Router bits for inlay work

[Harry Niemann]

Bot an inlay kit from Sears, including the down spiral bit. First time I used it to cut the inlay from soft cedar, the bit broke. Depth was about 3/16" and was not forcing it and going slow to follow the butterfly pattern. Is this a problem with these bits? Or is sears just a poor quality bit?

[Dewey Torres]

Harry,
With inlay bit never cut more than the bit diameter. That being said I have done this with soft woods and hardwoods and not broken the bit. With cedar you should have been fine unless you were going too fast. These things cut very slow and if you force them they will break. I am guessing the was a 1/8" size. Correct?

[Harry Niemann]

Yes it was a 1/8" bit, I was following the inside of the template, and thot I was going very slow.

[Dewey Torres]

Yes it was a 1/8" bit, I was following the inside of the template, and thot I was going very slow.

In that case you got a bum bit and a company with a great return/replace policy on your side...take it back!

[Lee Schierer]

I think every one breaks the first inlay bit. When I replaced mine, I bought two to make sure I could finish the project. I still have both bits. It is super easy, with a big router to break them. The key is light slow cuts, which is what you figure out after you break one.

[Dewey Torres]

You tell em' Lee!

[george wilson]

Downward spiraling bits do not cut well at their tips,because they spiral the wrong way,and only scrape. They leave a clean edge at the top of the cut so you can follow the line,at the cost of cutting poorly at the tip.The chips have nowhere to go at the bottom of the cut. You need to cut shallower than usual. Was the bit carbide? Those are very brittle,but cut longer than HSS.

[Paul Steiner]

Those bits are easy to break, in college we had a cnc machine that would break them all the time. I bought an inlay kit from woodcraft and I am happy with the bit. I have cut as deep as 1/4", but I would not recommend it. Check your router speed also.