Thread: Router bits

What letter code? :confused:
Sorry Brian, I've been buying router bits for years now and never noticed a letter code. Different manufacturers use different codes for their bits, which may or may not mean something intelligible to the purchaser. As I've never seen a "code breaker" I've never paid any attention to their part numbers/letters.

Mick

CMT use the letters on a little diagram to indicate the dimensions of the bit.

Grunterer

Brian,

Attached is the list of router bit abbreviations as used by CMT. Their part numbers make some sense sometimes. Looking at a straight cutter plain, 9.5 mm (3/8") 1/4 " shank, the part number is 811-095-11. 811 is the series number, i.e. straight shank, 095 is 9.5 mm( the cutting diameter) ( however if there are more than one 9.5 mm in the series the consecutive numbers are used like 096 etc) and have no idea what the 11 is for other than that all their router bits seem to end in 11 and if they come with a bearing the 11 is followed by a B.Maybe someone who is an expert selling CMT router bits can clarify.

Have a good weekend!

Thanks for your help so far. To illustrate more clearly what I am on about I will post a link from ebay here for you to look at. This may clarify the question somewhat.

Thanks again,

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....340380476&rd=1

I have also seen other letters such as K, J, D etc.

Hi again, Is there such a thing as a general purpose set, i.e. a set of bits that will cover most of the usual uses? Or would you suggest just buying each bit on an "as required" basis?

Thanks for your patience.

Brian TYLER (aka Grunter)

I'm not sure about the lettering either but I can tell you that the 2 sets I've bought from ebay were cheap and have gone blunt very quickly. I think they're fine if, like me, you are just starting out and having a play around on some soft wood but when you get serious, buy a couple of high quality bits which you keep only for your good projects.

Gday Brian, I had a look at the link, the "R" in the roundover or cove bit description defines the radius of the curve that the cutter, well, cuts . Eg, a 1/4" roundover bit is a smailler radius (smaller curve) than, say, a 3/4" roundover bit.

The C in each description I'd guess just means something like Carbide or Cutter or somesuch. R15A looks like the manufacturers code for that particular 15pc router bit set.

To expand on previous answers, letter codes are usually used for

1) Model Code for a particular manufacuturer's bits, numbers and letters in the bit sometimes (but not always) mean radius, type of bit (straight, roundover, roman ogee, etc), series, etc
2) Idenfication of parts of a diagram of the bit in a catalogue, eg. cutter length, diameter, shank length, bearing width, etc. These help you specify the correct bit for your application.
3) Commonly needed info for a particular bit, eg. the radius of a roundover bit is one of the main details you would need to know, hence R for radius would be usually quoted as per above.

If you're getting a cheap set I'd go to M10 or Bunnings, etc as you can easily take one /all of them back if there is a problem.

HTH.........cheers..........Sean

I'll go against the trend a bit. (That was bad)

When starting with router bits, I bought a cheap set, which to me had the most useful bits, at least it looked like it.

Down the road, some are broken, blunted or worn out for other reasons. These I have replaced with gooder ones, (CMT, or, Carbitool).

Others are still new, I'm guessin' I won't need them.

If I need a bit bad enough, which I don't have, I buy a gooder one.

When ya startin' out, it's pretty hard to know which ones ya need, so I think a set is good to get ya bearings.