Advice on Router bits

**Sterob** · 18th March 2012, 08:35 PM

I recently bought a cheapish set of router bit to use in the 1/2" Router I bought. I mainly work with the softer timbers ( pine, MDF, chipboard) so thought the lower priced bits would do the job for me.
The first job I wanted to do was to flush trim some 22mm chipboard flooring on a Riser I'm making and I used a 20mm diamter bit.
Initially, the router seemed to move through the chipboard ok, but after a metre or so, the resistance started creeping higher, until I had to exert quite a high amount of force to get the router to continue moving. I thought this was unsafe and so I stopped. The bit was quite warm and so was the the router. The router was on maximum speed.
I assume the bit was blunted by the cutting. It looks ok....I wasn't expecting the bit to wear that fast.
Swapped it for another bit in the set (10mm diamter ) and got a similar result.
Am I expecting too much from the cheaper router bits? Is flush trimming 22mm chipboard a heavy duty application that requires a better quality router bit?

Steve

**rayintheuk** · 18th March 2012, 09:44 PM

You don't say how much you were trimming off. If you take too large a bite, you're in danger of bogging down. "Little and often" doesn't work with bearing guided straight bits, so perhaps you needed to get closer to the finished size before trimming? It's not the depth of trim that's important, but the width.

Ray

acmegridley · 18th March 2012, 09:49 PM

Put them where they belong, in the garbage can,bought a set once spent about two days trying to get a decent 45deg mitre only to find out the actual bit was out by about ten degrees.You get what you pay for, the Aussie Carbitec bits are as good as you will find.

**Sterob** · 18th March 2012, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by rayintheuk

You don't say how much you were trimming off. If you take too large a bite, you're in danger of bogging down. "Little and often" doesn't work with bearing guided straight bits, so perhaps you needed to get closer to the finished size before trimming? It's not the depth of trim that's important, but the width.

Ray

Yes, I was trying to trim more than the width of the bit. Later I used the circular saw to cut to within about 5mm and trimmed down from there.
I had not done this before.

Steve

**Sterob** · 18th March 2012, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by acmegridley

Put them where they belong, in the garbage can,bought a set once spent about two days trying to get a decent 45deg mitre only to find out the actual bit was out by about ten degrees.You get what you pay for, the Aussie Carbitec bits are as good as you will find.

Thanks Acmegridley, I will check them out.
I read some older posts and Carbatec and CMT seem to stand out.

**Template Tom** · 19th March 2012, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Sterob

Thanks Acmegridley, I will check them out.
I read some older posts and Carbatec and CMT seem to stand out.

You might like to try the Australian made cutters fron Carb-I-Tool As a matter of interest I do not have any connection to Carbi-I-Tool other than I have been using their cutters for over 25 Years and they are the best on the market IMHO They have a great range of cutters to choose from.
Also as a matter of interest you should be looking at using the template guide method as it is much safer and also producess a smoother cut working in 5-6mm deep cuts at any one time
Tom

**Sterob** · 19th March 2012, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Template Tom

You might like to try the Australian made cutters fron Carb-I-Tool As a matter of interest I do not have any connection to Carbi-I-Tool other than I have been using their cutters for over 25 Years and they are the best on the market IMHO They have a great range of cutters to choose from.
Also as a matter of interest you should be looking at using the template guide method as it is much safer and also producess a smoother cut working in 5-6mm deep cuts at any one time
Tom

Thanks Tom.
I have not done any template work yet, but I plan to when I cut a hatch cover out on a Riser I am making.

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