which router bit? (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Moore]

to cut circles? What bit do i need. I heard an upcut spiral bit will work but the only ones i see of those locally are dremel and rotozip bits not router bits. any suggestions?

 

[Patrick Sun]

Go to Home Depot of Lowes, they have plenty of router bits, and you do want a spiral upcut CARBIDE-TIPPED router bit if you are cutting through MDF.

 

[Andrew Moore]

i went to my lowes and they had bits, but not a spiral upcut bit. the only one of those i have seen was for dremel or rotozip.

 

[Brian Fellmeth]

You can get one here :

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...tml#Anchor%201

This place is great- fast, good prices, good qulity. If you don't want to wait a week to start, it can be done with a quarter inch straight bit- I'm sure HD has that. And remember what Patrick said-Only buy carbide for MDF.

 

[Brian Bunge]

I just bought a new Oldham Viper 1/4" spiral upcut bit at Home Depot this evening for $21.99. Not my favorite brand, but they're convenient.

 

[Allen Ross]

oh man now you guys are wanting me to get a router, and yet i have no cash :frowning:

Only time stands between me and my new Porter Cable

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

My router bit source is MLCS, as Brian F recommended. Buy their #5146 for $15. Unbeatable quality (beat the "high-end" bits in a Fine Woodworking test), unbeatable prices (much less than what Brian B paid at H.D.).
Also, MLCS sells that great band clamp:
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops.../merlclmp.html

 

[Brian Bunge]

As far as durability is concerned, I still much prefer the Whiteside spiral upcut bits. They've lasted me much longer than the Oldham bits. I haven't used the MLCS spiral bits yet. I have bought several of their roundover bits though.

When I do buy Whiteside bits I get them from www.routerbits.com. They just happen to be located in Atlanta so I can place an order and it's here the next day. I knew I'd need the bit first thing this morning so I just stopped at HD last evening.

 

[Mike Keith]

Don't waste your time with 1/8 (cutting area) Spiral bits, there too week, they will snap like a twig when used for cutting MDF. Actually I cant find anything a Spiral bit will do well, I've had 3 in a row snap cutting 1/4" plywood, although the last one which was a Porter Cable 1/4 shank with a 1/8 cutting up-cut spiral is still going strong, but I would never dare to use it to cut circles in a 3/4 MDF. The Straight 2-flute solid carbide bits (1/4 shank, 1/4 cutting) from Bosch and Whiteside or MLS are very good bits and will last many projects.

 

[Lee Carbray]

I just cut the whole for my Shiva and port last weekend with a Rotozip spiral bit. It worked like a charm. However I did break the two bits that came with the Mastercraft Spiral/router on 3/4" laminated cupboard bottom.

I can use 1/4" router bits in the unit and it has a plunge router base attachment but I figured for $10 for a pack or 6 spiral bits why not give them a try. If I new I was going to be doing a lot of MDF cutting I would have gone with the router bit because I am sure it would last longer.

 

[Patrick Sun]

So far I've used the same 1/4" spiral upcut carbide-tipped router bit for all of my speaker building projects (5 subs, 2 centers, 2 rear, 2 fronts).

My cheapo plunge router has a crack in one of the side handles (need to superglue that crack), but otherwise has served me well.

 

[TimForman]

Pat,
To what do you owe the longevity of your router bits? I would much prefer to not break a bit. They ain't cheap.

 

[Mark Barnhill]

Tim, let the bit cut, don't force it. The worst thing you can do, especially with carbide, is to cut too fast.

 

[Drew Eckhardt]

1/4" solid carbide spiral cut. 1/4" works fine on 3/4" MDF and the Jasper Jig markings are setup for a 1/4" bit.

Up-cut will get the dust out, down-cut won't tear out if you're cutting plywood with a nice face.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Yes, make sure you cut in the direction your router suggests you cut, and slow-n-steady wins the race. Making multiple passes (of increasing cut depth) helps in not forcing the bit to really overheat, and it'll squeeze out more life of use of the bit.

 

[TimForman]

if you're cutting plywood with a nice face

You mean like this?