MLCS Router Bits Index

Home Articles Spiral Router Bits vs. Straight Router Bits. Because a spiral bit is designed much like a drill bit, it makes plunge cuts easily. The increasingly popular spiral router bits borrow technology from the metalworking industry. Spiral bits look like drill bits and are most often made of solid carbide, so they are super sharp and leave a superior cut on wood. Two flutes ground Straight Cut Router Bit With Bearing Key around the body of a spiral bit smooth vibration by spreading the cutting action over a longer edge.

With their drill-like point, spiral bits are also better for plunge-cutting. The new violafion spiral bits come with some disadvantages. The first is that the cutters are expensive.

But because most spiral bits are ground on the tip end of the flute, somewhat like a drill, you can plunge straight down as far as you like, without stopping. On most straight bits straight cut router bit with bearing violation is a space above the web, between the cutters, where no cutting takes place during a straight plunge because there is no cutter overlap.

Chuck a straight bit into your drill press and cur it into a piece of wood. To go any farther, the bit has to abrade the wood away in this middle area. You just have to sweep the router while you are plunging. Solid-carbide spiral bits are becoming increasingly popular because they make a straight cut router bit with bearing violation clean cut.

But they have many limitations compared to the straight bits that have been popular for years. All spiral bits make clean cuts. This veneered plywood shows the effects of the three types of spiral bits on the top and bottom edges.

The three basic cutter configurations for spiral bits are up-cut, down-cut, and a combination of the straight cut router bit with bearing violation, known as a compression bit.

A down-cut bit sends the chips downward; an up-cut bit sends them up to ward the shank. On a router table, all direc-tions are reversed. Besides directing the chips, the advantages of these configurations are best illustrated by the quality of cut, especially on veneered plywood see the photos above.

A down-cut bit straight cut router bit with bearing violation leave a clean edge on top but a ragged edge on the bottom; an up-cut bit will accomplish the opposite. This is great until you want to cut a dado with no tearout on the face.

A down-cut bit will leave a clean top edge, but it sends Straight Cut Router Bit With Bearing Js the chips downward, into the dado where they have no place woth go. You can make this cut, but you have to take it slower than usual to give the chips a chance to clear.

For woodworkers who work with A-grade veneers on both sides of the stock and must have a clean edge top, bottom, and middle, the compression bit is a good choice. It has an up-cut configuration on the tip of the bit and a down-cut spiral ground on straight cut router bit with bearing violation shank. Straight cut router bit with bearing violation lining up the bit just bearimg, you can get a superior edge across the entire thickness of the wood.

Router-bit manufacturers have difficulty making solid-carbide spiral bits with cutting diameters larger than their shanks. Straight bits, on the other hand, go through dozens of fractional sizes, all the way up to 2-in.

Depending on the job you straight cut router bit with bearing violation in mind for your router bit, straight bits also come in a variety of cutter lengths. So you can buy close to exactly the length of cutter you need.

Straight bits also have a huge advantage over spiral bits when it comes to template routing, because you can buy them with guide bearings.

And those bearings can be mounted on the tip of the cutter or on the shank of the cutter, depending on your needs and your template.

The bearings Straight Cut Router Bit With Bearing Zip are made for a variety of cutter diameters and lengths. With their superior edge cut, spirals make great template cutters straight cut router bit with bearing violation used with collar guides. But when it comes to bearing-guided bits, spirals seem to be available only with bearings mounted on the end of the bit.

Shank-shod, bearing-guided, solid-carbide bits violaation bits with the bearings on the shaft end of the bitwhich would permit template routing with the template on top of the work and trim cutting through only cuh of the work face, are not available.

Some woodworkers like to sharpen their straight bits, although I find it difficult to get it right and always send out my bits for sharpening. Carbide-tipped straight bits usually have enough carbide thickness to be reground four or five times, and the tech- nology to do so is common. A few services claim to be able to sharpen spiral bits.

To me, this translates into a substantial loss. Spiral bits might stay sharp longer than straight bits, but even so, the cost of using spiral bits will always be higher. Spiral bits work incredibly well in straight cut router bit with bearing violation production environment and especially in CNC computer numerically controlled router industrial applications.

But in a hand router, their use sometimes imposes unusual risks not associated with the equivalent or bigger straight bits. The down-cut spiral bit's screw-driven forces are sufficient enough to pick the router up and twist it routre of your hands—with no warning. I know, because it has happened to me. On end grain the spiral bit is getting even more traction, so the risk is even greater—a pity, too, because a sweet end-grain finish is attractive.

The up-cut spiral bit can have the opposite effect. It wants to pick straifht the work. So you must secure the work in some kind of fixture or hold it by a clamp. I never rout anything that is not secured or clamped, but some people do. I do keep a few solid-carbide spiral bits because, when I want a beautiful face cut or I am cutting narrow mortises, and I have the money, there is just nothing better.

But my cabinet is mostly full of a wide variety of straight bits. For general-purpose work, for template and pattern routing, and for those times when need a large-diameter bit, I still reach for one of my straight bits.

Quick View. Add to Cart. You must be logged in to write a comment. Log In. Find a Store. My Account. My Cart. Go to Home Page. Mobile Navigation. Same Day Shipping Find a Store.

Search Go. Topics Cabinetry. Choosing Hardware. Dust Stralght. Friends of Woodcraft. Getting Started with Woodworking. Make Something. Pen Kit Reference Chart. Press Releases. Resin Casting. Shop Talk. Woodcraft Magazine. Woodworking Adventures. Spiral Router Bits vs. Spiral Bits Leave a Clean Edge The three basic cutter configurations for spiral bits are up-cut, down-cut, and a combination of the two, known as a compression bit.

Straight Bits Come in Many Sizes and Bearing Configurations Router-bit manufacturers have difficulty making solid-carbide spiral bits with cutting diameters larger than their shanks. Sharpening Spiral Bits Is Difficult, if Not Impossible Some woodworkers like to sharpen their straight bits, although I find it difficult to get it right and always send out my bits for sharpening.

Spiral Bits Can Be Risky to Use Spiral bits work incredibly well in the production environment and especially in CNC computer numerically controlled router industrial applications. Quick View Item 03K Quick View Item Roter Comment You must be logged in to write a violagion. Learn More. Customer Care Talk to a straight cut router bit with bearing violation customer care representative to help with rojter purchase.

Talk to an Expert Get advice on the latest products and help with your projects. Sign Up. Connect With Woodcraft. Accessibility Options.

Buy Straight Router Cutters at www.- Free returns. Pay your way. PayPal accepted online. Apple Pay accepted in store. The UK’s No. 1 trade catalogue. Choose from top trade brands. Rabbeting router bits produce a straight vertical and horizontal cut, and are designed specifically to cut a rabbet (notch) in the edge of a material. Rabbeting router bits are an example of a "piloted" router bit, meaning that a bearing of the top of the bit is used to guide that bit along the edge of the material. Build Something Extraordinary With Our Large Selection of Quality Woodworking Straight and Spiral Router Bits at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. Straight & Spiral Router Bits: Up-Cut, Down-Cut & Compression.

Jet 1221vs Lathe Manual Name Bcf Drawer Slide 8 Inch Radial Arm Saw Blade Youtube