I got a (wood) router for Christmas, what kind of bits should I get?

Question

well, it's "Skil" brand and basically I plan to use it to first make a place to hold cards in the bottom of a cribbage board, and then maybe to do decorations on other wood projects. I know I at least need a straight bit.

Answer 1

Sears usually has an assortment of Craftsman bits on sale. They should fit fine in your unit. There really isn't any "standard" set, it's just a guess what most people use most often.

I like carbide bits, by the way.

Answer 2

I have to agree with those who have recommended Carbide tipped bits. The steel ones are very frustrating. They cut slowly, and in no time at all they are burning the wood instead of cutting it. Plain steel bits are not worth the money you pay for them.

I'd also recommend that you get a decent brand, and not the cheapo carbide bit. While I have not tried cheapo router bits, I have tried the typical no brand "Made in China" Forstner drill bit and some of them are really bad. Off center or tilted. When you are talking about a 20,000 RPM bit you want something you know is well balanced, and I don't think you can count on that with a cheap bit. Also, some bits come with bearings that allow the bottom of the piece to rest on the wood. You need a quality bearing or it will seize up almost immediately, and again, burn the wood.

Sears is where I'd go. Besides your "Straight bit there are a few others that have common uses. The 1/2" radius Round Over bit is used to make the trim piece that attaches to the bottom of baseboard. The Roman Ogee is used by some for decorative work, and you might find a use for a cove bit or two.

Personally I wouldn't buy too many bits just to have on hand. Other than the straight or the round over there is no guarantee you'll use any of the others. You might wait until you have a use for them. I've left a link to the sears Router bit Web site.

You may know this already, but when you take a cut into the wood, try to take at most 1/8" of wood per cut. Use 3 or 4 cuts to get to the depth you need for your project.

Good Luck

Answer 3

Router bits are bought for each job. Carbide tipped bits are the most durable and long lasting, but there is no reason to buy a $25 special carbide bit that you are only going to use on one piece of wood for one project. So, think about what you are going to be doing and spend your money wisely.

There are two shank sizes, 1/4" and 1/2". Most DIY routers and bits come in 1/4" size. The larger 1/2" diameter bits are used on larger routers (2 horsepower and up) and shapers and tend to cut very deep or very wide profiles on wood. If your router can use 1/2" bits, it also came with an adaptor to use 1/4" bits.

The carbide bits should have more than one cutting edge. Often the difference between two similar looking bits with very different prices is the number of cutting edges. Secondly, I have used both single purpose bits and the kits where the cutting head is changeable with a single shank. Personally, I prefer the single purpose bits. The reason for this is that I am confident the cutting head will not come separated from the shaft with a single piece bit. Also, single piece bits are usually made with more metal behind the cutting edge. This protects against breakage and also helps sweep the sawdust out of the path of the next cutting edge biting into the wood.

Lastly, be careful with your order of operations regarding sanding. If you sand your piece before your final router operation, be sure you have removed (preferably with a vacuum) all the sawdust and residue from the sanding operation. The silicone oxide particles that have come off the sand paper will remain on the wood and dull any cutting edge that hits it very quickly. These particles must be removed after sanding.

Answer 4

I work with wood and will recomend one rule of thumb when it comes to buying tools, get the tool you want, not the one that will just barely do the job.

I have purchased box sets of router bits because of the low cost, but the quality matched the price. I have tried no-brand bits, Rockler brand bits, Freud brand bits, Woodcraft brand bits, CMT brand bits, and Whiteside Brand bits. I would recomend Whiteside Router bits to anyone who wants a quality tool for a good price, tied for second are CMT and Woodcraft Router bits. You can get all three of those brands from your local Woodcraft store, or if you don't live near one you can order them online @ http://woodcraft.com . There are 3 standard sizes for router bit shanks, 1/4", 1/2", and 8mm, your router is most likely either 1/4" or 1/2", possibly with interchangable collets. If there is a 1/2" collet available that fits your router, use it whenever possible, 1/2" bits cut much smoother than 1/4" bits, also, the more massive the bit looks, the smoother it will cut. Good luck with your woodworking, and make sure that the stock is always secured and that you have hearing protection on because routers are noisy.

As far as selection goes:

Basic kit (get these first)
1/2" straight bit
1/2" piloted straight bit
1/2" or 3/8" roundover bit
cove bit to match Roundover radius

Near future upgrades
Ogee bit
Chamfer bit
Rabbet bit
other sized straight bits

Later upgrades
any bit that suits the task at hand (buy them as you need them)


A brief word about some of the previous answers, I have found Sears' tools to be of inferior quality, and it would take an enormous effort to convince me to try their tools ever again. I recomend against purchasing Craftsman brand tools of any type, I have had nothing but trouble dealing with them.

Answer 5

Places like Walmart or Home Depot have sets of router bits of all different shapes and cheap too. Just be sure to get the right shank diameter. Most likely be manufactured in China or somewhere like that but they'll be ok for most jobs.

Answer 6

Get them all you can never have to many router bits

Answer 7

1

Answer 8

Go to a wood working web site and then you can see whats available for any project ideas

Answer 9

If you can find them I would recommend buying a set from Hickory. I think they do two basic kits in carbide bits. I use these every day in my job and they seem to last forever and are reasonably priced.

Answer 10

You can usually grab a quit reasonably priced box set. at the local hardware.That will give you a good basic selection. build you collection from there. Check the spindle size before you go I think Skil make two sizes