A beautiful router bit

[gwyneth]

My first Whiteside router bits just came, and after I peeled the plastic off the 3/4" one, I must have turned it over and admired it from different angles for a good five minutes.

It's really, really good-looking. Makes all the colored carbide ones seem a little garish.

It's hard to explain its impressive appearance, but none of the Freud, Bosch, or Milwaukee bits I've got had this effect (or any of the Woodline, MLCS, Woodcraft, or others).

Presumably, I'll be even happier after trying it.

[Ed62]

If it's that beautiful, do you really want to get it dirty? I don't have any Whitesides, so I'm eager to hear how it compares to the others. After such a great first impression, I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Ed

[siliconbauhaus]

I was like that today after picking up a festool mft.....I'm glad it's not a male only thing

[gwyneth]

If it's that beautiful, do you really want to get it dirty? I don't have any Whitesides, so I'm eager to hear how it compares to the others. After such a great first impression, I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Undoubtedly much of the beauty was in its perceived functionality*--it looks so well engineered and manufactured.

Thus, if it works as it looks as it should, I'd think being 'dirty' wouldn't detract, and may enhance, its appearance.

I was like that today after picking up a festool mft.....I'm glad it's not a male only thing

I was afraid this might be a female thing!

*After all, the hard-coded basis of what humans find attractive in the opposite gender does boil down to instinctive ideas of genetic utility.

[siliconbauhaus]

AFAIK I thought it was a male thing.....I dont know any women who look at tools that way

[ragswl4]

My first Whiteside router bits just came, and after I peeled the plastic off the 3/4" one, I must have turned it over and admired it from different angles for a good five minutes.

It's really, really good-looking. Makes all the colored carbide ones seem a little garish.

It's hard to explain its impressive appearance, but none of the Freud, Bosch, or Milwaukee bits I've got had this effect (or any of the Woodline, MLCS, Woodcraft, or others).

Presumably, I'll be even happier after trying it.

If you admired the way it looks, just wait until you use it. I use them for raised panels, stiles and rails. They cut beautifully through hardwood and leave edges that require little if any sanding. For fine detailed router work I will buy no other bits. The carbide is so thick I think they could be sharpened 25 times or more.

[gwyneth]

AFAIK I thought it was a male thing.....I dont know any women who look at tools that way

...except here in BT3Central.

[RodKirby]

This is the most beautiful (and accurate) piece of engineering that I have

I wonder if I should start a thread on "Zen and the art of dust elimination"

[Jeffrey Schronce]

You are absolutely correct, Whiteside bits are thing of beauty. I just got a 1/2" diameter 2.5" cutter length spiral 100% carbide bit from Whiteside. Now you want to talk about a thing of beauty!

Rod, if you start a Zen and the Art of Dust Elimination my nomination would be my very own Shark Guard. 4" mega shark opening connected to 3hp cyclone piped with 6" works. Thom spent 5 minutes picking up saw dust putting it on the table and shooting it up through the shark. Of course in your shop there would be no dust to pick up, but I promise to that that taken care of by building a cabinet for the router tables.

[gwyneth]

You are absolutely correct, Whiteside bits are thing of beauty. I just got a 1/2" diameter 2.5" cutter length spiral 100% carbide bit from Whiteside. Now you want to talk about a thing of beauty!

Based on how the plain straight bit looks, I can imagine.

But its aesthetics may be enhanced to you because you already have a strong mental association and experience with the high utility of Whiteside bits.

When you first saw one of them, how did that perception compare?

(I'm glad this thread hasn't been met with rolled eyes!)

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Based on how the plain straight bit looks, I can imagine.

But its aesthetics may be enhanced to you because you already have a strong mental association and experience with the high utility of Whiteside bits.

When you first saw one of them, how did that perception compare?

(I'm glad this thread hasn't been met with rolled eyes!)

My first Whiteside bit was a undersized plywood bit. Of course having the rubber/wax coating over the bits gives an impression of "industrial-ness" and I certainly noticed the cold hard mass which was unobscured by red, green, blue or orange paint. But it only spent a few seconds in my hand before it was in the router and plowing through walnut sheet goods. *That* was when I was stunned.

[LCHIEN]

My first Whiteside router bits just came, and after I peeled the plastic off the 3/4" one, I must have turned it over and admired it from different angles for a good five minutes.

It's really, really good-looking. Makes all the colored carbide ones seem a little garish.

It's hard to explain its impressive appearance, but none of the Freud, Bosch, or Milwaukee bits I've got had this effect (or any of the Woodline, MLCS, Woodcraft, or others).

Presumably, I'll be even happier after trying it.

so, how much is a Whiteside solid carbide spiral upcut bit 1/2" Dia with 2.5" cutting length? I'll venture a guess of at least $30.

Be careful, I was sort of surprised at how fragile my 1/4" spiral upcut bits were. Solid carbide is very brittle, dropping it on a concrete floor may prove fatal. Even pushing it hard into work with that long length may be fatal - with my 1/4" I found that cutting a full width dado 3/8" deep into plywood broke the bit. Seems the cross section is rather thin because of the deep spiral grooves and they're not as strong as you think... I found out that cuts of more than 1/8" deep were about the limit. Had to take a lot of passes. For 1/2" bits you might be able to go more but not too much. While the bit profile is thicker so too is the resistance to sideways routing due to the increased diameter.

Don't think you can route a 1" or even a 1/2" deep groove in one pass, just because you have a 2.5" long cutter.

[scmhogg]

Gwyneth,

Your poetic review triggered my gotta have response. I just ordered the Whiteside 1/2" shank 7 piece starter set from our member Holbren. His price was $88.00 less the forum 10% [coupon code BT310] for a total of $79.20 with free shipping. Thats just over $11 a bit. Much less than I pay for individual Freud bits at the HD.

Steve

[Jeffrey Schronce]

so, how much is a Whiteside solid carbide spiral upcut bit 1/2" Dia with 2.5" cutting length? I'll venture a guess of at least $30.

Be careful, I was sort of surprised at how fragile my 1/4" spiral upcut bits were. Solid carbide is very brittle, dropping it on a concrete floor may prove fatal. Even pushing it hard into work with that long length may be fatal - with my 1/4" I found that cutting a full width dado 3/8" deep into plywood broke the bit. Seems the cross section is rather thin because of the deep spiral grooves and they're not as strong as you think... I found out that cuts of more than 1/8" deep were about the limit. Had to take a lot of passes. For 1/2" bits you might be able to go more but not too much. While the bit profile is thicker so too is the resistance to sideways routing due to the increased diameter.

Don't think you can route a 1" or even a 1/2" deep groove in one pass, just because you have a 2.5" long cutter.

At least $30 . . . hahahahaha. I happened to be buying some other stuff from a vendor other than Holbren and broke my rule. It was $75 - 20% off = $60.

Sorry. It's a double bearing flush trim bit that I am using for patterns in a RT which have been roughed out with BS. So it is actually taking off very little material. You are absolutely correct, that using spiral upcut for something such as mortising requires, IMHO, 1/4" - 3/8" passes.

Edit: Here is the kicker . . . yet again, Whiteside with % off from Holbren is the same $ as MCLS. Now granted in Spiral carbide bits it is my understanding that there are actually very few makers of these bits, so Whiteside quality on carbide spiral bit is probably not as great against MCLS as it would be in other standard profiles involving carbide cutters only.

[leehljp]

Getting in late - I have many bits from many makers. Probably 200+ in all. Half in the US and Half here in Japan. I can't wait until I can join the two groups together in about 4 years!

I can tell when I pick up my Whiteside bits. Just a little different feel to them. And they cut Extremely well. Others cut well in different circumstances and with different woods, but the Whiteside bits are a notch above!