[Gallchobhair]

I have a question about what bit would be a good choice for pocketing in the V-carving routine.When you do v-carving you are given the option to use a different bit to pocket with.
Would and up-cut or down-cut be the better choice. You want to get a good flat clean bottom.Will a 0 flute 2,3 or 4 flute be the better choice. You also want good clean edges.
I will be buying some bits for just this operation and want to get the right ones. SSI don't have money to waste. LoL

2nd question about V-carving. Some of the settings are not explained to well as to what they do.Is there a good Tutorial for V-carving that goes into detail about the settings.What
effect they have on each other and the project overall.

Thank You
Don

[mmoe]

It has more to do with the material than anything else. If you're working in a chippy or stringy wood, I'd use a down spiral router bit. If you're working in aluminum, you'd want a higher helix upward spiral bit, probably coated. If you're working in plastics, an O flute might be best, or at least and upward spiral router bit with a decently open flute for chips that probably will expand from heat. If you're working in fiberglass, you'd want a PCD Diamond bit. Sorry to say that it's less about the toolpath strategy and more about the material, so if you plan to cut several of these materials I've listed, you'll need different bits for each of them.

One thing I can say is that a 4 flute bit is not much of an advantage if you are spinning it at 20,000 rpms. In most cases, you won't be able to feed the bit fast enough to keep up with the bit rotation and will be at best wearing the bit out faster than you need to, or at worst melting the material galling up the bit (plastics or aluminum). I'm often running a 2 flute upward spiral router in plastics at 10,000-12,000 rpms, simply because any faster would just start melting things since detailed areas such as those you'd V-carve often don't let the feedrate get much past 100-200 ipm. For routers, I think a 2 flute is really as much as you need unless you can cut at feedrates in excess of 800 ipm, so you can pretty much take the 3 and 4 flute bits off your list permanently. If you are using a mill, where the top speed of the spindle is 5000rpms or less, than there is some benefit to having the extra flutes. I'm assuming you are using a router, based on your previous topics.

[Gallchobhair]

Thank you mmoe. Yes I am using a router Porter Cable 890 10,000 rpm is as low as it goes. I will for now be doing the V-carving in wood. So 2 flute down spiral looks like the one I want.

Don

[Stigoe]

If you get a SuperPID you should be able to get down to 5000 rpm.

[Gallchobhair]

Thank you Stigoe. I am a hobbyist and retired and on SSI. Superpid is a couple of hundred bucks. Maybe down the road.

Don

[ger21]

I like to use an upcut for a cleaner bottom finish, but you have to be careful to prevent chipping.

[Gallchobhair]

Well now it looks like I will get 2. 1 up and 1 down. I will test in what I do and see what I see. I will probably use both at different times.

Don