cut. Start with something like 1.5 to 2 ips.
Depth of cut is also relatively meaningless as it really only comes into play when stepping down into a really deep cut. Generally, your vectors are close enough to prevent really deep cuts or you have limited the depth in the software and use a flat clearance bit. What I’d do… limit your depth of cut to 1/8” until you get a feel for how good things are going. These are very conservative starting points and should keep you out of trouble!
SG