# V-bit guide.



## CncRoland (Jun 2, 2018)

Hello all! Wondering if anybody has the what's up with vbits. Best practices or angle/depth to width guidelines. Thanks!


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum.


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## reuelt (Dec 29, 2008)

CncRoland said:


> Hello all! Wondering if anybody has the what's up with vbits. Best practices or angle/depth to width guidelines. Thanks!


60-degree bit is best if using a program like V-carve Pro.
They are rare and expensive. 90 deg bits are more commonly available and cheaper but not as good for CNC V-Carving. 90 deg bits are actually designed for manual 45 deg edge chamfering or v-grooving.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Roland,

The smaller the angle, the more detail you can get. I have 30, 45, 60 and 90 degree v bits in my arsenal. Smaller projects with a lot of detail will usually get a 30 degree bit, average size signs get a 60 degree mostly, and big projects, or signs with large text will get a 60 or 90 degree bit. 

Depth of cut for a v carve project is calculated by how deep the bit has to go to fit between the lines, unless you set a flat depth. A 90 degree bit will cut much shallower than a smaller bit on the same project


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## beltramidave (Jan 6, 2016)

I downloaded this somewhere. It shows different depth to width info.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Here's a couple of charts I drew up a couple of years ago. I don't know if this is what you're needing or not:
http://www.routerforums.com/lobby/84386-cutting-width-charts-v-groove-bits.html


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

I use everything from 15º to 120º on my CNC. I usually prefer the 60º over the 90º for signs, because I can get a deeper cut. When I need a lot of detail or have small text, I'll use the 45º. I have found there is little difference in price between the 60º and 90º bits, and suggest you acquire as many different V angles as you can over time because there is no "one size fits all," and the bit you need depends on the design you are carving.


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

By the way, here's a way to check the angle of your V bits.


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## CncRoland (Jun 2, 2018)

old55 said:


> Welcome to the forum.


Thank y'all for the fantastic information. I've been playing with a 90 deg bit and discovered that without proper gapping or kerning the letters can get a little squished-in the deeper you go. I'm gonna play with a 60 next. Got it off Amazon for 8 bucks. The charts are awesome!


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