Which bit for router?

Router bits have four main components: the shank, the body, the finish, and the blades, sometimes called the cutters.

The shank is the cylinder-shaped bottom end of the router bit inserted into the router. The most common shank widths are 1/2-inch and 1/4-inch. 1/4-inch shanks are used for smaller routers and lighter-duty jobs, while 1/2-inch shanks are for higher horsepower routers and heavy-duty jobs with significant cuts.

The body is a piece of steel to which the blade is welded. The body provides weight and torque to the blades, or cutters, as they cut through the material. The finish is the coating baked onto the router bit to protect it from build-up from the wood. The Blade, or Cutter, is the part of the router bit that comes in contact with the material.

Router bits are typically made up of either carbide or high-speed steel (HSS). High-speed steel router bits are made from carbon steel and have a high heat resistance, which allows them to maintain their strength longer. Carbide tip bits are harder and hold their sharpness longer than HSS, meaning they have a longer lifespan.

There are hundreds of options for router bits; if you’re just starting, it can be pretty confusing. Below are ten router bits every do-it-yourselfer should own.

Grooving bits are some of the most useful and common router bits. Below are two of the most important bits to have when you get started.

Straight bits are exactly what they sound like – a bit that cuts straight, square-bottomed grooves. These bits cut right into the material to create a groove or dado, a groove across the wood grain. They are also typically used to hollow out areas for a mortise, essentially a hole, groove, or slot into which another piece of material fits. Aside from basic joinery, straight bits can be used to create a channel where decorative inlay, a design or a pattern carved into a material, can be placed.

Suggestion: Bosch 1/2-inch Carbide Tipped Straight Bit

V-Groove bits groove out V-shaped profiles in the material, often used for a decorative effect. They come in various diameters and v-groove angles that determine the width and depth of the groove. Some even have flat bottoms rather than sharp tips. V-groove bits can carve designs into flat surfaces like signs, create shallow grooves, and even make ridges in panels.

Suggestion: Freud 1/2-inch V-Grooving Bit

Joinery bits are mainly used for cutting adjoining notches into a material to create solid and durable joints.

Rabbet router bits are designed to form an L-shaped shoulder on the edge of the piece of material to form a rabbet joint. This is used a lot when making drawers and cabinets. While these joints can be created using a straight bit, however, the rabbet router bit is ideal for the job as it has a circular pilot bearing that acts as a guide riding along the edge of the material being cut.

Suggestion: CMT Rabbeting set

This allows you to get seven different rabbets from one bit.

Dovetail router bits are another type of bit that creates strong, long-lasting dovetail joints. The joints work by cutting a series of pins along one piece of material and matching tails on the other. They are called dovetail cuts/joints as they resemble a dove’s tail feathers. These joints are used for boxes, drawers, and furniture without needing fasteners.

Suggestion: Freud 3/8-inch Dovetail Bit with 1/2-inch Shank

Flush Trim bits are a lot like straight bits except that they have a pilot bearing that is the same diameter as the flute, which is the cutting arm. These bits are perfect for cutting around a surface’s edge and allowing you to trim overhanging material. They’re also great for duplicating patterns from a template.

Suggestion: CMT Flush Trim Bit

Glue joint router bits join two pieces of material by creating identical, adjoining tongues on the edge of both pieces of a material. Glue joints are available in two varieties: standard and mitered. Standard glue joint bits join squared edges, while the mitered bit is made with a 45-degree angle to join two mitered edges. The router bits are ideal for creating two joints with a higher surface area for gluing. It’s important to note these are meant to be used exclusively in a router table.

Suggestion: Freud Reversible Glue Joint Bit with 1/2-inch Shank

Edge-Forming bits are designed to shape the edges of wood.

Rounding-over router bits can create a rounded profile and give the material a more finished look. These bits come in two styles: single and double. Single rounding-over bits create just one rounded edge, while a double rounding-over bit cuts the top and bottom of the material simultaneously.

Suggestion: CMT Round Over Bit

Molding router bits do exactly what the name implies: make molding. Molding is a decorative trim piece that runs along the top and bottom of walls and around windows and doors. There are several different styles of molding router bits to create whatever design you have in mind for your project.

Roman Ogee bits create decorative S-shaped profiles, especially for molding, furniture, and signs. There is also a double ogee design, which creates two s-shaped profiles simultaneously.

Suggestion: Bosch 1-inch Roman Ogee Router Bit

Chamfer routing bits are designed to create bevel cuts on the edge of material to provide a professional finished look to a project with flat edges, such as counters and tabletops. Using a chamfer bit in a router table also makes clean miter cuts.

Suggestion: Dremel Trio Chamfer Bit

Cove router bits create an inverse profile of the single rounding-over bit. Cove bits make a concave quarter-circle shape. Typically these bits are used for decorative purposes such as stools and tables. It can be used with the round-over bit to make adjoining edges for a rule joint, a joint between two hinged surfaces, like a folding leaf table.

Suggestion: Freud 1/2-inch Cove bit with 1/2-inch Shank

Many companies have router bit kits with many of the previously mentioned bits. One example is the Freud 15 Piece Advanced Bit Set. The set includes all of the router bits mentioned above and five additional bits. It comes in a shadow box case, so you can easily see the router bits inside, which can be mounted on a wall or bench. All of the bits in this set have 1/4-inch shanks. Router bit kits are great for just getting started and can help lessen the confusion when starting out.

• Power. You need adequate power to meet your specified woodworking goals, but the benefit of high power has to be set against the disadvantage of using a heavy router for handwork.
• Motor Speed.
• Switch.
• Base Aperture.
• Collet.
• Plunge Depth.
• Handles.
• Side Fence.

As a general rule of thumb, the router bit speed has to do with what we call rim speed. Grab a couple of router bits with dramatically different diameters to get a sense of the importance of rim speed. They can be from larger plunge routers like the Triton TRA001 or smaller trim routers like the Milwaukee M18 FUEL router. It really doesn’t matter.

Some basic geometry quickly illuminates the fact that 1.5-inch diameter and 3.5-inch diameter bits running at the same RPMs have dramatically different rim speeds at the edge. The rim speed difference at equal RPMs is more than twice that for the 3.5-inch bit than the 1.5-inch one!

Without the proper context that may not seem terrible. However, suffice it to say it’s an unsafe speed—for both the wood and the user—on the larger bit. It’s the difference between a moderate acceleration and leaving Back to the Future DeLorean tire rubber fires. For one, it can actually burn the wood. It can also exaggerate even the tiniest imbalance in the bit or router and cause vibration or a dangerous bit failure.

Of course, running bits too slowly can also cause vibration that damages the stock.

Here’s a general guide, or router bit speed chart to get you started. (Please refer to the manufacturers’ recommendations and keep in mind the speeds they suggest are maximum):

Generally, the rim speed will be around 100 to 120 miles per hour. You can’t clock that, so use the RPM as a proxy for rim MPH.

To understand just how the bit diameter affects speed, let me walk you through a few examples. The formula for calculating rim speed has you finding the circumference of the bit, calculate that to inches per minute, and eventually translating it to miles per hour. Let’s start with a few different circumferences:

Let’s first calculate the circumference of a few simple bits sizes for example:

Now we can calculate the rim speed—or the speed at any point along the outside edge of the cutting router bit—using the following equation:

What we get are results expressed as inches per minute. For the sake of simplicity, let’s assume a router speed of 20,000 rpm:

If we covert those into the more (American) familiar miles per hour (mph), we get:

So, using the above example, a 1-inch router bit spinning at 20,000 rpm cuts at a rate of 59.5 mph. That cutting speed occurs at the edge of the bit where it does most of its work. That same router, however, drives a 3-inch bit at 178.5 mph at the cutting edge.

If you fail to adjust your router speed when moving from smaller to larger bits, you create a situation where you can end up cutting at 3X the speed (or more) of your smaller bits. That can result in a loss of control or worse.

While we strongly suggest you only make cuts you’re comfortable making, you can also ease into certain cuts. It’s good to keep in mind that you don’t have to remove all of the material in one fell swoop. When we created our circular ash table, we used multiple passes with a router to make the cut for the curved outer edge. On each pass, we plunged the bit deeper until we were through the 2+ inch thick material. It worked much better than any jigsaw, and gave us a nice straight edge to sand.

As the router bit diameter increases and/or the wood gets harder, you can take multiple passes with the router. In this way, you can maintain a safe and effective rim speed without putting any undue pressure on the tool or yourself. Let the tool do the work and “feel” the tool. If you feel the tool straining, or you need to really bear down on it, you need to make an adjustment.

In addition to following our router bit speed chart, you want to check the condition of the bits themselves. only want to use bits that are in excellent condition. We recommend putting on your safety glasses even when you’re just walking through your shop (how often do you say, oh I’m just going to do this or that really quick?). However, it’s incredibly important to do so when operating high-speed rotary tools.

It’s unsettling (but easy) to imagine the damage that can be done by metal flying in any direction at 120 mph. Whenever you use a router, inspect the bit first for signs of damage. If you see even the slightest hint of damage, get a new bit. This goes for grinders and grinding wheels as well. Bits can accumulate sap and wood material so be sure to wipe them off after each use to keep them in good, sharp working order.

We recommend against the use of large diameter bits on fixed-speed routers. Fixed speed routers have one speed usually near the high end of the RPM range. That means they are only appropriate and safe or the smallest diameter bits. Don’t try larger bits or use any after-market devices designed to lower the RPM.

The router is one of our favorite workshop tools. You can turn ordinary dimensional lumber into a beautiful piece of furniture in a very short time. To ensure the best results, setting the best router bit speed is the place to start.

If you’re a Pro and you have some tips on setting router bit speeds, add them in the comments below—or share them with everyone on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Router bits come in a few different sizes, but for general purposes, you will almost always reach for a 1/2-inch router bit. These offer better stability and overall performance than smaller router bits. For fine or slight edge work, a 1/4-inch bit may be preferable.

Handy homeowners and do-it-yourselfers who have spent any time on improvement projects have encountered situations where only a router could “cut it,” literally and figuratively. This carpentry power tool provides a versatility that few other tools offer, good for mortising door hardware, custom-engraving, joinery, and a whole host of other essential functions. While they’re hardly limited to a handful of “cut and dry” categories, the most commonly used router bits are generally used for grooving, joinery, or rounding over edges. However, if you don’t know which router bit types serve which of these purposes, you could be leaving some of your tool’s potential on the table. Read on to discover the 10 router bits every DIYer can benefit from in the course of a woodworking project.

In this first section, we’ll highlight the most useful and common router bits used for grooving.

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.

They’re available in cut diameters ranging from 3/16-inch to 1½ inches and have either one or two ‘flutes’ (cutting arms) depending on how large or fine of a cut you need.

Best For: Making grooves, dados, mortises, and decorative inlays.

Editors’ Choice: The Italian-made Freud straight bit (available on Amazon) is made with a precision-cut hook and shear angle that ensures straight, smooth cuts.

As the name implies, V-groove bits groove out a V-shaped profile in a piece of material, often to produce a decorative effect. V-groove bits can engrave designs in flat surfaces like signs or cabinet faces, create shallow grooves that run the length of a column (a style coined ‘fluting’), or even make ridges in panels to produce a beadboard effect. These bits come in a variety of diameters and V-groove angles that determine the width and depth of the groove. Some bits also have flat bottoms instead of sharp tips that limit the depth of the cut.

Best For: Making signs, fluted columns, and a bead-board appearance on panels.

Editors’ Choice: The V-groove bit from Whiteside (available on Amazon) can make intricate engraving cuts at either a 90- or 60-degree angle.

The next three bits are primarily used for cutting adjoining notches to give two pieces of material strong, durable joints. Each bit doing so in its own unique way.

Rabbeting bits are designed to form an L-shaped shoulder or dado (square groove that runs against the grain) on the edge of a piece of material to form a rabbet joint. This occurs in cabinetry construction to make drawers and cabinet backs as well as to join the tops of cabinets to cabinet sides.

What distinguishes these bits from others (like a straight bit used for rabbeting) is the addition of a circular pilot bearing at the bit’s tip that acts like a spinning wheel riding along the edge of the piece being cut, guiding the cutting arm to the perfect depth. As a result, the width of the cut is determined by the size of the bearing, with a smaller bearing producing a wider cut. The most common sizes of rabbet bits are 1¼ inches and 1⅜ inches, and most bits come with several interchangeable bearings ranging from ⅜-inch to 1⅛ inches.

Best For: Creating rabbet joints to join two pieces of material.

Editors’ Choice: The rabbeting set by YAKAMOZ (available on Amazon) offers a high-quality bit specifically designed to resist kickback and heat, along with six different sized bearings to produce any size rabbet you may need.

Glue joint bits assist joining two pieces of material by creating identical, adjoining tongues on the edge of both pieces. The notched cuts create plenty of surface area for gluing and form a tight-fitting joint that holds the pieces together while they’re being clamped. They’re available in two varieties: standard and mitered. The standard glue joint joins squared edges, while the mitered bit is made with a 45-degree angle to join two mitered edges.

Before you begin using these router bit types, know that they are meant to be used exclusively in a router table. Using glue joint bits in a hand-held router can result in uneven profiles or, worse, injury in the event that it binds up and kicks back on you.

These bits come in sizes ranging from 1⅜ inches to 2¾ inches and can be used on material from ½-inch to 1¼ inches thick.

Best For: Creating two adjoining joints that have a higher surface area for gluing.

Editors’ Choice: The Yoniko reversible glue joint bit (available on Amazon) has a robust ½-inch shank and micro-grain composition giving it superior cutting quality and longevity.

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.

Flush trim bits come in a variety of cutting arm lengths and diameters, but the most common are ½-inch diameter by a 1-inch length with a ¼-inch shank.

Best For: Trimming laminate and replicating patterns from a template.

Editors’ Choice: Freud’s ½-inch flush trim bit (available on Amazon) offers the larger ½-inch shank combined with Freud’s legendary quality to make the smoothest and most intricate of flush cuts.

Router bits are designed to serve three primary functions: To create wood joints, to plunge into the center of a piece for grooves or inlays, and to shape the edges of wood. The remaining five router bit types are all designed for the single purpose of shaping the sharp edges of lumber in different ways and for different purposes.

Not only are rounding-over bits the most commonly used type of edging bit, but they’re also perhaps only second to straight bits in how often they’re employed. They create a rounded profile to ease the sharp, 90-degree edge of a piece of wood. This gives the material a smoother, finished look. The eased edge can also help preserve paint and stain, since these finishes are more prone to chipping off sharp edges. Rounded-over edges are also smoother to the touch and less likely to cause injury to those that come into contact with it.

These bits come in two forms: single and double. Single rounding-overs create their profile on a single edge, producing a quarter-round effect. The double rounding-overs bits cut the bottom and top edge simultaneously, making a full half-round profile.

Best For: Smoothing out sharp edges to preserve a project’s finish and creating a decorative edge.

Editors’ Choice: The ⅛-inch rounding-over bit from Freud (available on Amazon) is computer balanced to reduce vibration and minimize kickback while producing an exceptionally smooth roundover cut.

The chamfer bit is designed to produce a bevel cut on the edge of wood to serve either form or function—or both! The chamfer can provide an attractive edge profile and a professionally finished look on any project with flat edges, like counters and table tops. The beveling power can also be used to make perfect miter cuts on long, bulky, or curved material. Ripping perfectly straight miters on long boards with a table saw free from ugly saw marks or burns can be tricky, but using a chamfer bit in a router table can make exceptionally clean cuts. This is particularly useful when the angle of your miter needs to be spot-on, like when making multi-sided boxes. When you need to chamfer a curved edge, installing the bit onto a hand-held router allows the pilot bearing to seamlessly track the curved shape—a feat no saw can perform.

They come in sizes ranging from ⅛-inch to 2½ inches in diameter with angles between 11.25 and 45 degrees. This wide size and angle range are capable of creating miter joint angles from 22.5 to 90 degrees in material as thick as 1 inch.

Best For: Making decorative edges and joining two pieces of mitered material.

Editors’ Choice: Whiteside’s 7/16-inch chamfer bit (available on Amazon) offers an affordable, high-quality option that is precision-ground to ensure proper balance under high RPMs.

Cove bits produce a concave quarter-circle that’s essentially the inverse profile of the rounding-over shape. As opposed to the rounding-over, the quarter-circle of the cove is an indentation in, instead of an easing of, the 45-degree edge. It’s used for decorative purposes on the edges of window seals, stools, and tables, and can also be used to make moldings. Along with decoration, it can also be used with a complementary rounding-over bit to make adjoining edges for a rule joint—a popular technique for making a folding leaf for a table. Cove bits are available in 5/16-inch and 3/16-inch radiuses.

Best For: Creating a quarter-circle indentation in the edge of a piece for decoration or joinery.

Editors’ Choice: Yoniko’s 5 piece cove set (available on Amazon) offers profiles from ⅛-inch to ½-inch, making it perfect for any project or lumber dimensions.

An “ogee” describes a serpentine S-shape in architecture. Fittingly, the Roman Ogee bit creates a decorative S-shaped profile for molding, furniture, signs, or under any other circumstance when a beautiful S-shape is desired. Ogee bits often incorporate straight edges at the top and bottom of the pattern with a convex curve in between. Both classical and double ogee designs are available, with the latter containing two ogee patterns often separated by a squared transition. Like other edge forming bits, the tips are equipped with a pilot bearing to guide the cutting arms along the outside edge of the material. Bit diameters range from ½-inch to 2½ inch.

Best For: Making decorative S-shaped profiles in the edges of the material.

Editors’ Choice: The double fluted roman ogee bit from JESTUOUS (available on Amazon) is perfect for the DIYer as it preserves professional quality while eliminating the pro-grade price tag.