However their main purpose is for creating decorative edges commonly used on tables, doors of various types, shelves and the similar. The final main element of a router bit is the bearing guide that normally features at the base or tip of a bit but can sometimes appear at the top. As with chamfer bits, it’s generally used on the edges of shelves, tabletop and cabinet edges the arms of chairs and any other area that requires a smooth edge. The chamfer or bevel cutting bit is commonly used for shaping the edges of objects such as book shelves, work tops and table tops and any other object where a sharp 90° edge needs to be removed. Chamfer or bevel cutting bits are also available in a range of different cutting angles including 11.25°, 15°, 22.5° and 30° allowing you to create a range of different shaped objects.

Actually with a side fence and, say, a 20mm 2-flute straight cutter you could do straight rebate - the thing is you'd need to do it in incremental depth passes of 1 to 3mm (assuming in MDF or ply). This is at best tedious, but depending on the base you have in the router it may prove very difficult to get two cuts of the same depth. Unlike performing any of these tasks using other tools such as planes or saws, a router with the correct bit will give a 100% accurate and clean cut when used correctly.If you are fairly keen on carpentry and joinery, the router is one of the best power tools you can have in your tools arsenal as it can be used for a huge variety of jobs from cutting hinge recesses, mitering worktops, trimming and shaping edges to cutting a whole variety of timber joints. Contributing editor Steve Latta teaches cabinetmaking at Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster, Pa. Rabbet cutting router bit and rabbet or shoulder joint cut – Image courtesy of mullerconstructionsupply.com Edge Cutting Router Bits

For the router-table method to be both safe and successful, you must use the proper bit. Although a rabbeting bit seems logical, most are not designed for this application. On most rabbeting bits, the carbide cutter extends proud only on the top and has relief angles ground in the carbide to reduce burning. The bottom of the bit is often an afterthought, with the main body sometimes extending below the actual cutter. Some have a shear cut which, although beneficial when cutting from below, impedes the cut if used above since it directs chips to the base of the cut, which is exactly where you don’t want them to be. Also, many rabbeting bits do not have a long enough shank for the cutter to get to the proper height without seriously compromising how much of the bit is in the collet. Use slot-cutting bitsSets such as these include all the essential router bits you will need for pretty much any carpentry project and although they may not give the most accurate of cuts or stay sharp for long, they will allow you to practice and hone your skills to the point that you can then justify spending a little more on some decent bits. Router Bit Types One other very handy cut the straight cut bit can make is a plunge cut. This is when the bit is lowered down on to the surface and then starts to cut down in to it. Straight bits are perhaps the most frequently used type of router bit since they can be used in a wide variety of applications. While in a class of their own, straight bits are usually used for cutting different types of square-shaped grooves. These grooves can be cut with the wood grain (the technical definition of a “groove”), against the wood grain (called a “dado”), or along the edge of wood to produce an L-shaped shoulder or “rabbet”. All of these cuts are often used for joining two pieces of material. For example, the mortise and tenon joint is a very popular and sturdy joining technique that can be easily made with a straight bit. Aside from joinery, straight bits can also be used for mortising in door hardware, or for grooving a channel where a decorative inlay can be inserted. They can even be used in place of more specialized bits (like rabetting, described below), which contributes to their impressive versatility. Due to the nature of a bearing and it’s very smooth rotation, this helps to avoid the router bit juddering or jumping around, keeping any cuts dead straight and accurate to the surface you are working on.

The edge cutting bit is again commonly used in cabinet and furniture making for cutting and creating decorative edges, sometimes known as beads in cabinet and table tops, chair and table legs and many other different objects and surfaces. Or I could use my new table saw to cut twice and get a rabbet like that... but I was wondering why I'm finding it difficult to source this - usually there's a reason, right?

What Types of Router Bit Should I Buy?

The v-groove bit is very similar to the core cutting bit above but rather than leaving a rounded shape, the v-bit cuts a “V” shaped channel that runs down to a point. Flush trim bits are essentially straight bits with a pilot bearing that’s the same diameter as the flutes. The bearing at the tip guides the cutting arm perfectly around the edge of a surface, allowing you to trim overhanging material perfectly flush. You can use this for shelf edging, veneer trimming, or to smoothly join edges. They’re also great for duplicating curved patterns from a template. For trimming purposes, these bits can be used in a hand-held router, but a table-mounted router is best used when replicating patterns with a template. Another example of a specialist router bit is the biscuit cutting router bit used to cut biscuit joints in the absence of biscuit jointer. More info can be found on biscuit cutting router bits in our project here. V-bits as with most other decorative cutting bits come in a range of different shapes and angles that can be used to form everything from a deep thin channel to a wide shallow one. The rabbet cutting router bit is specifically designed for cutting rabbets, not the small cute furry ones found in most gardens but the rabbet joint or shoulder joint as it’s also known ( find out all bout rabbet or shoulder joints in our project here).