Router tips

[Tychi15]

Ok so I got a new router for Xmas I haven't used one since highschool like 9 years ago. It came without any bits so my question is for cutting and such what are your favorite bits and for what use? I feel like it is a tool I can use for so much more than I know please help what are some bits I should start with?

[KCStudly]

First thing is to figure out what job you want the router to do for you, then the bit and any required accessories (router table, guide collar, templates, circle jigs, etc.) will become apparent.

The temptation is to go out and buy a bunch of bits, but what I have found is that the "value packs" usually have more poor quality bits that I may never need, and my money is better spent buying single bits of higher quality that I get a lot more use out of.

That being said, I would start a 1/2 x 1-1/2 long top bearing bit.

[Woodbutcher]

I would get a few 2 flute straight bits. 3/4' - 1/2"- 1/4"

Get a flush cut bit with a bearing on the top for following patterns and laminate. Try to get at least a 1" (long flutes)cut so you can do 3/4" plywood etc.

A few radius round over bits are always useful.

Get carbide bits not High speed steel.

It makes sense to buy the bits a you need them. Then you are not putting out money for nothing.

[aggie79]

+1 on what KC and Woodbutcher said.

I would get a few 2 flute straight bits. 3/4' - 1/2"- 1/4"

Get a flush cut bit with a bearing on the top for following patterns and laminate. Try to get at least a 1" (long flutes)cut so you can do 3/4" plywood etc.

A few radius round over bits are always useful.

Get carbide bits not High speed steel.

It makes sense to buy the bits a you need them. Then you are not putting out money for nothing.

I prefer Whiteside carbide bits. They're a little expensive but worth it. Whiteside has a four-bit set with straight, cove, round-over, and chamfer bits. The bit I used most in my build is the flush cut template bit. If your router accepts 1/2" shanks, and the type of cut allows you to use 1/2" shanks, then I would go with these over the 1/4" shank bits.

First thing is to figure out what job you want the router to do for you, then the bit and any required accessories (router table, guide collar, templates, circle jigs, etc.) will become apparent.

The temptation is to go out and buy a bunch of bits, but what I have found is that the "value packs" usually have more poor quality bits that I may never need, and my money is better spent buying single bits of higher quality that I get a lot more use out of.

That being said, I would start a 1/2 x 1-1/2 long top bearing bit.

I'd stay away from the 20+ bit sets. Most likely, you'll never use 3/4 of those bits.

[doug hodder]

Another nice thing to have is a diamond hone stick to clean and touch up the bits. Regular maintenance and some touch up will make them last longer with less headaches between "official" sharpenings. Doug

[Martiangod]

Dont run a router through your hand, palmed myself once,
You aint never felt pain like the pain a router can dish out
They dont call them meat grinders for nothing

[CarlLaFong]

Running a router across your palm must have required quite a bit of planning.
Of all the tools I own, I consider my 6 or 7 routers to be among the safest, though any tool can cause some sort of damage if improperly used or you allow your attention to drift. Anything larger than a trim router will, usually, have two handles. Two handles, two hands. Get it? Be aware of cutting direction. Rout against bit rotation. Routing with bit rotation, or climb cutting is risky. For materials that tend to splinter and tear out, climb cutting will alleviate much of it, but it must be very carefully done or the bit can grab the workpiece and fling it or the machine across the shop. A lot of people are gun shy about routers because the first time they tried to use one, they went in the wrong direction and some sort of disaster ensued. I remember in high school woodshop, I was ripping a board and that big old, thousand horsepower, Oliver tablesaw kicked back and drove a piece of maple right into my "entertainment center". The "boys" recovered, but the event remains tattooed in my brain so I always am a bit edgy when ripping on the saw.
Don't be skeered of your tools, but give each of them the respect they deserve

[mikeschn]

Ouch, you guys are talking way too painful to even be thinking about it...

I put a table saw blade into my thumb once, but a spinning router bit into your palm? Ouch!!!

Mike...

[angib]

A lot of people are gun shy about routers because the first time they tried to use one, they went in the wrong direction and some sort of disaster ensued.

I think also that many men want the biggest, most powerful tool that they can buy - because bigger must always be better, right? With routers I'm not convinced that is true and it pays to buy one that is appropriate for the type of work you're doing. The downside of not buying big is that sometimes you will need to make several passes to do a job, but then that's often not a bad idea for quality.

It sure mad a mess of my router and he was off work for a month.

It's not clear which of these two problems you considered worse.......

[Martiangod]

It was one of them " I SHould know better moments " ....lol

Oh, the nurses move very fast at the hospital when you walk in and say " router "
and 2 hits of morphine then going home and slammin 24 beers don't even touch the pain a router dishes out

Only took about 9 months untill i could pick the darn thing up again

And get a router table, very useful and much safer then what I did

[webbaldo]

Flush trim bits with bottom or top bearings have been the saviours on my built. Cheap ones last 5 mins. Ive used 2 freud bits on this build but theyve done alot

trimmed both sides from a template (rough cut with jigsaw first of course), tidyed up the front of all my cabinets and trimmed the aluminium on both sides.

[CarlLaFong]

The flush cut bit is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I just finished a chair project. I cut patterns of all of the curved and odd shaped pieces out of 1/4 inch Masonite. If I want to build another chair, all I have to do is rough cut everything on the band saw, stick the Masonite patterns on with double sided tape and run them across a flush cutting bit on the router table. If I wanted to, I'm sure I could knock out two or three chairs in a day. They would all be identical. I also did the same for a roll top desk, though that is something that I wouldn't pump out two or three a day.

[Woodbutcher]

That sounds cool Carl. Any chance we can see a picture of the chairs you make? Might help some to see what can be done with a router.

[CarlLaFong]

That sounds cool Carl. Any chance we can see a picture of the chairs you make? Might help some to see what can be done with a router.

Soitenly!!!
Just click on the link below to go to my internationally renowned blog. Click on any of the pix to embiggen them

[Woodbutcher]

You have some cool stuff on your site. Nicely done! That was not what I was thinking of when you said a "chair" . Very clever!