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Handy homeowner and do - it - yourselfers who spend any time on improvement task encounter situations where only a router can “ cut it , ” literally and figuratively . This woodwork power tool leave versatility that few other tools offer . It is the go - to tool for mortising door hardware , custom - etching , cabinetmaking , and a whole master of ceremonies of other essential role . To get the best use out of your router , you need a Seth of high - quality router bits .
Router bits are plan to serve three primary functions : to create wood joints , to plunge into the center of a bit for grooves or inlay , and to mold the edge of woodwind instrument . While they ’re scarcely specify to a fistful of cut - and - dried categories , the most commonly used router morsel make groove , joinery , or rounded - over edge . However , if you do n’t make out which router bit types serve which of these function , you could be leaving some of your cock ’s potential on the tabular array .
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Want to raise your carpentry projects ? Discover some router bit you may not already have that can improve your game .
Grooving Bits
When you learnhow to use a router , you typically pop out with one of the most useful and vulgar router bit used for grooving , such as these two pop rifling bits .
1. Straight
Straight bit are perhaps the most frequently used type of router scrap since they have a all-embracing variety of applications . Straight act are usually used for trend different type of square - form grooves . These grooves can be cut with the wood grain ( the proficient definition of a “ rut ” ) , against the wood cereal ( anticipate a “ dado ” ) , or along the edge of a piece of Grant Wood to create an L - determine shoulder , or “ rabbet . ”
All of these cuts are often used for joining two pieces of material . For example , themortise and tenon jointis a very pop and sturdy joining proficiency that can be easily made with a straight piece . ( Aplunge routercan also be used to make a mortice and tenon joint . )
Aside from joinery , straight flake can be used for mortising indoor hardware , or for grooving a epithelial duct where a decorative inlay can be inserted . They can even be used in topographic point of more specialised number ( such as a rabbeting chip , described below ) , lend to their telling versatility .
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They ’re available in gash diameters grade from 3/16 inch to 1½ inch , and have either one or two “ flutes ” ( cutting arms ) , depending on how great or hunky-dory a cut you need .
Best For : Making grooves , dados , mortises , and cosmetic inlays .
Our testimonial : Freud Double Flute Straight moment at Amazon for $ 15.24Manufactured in Italy , the Freud consecutive bit is made with a preciseness - cut hook and shear slant that ensure true , fluid cut .
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2. V-Groove
As the name imply , V - vallecula bit rut out a pentad - shaped profile in a objet d’art of textile , often to produce a decorative effect . V - vallecula second can engrave conception in flat surfaces like signs or console faces , create shallow vallecula that execute the duration of a column ( “ flute ” ) , or even make rooftree in panels to produce abeadboardeffect . These spot come in a variety of diameters and quintet - channel angles that determine the width and astuteness of the channel . Some bits have flat bottoms or else of sharp tip to help limit the deepness of the cut .
Best For : Making signs , flute columns , and a beadboard show on jury .
Our passport : Whiteside V - Groove Router Bit at Amazon for $ 17.12The V - vallecula bit from Whiteside can make intricate etching gash at either a 90- or 60 - arcdegree slant .
Photo: Amazon
Joinery Bits
Enthusiasticwood router novicescan get more function out of their tools by adding a few cabinetmaking second to their collections . Theserouter bitsare primarily used for cutting adjoining notches to give two piece of material strong , durable joints . Each bit creates a junction in its own unparalleled way .
3. Rabbeting
Rabbeting fleck are designed to form an cubic decimetre - shaped shoulder or dado ( solid groove that run against the grain ) on the boundary of a while of cloth to form a rabbet joint . Thistype of wood jointis used in cabinetry building to make drawers and cabinet vertebral column , as well as to join the tops of cabinets to cabinet side .
What distinguishes rabbeting bits from other moment , like straight bit , is the increase of a circular pilot bearing at the morsel ’s tip that acts like a spinning wheel riding along the boundary of the piece being cut , guide the cutting weapon system to the perfect profoundness . As a result , the breadth of the cut is determined by the size of it of the comportment , with a smaller armorial bearing producing a full cold shoulder . The most common sizes of rabbet bits are 1¼ in and 1⅜ column inch , and most bits come with several interchangeable aim ranging from ⅜ inch to 1⅛ inch .
Best For : Creating rabbet joints to join two part of stuff .
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Our Recommendation : Yakamoz Shank Rabbet Router Bit at Amazon for $ 15.99The rabbeting set by Yakamoz offers a gamy - quality bit specifically design to resist kickback and estrus , along with six bearings of different size of it .
4. Glue Joint
Glue joint bits assist in joining two piece of material by creating adjoining knife on the edge of both pieces . The notch gash provide stack of control surface orbit for gluing and make a tight - meet joint that holds the piece together while they ’re beingclamped . They ’re available in two variety : standard and miter . The standard mucilage joint bring together squared edges , while the mitered bit is made with a 45 - degree angle to link two mitered edge .
Before you begin using these router bit type , make out that they are meant to be used exclusively in a router table . Using glue joint bit in a handheld router can ensue in uneven profiles or , worse , hurt if the router binds up and kicks back on you .
These chip follow in size ranging from 1⅜ inches to 2¾ inches and can be used on material from ½ inch to 1¼ inch stocky .
Photo: Amazon
good For : make two adjoining joints that have a higher surface area for gluing .
Our Recommendation : Yonico Reversible Glue Joint Router Bit at Amazon for $ 22.95The Yonico reversible glue joint scrap has a rich ½-inch stem and micro - grain composition , giving it superscript cutting timbre and length of service .
5. Flush Trim
loaded passementerie bits are basically square bits with a pilot bearing that ’s the same diam as the flutes . The bearing at the steer guides the cutting arm utterly around the edge of a surface , allowing you to garnish overhanging material utterly wealthy . you could habituate these bits for shelf edging , veneer trimming , or for swimmingly get together edge . They ’re also bully for repeat curve patterns from a template . For crop intention , these bits can be used in a handheld router , but a tabular array - mounted router is best when replicating practice with a template .
Flush passementerie bits come in a miscellany of cut arm length and diameters , but the most rough-cut are ½-inch diam by a 1 - in length with a ¼-inch shank .
well For : cut laminate and replicate patterns from a template .
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Our Recommendation : Freud Bearing Flush Trim Router Bit at Amazon for $ 17.56Freud ’s ½-inch flush trimness fleck offers the larger ½-inch shank combine with Freud ’s legendary quality to make the unruffled and most intricate of moneyed cuts .
6. Rail-and-Stile
Also call a get by - and - stick bite , a rail - and - stile router bit set is used to form a cabinet board door ’s interlock box joints . The pair of router bits is design to work together , with the stile bit cut the groove for the panel and the rail spot cutting the butt tenon ( a short tenon that correspond into the shallow rut ) . Using a pair that is manufacture together will make a prissy fit .
There are a variety of rail - and - stile router bits . Each is designed to produce a different case of visibility joinery . Some pop types are Shaker , French Provincial , beveled , ogee , and beading . For those who want to limit the phone number of bits in their router arsenal , some tool makers offer a undivided bit that can cut both the rail and the stile .
Best For : Joining a cabinet door venire ’s corner joints .
Photo: Amazon
Our Recommendation : Whiteside Shaker Stile - and - Rail Set at Amazon for $ 116.61The carbide - tip solidification of two snatch is designed to make mover and shaker - style room access panels on cabinet .
7. Slot Cutting
If you want to make a TV channel in a Natalie Wood , create cookie holes , or enhance a project with ornamental features , a time slot cut router minute might be what you need . It creates a monotone , straight swerve through material and is often used in joining deck boards with a tongue - and - rut joint .
Some also use the bit for join draftsman bottoms , cutting slot to secure panels , and make decorative embellishments in woodworking projects . A slot cut router bit may also be used to create rail - and - stile panels for cabinet doors and draftsman fronts .
Best For : Creating slots to join deck board or biscuit cabinetmaking .
Photo: Amazon
Our Recommendation : Yonico Slot Cutter Router Bit at Amazon for $ 15.95Made from tungsten carbide , the top - hold expansion slot cut router bit creates a ¼-inch - by-¼-inch time slot for joining wood .
Edge-Forming Bits
The next five router bit type are all design for mould the sharp edge of baseball bat in unlike ways and for different purposes .
8. Rounding-Over
Not only are rounding - over bits the most commonly used case of edging bit , but they ’re also perhaps 2nd only to straight bit in how often they ’re employ . They make a rounded profile to ease the sharp , 90 - level edge of a art object of Sir Henry Joseph Wood , giving the textile a smoother , finished look . The eased border can also serve bear on paint and stain , since these finishes are more prostrate to chip off off sharp edges . Rounded - over edge are also smooth to the touch and less likely to cause hurt to those who come into contact with them .
These minute come in two forms : single and double . undivided rounding error - overs create their visibility on a single bound , producing a quarter - rhythm burden . The double rounding - over mo abridge the bottom and top edge at the same time , making a full half - rhythm profile .
well For : smoothen out sharp edge to maintain a project ’s finish and creating a cosmetic edge .
Photo: Amazon
Our testimonial : Freud Radius Rounding - Over Bit at Amazon for $ 20.90The ⅛-inch rounding error - over bit from Freud is reckoner - balanced to thin palpitation and understate kickback while producing an exceptionally smooth round - over slash .
9. Chamfer
The chamfer bit is designed to produce a bevel undercut on the boundary of a opus of wood to attend either form or function — or both . The chamfer provides an attractive edge profile and a professionally stop look on any task with flat edges , include counter andtabletops . Its beveling ability can also make thoroughgoing mitre cuts on farsighted , bulky , or curving material . While ripping perfectly straight miters on long boards with a table saw and keeping them free from ugly saw marks or burn can be sly , a chamfer piece in a router table can make exceptionally clear cut . This is particularly useful when the angle of your miter needs to be pip - on , like when you ’re making multisided box . And when you postulate to bevel a curving edge , instal the bit onto ahand - held routerallows the airplane pilot bearing to smoothly track the curving shape — a effort no saw can execute .
Chamfer bits come in sizes lay out from ⅛ in to 2½ inches in diameter with angles between 11.25 and 45 degree . This wide chain in size and angles make these bits capable of create mitre joint Angle from 22.5 to 90 arcdegree in material as buddy-buddy as 1 inch .
Best For : Making decorative edge and joining two bit of mitered material .
Photo: Amazon
Our good word : Whiteside Chamfer Router routine at Amazon for $ 28.56Whiteside ’s 7/16 - inch bevel bit offers an low-priced , gamey - quality alternative that is preciseness - soil to ensure proper balance wheel under gamey RPMs .
10. Cove
Cove bits produce a concave quarter - circle that ’s essentially the inverse profile of the rounding - over embodiment . As oppose to the rounding error - over , the fourth part - circuit of the cove is an indentation in , instead of an moderation of , the boundary of a opus of wood . It ’s used for decorative purposes on the edges of windowpane seats , stools , and tables , and can also be used to make border .
It can also be used with a complementary rounding error - over bit to make adjoining edges for a formula roast — a type of folding articulation used for drop - foliage table . Cove bits are useable in many size , most ranging from a radius of ⅛ inch to about 1 inch .
Best For : Creating a after part - circle roughness in the edge of a piece of forest for medal or cabinetmaking .
Photo: Amazon
Our Recommendation : Yonico Cove Set at Amazon for $ 40.95Yoniko ’s five - piece cove set offer profiles from ⅛ inch to ½ inch , make it perfect for many types of projects and timber dimensions .
11. Roman Ogee
The R.C. ogee bit creates a decorative mho - influence visibility — in architecture , this shape is called an cyma reversa — for molding , furniture , signs , or wherever a sinuous bender is desire . Ogee bits often comprise straight edges at the top and bottom of the pattern with a convex curve in between .
Both Hellenic and dual cyma reversa excogitation are usable , with the latter containing two ogee patterns often separated by a squared transition . As with other boundary forming bite , the peak are equipped with a pilot bearing to guide the cut arms along the outside bound of the material . snatch diam range from ½ inch to 2½ in .
advantageously For : Making decorative S - mold visibility in the edges of the material .
Photo: Amazon
Our good word : Freud Classical Roman Ogee Bit at Amazon for $ 36.80This Classical Roman Ogee Bit has a nonstick coat and can be used with a ½-inch shank handheld or table - mounted router and creates a fluent cosmetic bound in plywood , composite , hardwood , and softwood .
12. Molding
Molding piece mix various bound - forming profile to suffice a unmarried intention : hit moulding . Molding is an incredible way toreinvent a elbow room , and make your own modelling gives you the ultimate control over your home ’s finishing touches . While several other case of router bit ( like the cove and romish ogee ) are capable of making boundary cuts for molding , mould bits save time and get superscript results .
With one of these bits in your possession , the sky ’s the terminus ad quem : you could manufacture poll moulding , baseboard , and windowpane shell all from a individual set . There are several style selection available , from Graeco-Roman to contemporary , to master any home remodeling project .
Best For : Manufacturing molding .
Photo: Amazon
Our good word : Yonico Molding Router Bit Set at Amazon for $ 80.95This high - quality five - bit set from Yonico contains three causa mould bits and two furniture base routine , making it extremely various .
Specialty Bits
Some router bit are plan for creating specific result , like making a bowl or freehanding design on a sign . Here are a few particularly utilitarian specialty bits .
13. Raised Panel
Because they are bigger than many other router scrap , upraise panel bits are typically used in a router board . They form the edges of door panel or drawer fronts so they can slot into the frame ’s runway and stiles . They ’re available in horizontal and vertical version ; the erect versions can be easier to utilize but are less various than the horizontal .
count on the designate profile , a woodsman may take an ogee , cove , or Shaker enhance jury router bite along with the corresponding stile - and - runway router bit lot . The leaven panel bit is also used on tabletop and moldings .
Best For : Shaping the edges of door or draftsman fronts .
Photo: Amazon
Our Recommendation : Yonico Raised Panel Router Bit at Amazon for $ 19.95This ogee raised venire router number has a tough tungsten carbide blade and works with a tabular array - mount up router .
14. Dish Carving
Sometimes called a bowl bit , the smasher carving router routine is designed to remove a wad of textile for hollow a closure of wood to form the interior of a bowlful or tray , grow - letter signs , insets on secret plan board , or any other kind of design that call for a declamatory recess . What ’s left behind is a smooth , curving surface . They ’re usable for handheld and table - mounted router , and some dish carving bit can also work with formative laminate .
Best For : remove prominent amounts of material to make a rounded interior .
Our Recommendation : Freud Dish Carving fleck at Amazon for $ 23.52Coated with its Perma - Shield Teflon - similar coating , the Freud wheel spoke looker sculpture bit cuts a placid recess in plywood , hardwood , and softwood .
Photo: Amazon
15. Round Nose
A round nose bit is often used for make rounded grooves and edges on wood . Woodworkers choose the pear-shaped nose routine when freehanding schoolbook on a sign or creating rounded ornamental effects like fluting on a pillar or column . It can also be used to shape edge , create item on cabinet strawman , and make channels in rationalise boards and counterpunch . Sometimes called core box router bits or bullnose bits , they can be used in CNC ( computer numerical control ) machine , router table , or handheld router .
Best For : Creating a rounded groove and freehand lettering on signs .
Our good word : Whiteside Round Nose fleck at Amazon for $ 27.92Made from premium carbide , the Whiteside round nose router snatch can cut Sir Henry Wood , composite wood , slight Al , and tough plastic .
Price list here are accurate as of April 23 , 2025 .
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