Thread: Routing newbie wants advice on bit selection?

CMT are very, very good; similar brands that I use are Trend (UK) and Freud (US). When you start using roundover and profile cutters that's when quality really shines through; decent cutters will cut without burning, furring or rippling and will require very little sanding, if any.

Carbitool are an Australian brand who are of a reasonable quality and have a large range. They're sold all round the country and I'll buy them when I need a cutter quickly.

Linbide are a NZ brand with an impressive range, but not such a good rep. They are the lowest quality I buy, and only when availability or cost is an issue.

Carbatec and Timbecon own brands pretty much aren't worth the bother unless you are desperate. Don't even think about Flea-bay boxed sets unless you can pick up a 200 piece kit for under a dollar. And free postage.


If you buy a "starter kit" you'll end up with 3 cutters you use lots, three occasionally and six never.


OK, which profiles? Well, you buy as you see a need. Without knowing what you intend to do with your machine it's a bit hard, but this is what I use the most of:

3/4" (19mm) straight cutter for cutting trenches and grooves for cabinets
1/2" (12.7mm) straight for general use
1/4" (6.4mm) straight for general use

1/2", 3/8", 1/4" and 1/8" bearing guided roundover bits, plus aditional bearings to make beading etc

1/4" ogee for pretty edges

45 degree chamfer cutter

1/2" bearing guided flush trim bit

Rebate bits, dovetail bits, cove bits, V-groove, keyhole, the list is endless. Just buy as required and funds allow.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

Carbatec and Timbecon own brands pretty much aren't worth the bother unless you are desperate. Don't even think about Flea-bay boxed sets unless you can pick up a 200 piece kit for under a dollar. And free postage.

If you buy a "starter kit" you'll end up with 3 cutters you use lots, three occasionally and six never.

LOL, that cracked me up

Thanks for your answer CT. I'm not intending on getting cheap bits, then again, they might be OK to practice on? Mostly I intend to cut box joints and tenons. Maybe doors (rails, stiles and panels). What kind of bit could I use to cut tenons?

Any straight bit will cut tenons but the wider the better, I have a 1" cutter I can use for this but I usually cut them on the table saw anyway. If you're going to cut mortises you need a bit with a full width cutter on the end so it will plunge into timber. You can now buy solid carbide up-spiral bits that clear the wood chips from the mortise as you progress along the cut.

Raised panel kits are good and actually fairly easy to use, just slow the machine down when you've got that big cutter spinning away! You can also shape the frames with matching bead and sash cutters but you do need to be very accurate with your setting up; buy an all in one kit instead and get the very best you can afford. A cheap set will need sanding afterwards and that will cause you to lose the crisp joins of a perfectly set up rail and stile.

Seriously though, don't waste your money on "practice" bits; you can develop all the routing skills you'll need with a couple of straights and a couple of roundovers which you'll use over and over again so buy decent ones. With a decent brand if you decide that that particular cutter isn't what you need you can sell it on; I'd have no hesitation in buying second hand CMT cutters, if a used cutter was twice the price of a brand new no-name I'd still got for the quality brand.

I'm a fan of Carbitool, we have a whole pile of them at work and never had a problem. They also make custom bits should you ever need.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

I'm a fan of Carbitool, we have a whole pile of them at work and never had a problem. They also make custom bits should you ever need.

What kind of work is that EJ?

Originally Posted by Tools4Me

What kind of work is that EJ?

Custom furniture, mainly working in solid timber