10 "Must-have" router bits by Shop Notes

[LCHIEN]

http://www.shopnotes.com/files/issues/sample/sample-08-09.pdf

[chopnhack]

Yes on 1,2,3,7,9. The other's I have not had occasion to use. The rabbeting bit would seem uber useful at first except that in my experience they don't come with a bearing kit.

[LCHIEN]

Yes on 1,2,3,7,9. The other's I have not had occasion to use. The rabbeting bit would seem uber useful at first except that in my experience they don't come with a bearing kit.

Buy the 6-piece kit with four bearing diameters. Perfect width rabbets!
Or the 9-piece kit with 6 bearing diameters for 6 width rabbets.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bit_rabbet.html#rabbeting6_kit_anchor

[chopnhack]

Yes, that reminds me of why I still have not bought thr kit.... Its nearly the same price as the router bit set! The bits are from mlcs.

[cabinetman]

Yes, that reminds me of why I still have not bought thr kit.... Its nearly the same price as the router bit set! The bits are from mlcs.

Bearing kits can be very useful especially if they fit a variety of bits. As for the rabbet bit, you may want to do rabbets with a straight faced bit...no bearing. The cutting profile (being vertical), may produce a better step. I do quite a bit of rabbeting with a straight bit and an edge guide (if doing handheld). On the table...just the fence.

.

[LCHIEN]

The good thing about rabbet bits with bearings is that the rabbet width is made virtually of perfect width by simply choosing the right bearing. Typically you can get 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 3/16, 5/16, etc. which is half the difference of the cutter dia. and the bearing dia.

If you are going to use a rabbet bit and be changing a lot of bearings, this bit vise may be of use: http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...outer+bit+vise

[Knottscott]

Hard to go wrong with those as your base set.

[cwsmith]

I just bought a Bosch rabbeting bit (1/2 x 1/2) at my local Lowes a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it is a 1/4-shank, as they didn't have the 1/2-inch shank. I'm in the midst of making shutters for four windows in the library. Still messing around with my prototype though.

I prefer a shear angle for rabbets, as opposed to a straight cutting edge. Just seems to give a nicer edge.

CWS

[durango dude]

Most useful in my experience:
- spiral up-cut (I use 1/4" - am thinking I'd like a 3/8")

- Rabbeting set (get a set with multiple bearings)

- Round over set (get a set - with interchangeable bearings - that way
the round-over set also functions as a bead set)

I used to use straight bits a lot until I tried a spiral bit ---- Man, I'm hooked.

For Mortises, the spiral up-cut seems to work much better for me.

I use my dove-tail bit some. Can't say it's impossible to do without, though.

Thanks to bt3central, I recommend

http://routerbits.com/