Thinking of passes maybe of interest. A few years back I was making door cassettes for beading Primdoor hardboard pressed panel doors. We cut the top panels out by CNC to glaze the top, side issue the pressed panels sometimes did not match on both sides but in most cases was covered by the rebate of the bead. The cassettes were shaped and mitred to fit and the sheet was laid out for nesting completing the bottom bead and two side beads and roll shaped top all laid out in 1200x1200 sheet for ease of hanlding. We bought a cutter to rebate and shape on one pass with the ogee mould as well, in practice three cutters were invloved. We used two types of MDF one 25mm and one 18mm. The trick was vacumn the sheet. Due to mdf being damn porous we plunged down in one pass to bead depth required according to door thickness and glass width, but left a few MM still on. When it completed the cycle all we need do is place the sheet in the sander and when fed through the cassettes fell out and only needed some denibbling then painting.

What I am trying to say is that you do not need to go always fully through to get what you want and you can improve the finish accordingly as the bit you are machininh is never loose or weakened to break off.

Dairsie