Which Router bit for mortises?

[dennis thompson]

I need to cut some 1/2" wide by 1" deep mortises in white oak, can someone suggest what brand & type router bit to use?
Thanks
Dennis

[Stephen Edwards]

I need to cut some 1/2" wide by 1" deep mortises in white oak, can someone suggest what brand & type router bit to use?
Thanks
Dennis

I would look at the solid carbide spiral bits from MLCS. They have both upcut and downcut. They're on my list of bits to get on the recommendation of a highly skilled woodworker friend who has used them a lot.

[Robert Fordham]

Since you will be plunging - get the spiral up cut - which moves the chips up and out the hole.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on spiral upcut but, my MLCS went south pretty quick. The Whiteside at a little more money is still going strong. Holbren gives a discount to SMC folks.

[Paul Steiner]

+1 on spiral bit

[Prashun Patel]

+1 for upcut spiral bit.

Remember when routing mortises - the narrower the bit, the less chiseling you have to do, but the wider the bit, the less chance of breaking.

[Frank Drew]

Dennis,

I'll add to the chorus in favor of two-flute up-cut spiral bits; HSS used to be quite inexpensive in comparison to carbide so you might try both to see which is more cost effective for you.

Don't try to hog out the whole mortise in one pass; if you're using a plunge router you can plunge the ends of the mortises to full depth then waste the middle in progressively deeper back and forth 1/4" passes. And even with an up-cut bit, having an air hose handy to blow out the chips every couple of passes is very useful.

[Curt Harms]

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2009/Main/619. Toward the bottom of the pages are TiN and HSS end mills if you want to experiment a little without spending too much. I don't know much about carbide but I think the C2 is not as hard as C4 but also not as brittle thus not as prone to fracture. Am I nuts (again)?

[Prashun Patel]

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2009/Main/619. Toward the bottom of the pages are TiN and HSS end mills if you want to experiment a little without spending too much. I don't know much about carbide but I think the C2 is not as hard as C4 but also not as brittle thus not as prone to fracture. Am I nuts (again)?


These don't look like router bits. The shanks are too thick. Am I wrong?

[Greg Hines, MD]

I have several Whiteside spiral bits, and they do an admirable job of cleaning out mortises.

Doc

[Peter Quinn]

For 1" deep, 1/2" mortises, I think pretty much any decenttwo flute 1/2" plunge bit will do it. Freud, amana, whiteside, cmt, infinity, etc. Heck, those green bits from woodcraft will do the job. You said "some" mortises, so you don't need to spend on the solid carbide spiral upcut if you don't want to, a regular two flute carbide plunge bit will do a fine job.

If you said "A butt load of mortise", or "really deep mortises", or "I like to make arts and crafts furniture so I will be making lots of mortises for a long time" I would say only solid carbide spiral upcut will do. For these I like onsrud, whiteside and Freud in that order. And get the shortest bit that will do the job, longer bits will chatter more. They make these in a lot of different shank lengths, no need to go longer than you need it. Of course if you want to use it for a lot of things and don't want to buy lots of different spirals you may want to get the longest one you are likely to use regularly?