# Depth of cut with an engraving bit?



## map84 (Mar 7, 2014)

Hi everyone,
I was just wondering if any of you more experienced folks could help me, using a carbide engraving bit what's a reasonable maximum depth of cut in wood (birch ply)? 
I'd ideally like to get to around a mm deep ( 0.004 inches) Generally I notice people only cut down to about a quarter of that, but it's often in a much harder material like brass.
Would I just end up breaking lot of these?
Thanks,
Mark.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Mark, Welcome to the Router Forums! Your conversion is incorrect in that 1 mm is closer to 0.04 inch, rather than what your question shows - this is in cutting into the birch faced-plywood. Try a test piece to get your feed speed to where you're not burning as you go and you will be fine with one pass at that depth.

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Hey Mark, really pleased to see you join the community, welcome to Router Forums!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Mark and welcome to the forum.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi mark, welcome to the forum.

I am not sure if your measurements are correct.

If someone cut a 1/4 of 1mm, you would not see that 'scratch' in a piece of timber?

Are you using the bit in a router or a Dremmel type tool?


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## map84 (Mar 7, 2014)

Hi folks,
thanks for all the helpful replies and warm welcome!
I accidentally added an extra zero in my inch conversion (cant understand how people use inches so precisely anyway!) it should have been 0.04 not 0.004! James, like you I agree a 1/4 of a mm in wood would be barely visible which is why i'd like to cut deeper.

So to clarify my question:
Using a CNC router do you think you'd be able to cut a decent depth with a engraving cutter(I cant post links, but if you google arc euro trade engraving cutters you'll see the ones)

or would say a mm deep cut break the bit?

Really appreciate your help, thanks again,
Mark.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Mark, 1mm deep cut in birch plywood is essentially nothing - go for it in one pass!

Otis


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## Akalo (Dec 15, 2014)

Hello all,

I'm trying to engrave Birch plywood as well but I'm not getting a clean cut. Trying to cut semi-circles. I've used a suitable rpm and feed speed and half of the shape is clean, but as it starts turning to the other half the cuts gets very rough and messy. Any ideas why this is happening?


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## mern41 (Dec 9, 2014)

Akalo! Did you inport your SemiCircles as a bitmap or scan? Seems you have to manually clean the curve/arc areas in my Vertic VCarve Pro software for our CNC.
Keep us posted.....mern41


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