Eagle Lake Woodworking is your source for woodworking projects and videos.
Currently rated 5.0 by 1 people
I believe the router table is one of the most useful and versatile tools in the shop. There's no other machine that can do so many different operations. The wide variety and vast selection of router bits available today makes it even easier to do more with your router. Beginning woodworkers often opt to buy a router bit set that contains a plethora of various carbide nuggets. It's true that you certainly get more bits for the money when you buy a router bit set, but is it really a better value? The reason it might not be a better value is due to the fact that you probably won't regularly use a majority of the bits in the set. I put together a list of four must-have bits for any woodworker that uses a router. This list works nicely for the beginning woodworker as an alternative to buying a bit set. It may be a shock at first to spend $20 to $50 or more on a decent single bit, but when you get a lot of use (and longevity) out of that bit, the price becomes justified. If you're interested in which specialty bits I use, check out this article.
A small roundover bit is a nice way to "knock off" the sharp edge of a board. Using a roundover bit will ensure a consistent rounded edge along the length of the board. Roundover bits come in different sizes to produce a different sized radius on the board's edge. I recommend getting a small one and a medium size one (1/4 roundover and 1/2 inch roundover would be good). Larger roundover bit can be used to create a bullnose (1/2 round on the edge of a board, like a stair tread).
Ideal for beveling and decorative edges, and can also be used for for producing a 45° edges for mitres. The chamfer bit is also a nice way to "knock off" the sharp edge of a board. It's common to see chamfered edges or ends on Arts and Crafts furniture. The nice thing about a chamfer bit is that unlike a round over bit that produces a certain radius, a chamfer bit is just an angled bevel, so you can buy a fairly big bit and always cut a small chamfer with it.
The solid carbide spiral upcut bit is a versatile bit that can be used for rabbits, dados, tenons & mortising. There's a lot of straight cutting bits to choose from. If you have a plain old straight fluted cutting bit, you really need to try a spiral bit. The solid carbide spiral bits costs more, but are well worth the extra in my opinion - the cut faster, eject chips better, and last longer.
Tags:
Q & A
Widget Administration not found.
It is an error to use a section registered as allowDefinition='MachineToApplication' beyond application level. This error can be caused by a virtual directory not being configured as an application in IIS. (G:\PleskVhosts\eaglelakewoodworking.com\httpdocs\admin\web.config line 3)X