In praise of Whiteside router bits

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  • atgcpaul
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 4055
    • Maryland
    • Grizzly 1023SLX

    In praise of Whiteside router bits

    I don't do a lot of routing so my router bits are relatively inexpensive--usually MLCS. Now and then if I'm in desperate need of a bit (poor planning) I pick up a Bosch bit from HD. Those are actually pretty good.

    I'm still working on my kitchen remodel and this week I'm trying to finish off the IKEA butcherblock countertop install. I had some Amazon gift cash and decided to buy this Whiteside up cut spiral bit with a bottom bearing. I bought it back in July.



    Fast forward to today and I had just done the sink cutout using my Dewalt track saw. The cuts were good, but since I couldn't get into the corners, I still had a lot of cleanup to do. Then I remembered I had the Whiteside bit. I screwed some straight strips of wood to the bottom, said a prayer, and proceeded to trim off a whisper thin piece of wood. You can see the wood in the corners I need to remove.




    I started cutting and was dreading all the cross-grain routing I had to do in that hard beech. Wow wee! Look at those shavings!




    I wasn't hogging out a ton of wood, but I was really impressed at how whisper thin those shavings are--like I had used a super sharp chisel. The cut quality is the best I've ever seen with any bit I've used.

    I can't say that I'm going to switch everything to Whiteside, but they will be my go to if I know there's a tricky routing task ahead.


    Paul
  • Pappy
    The Full Monte
    • Dec 2002
    • 10453
    • San Marcos, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 (x2)

    #2
    I have bit sets from MLCS that are good bits as well as some of their higher end Kantana bits. There are also a few Bosch and Freud bits that have been picked up along the way when the need came about or I found one on clearance. Several years ago I started buying Whiteside from a supplier on my mail route mainly on the reviews and comments here.

    All of them are outstanding bits.
    Don, aka Pappy,

    Wise men talk because they have something to say,
    Fools because they have to say something.
    Plato

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    • leehljp
      Just me
      • Dec 2002
      • 8429
      • Tunica, MS
      • BT3000/3100

      #3
      I, too, enjoy using my Whiteside bits. They just seem to have an edge over my other bits.
      Hank Lee

      Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

      Comment

      • dbhost
        Slow and steady
        • Apr 2008
        • 9209
        • League City, Texas
        • Ryobi BT3100

        #4
        I haven't tried Whiteside yet. My MLCS, and Freud bits seem to cover everything I want to do at this point, I must say I am not crazy about the Bosch bits I had, ended up selling them off. Maybe I had some bad ones, or I am weird, either way....
        Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

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