Best Roundover Bit? I've A-B'd Freud's Quadracut/Whitesides 2008A Anyone else agree?

[Nick Sorenson]

I have just done a comparison on two brands (Whiteside and Freud).

I only tried the Freud because I wasn't completely happy with the Whiteside (lots of tearout on end grain in Alder). Of course I'm giving a roundover bit the worst chance it could have on the edge of a solidbody Stratocaster type guitar. So it's running past all sorts of end grain. And the wood type is Alder which probably doesn't help matters.

But I noticed right away that I didn't get ANY tearout with the Freud Quadracut.

Could I have just gotten a bad Whiteside bit? Seems like the Whiteside brand is usually pretty highly spoken of. Their customer service is tremendous. I'm surprised that the cut quality of this roundover had so much tearout.

Anyways, just checking out other's opinions. Thanks!
Nick

Also, thanks to the guy who suggested the Quadracut in my last thread.

Here's a good read. Obviously it's on Whiteside's site but it seems like a good test they did:
http://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/ToolTestRouterBits.pdf

But all I know is that clearly the Whiteside roundover tore out and the Freud Quadra didn't. I only had one Whiteside roundover. I guess I could have gotten a bad bit maybe?

[dan sherman]

The quadracut should do better, because it has twice as many cutters, 4 vs 2, and thus its shavings are half as thick. in metal working they call it chip load, and a smaller chip load "usually" yields a better finish.

[Nick Sorenson]

The quadracut should do better, because it has twice as many cutters, 4 vs 2, and thus its shavings are half as thick. in metal working they call it chip load, and a smaller chip load "usually" yields a better finish.

That would make sense but if you look close at Freud's Quadra, the roundover portion of the bit only has 2 cutters. The beading portion is where there are 4. I'm only using the roundover so it's a fair battle 2 vs. 2.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Images/products/828713.jpg?rand=670353732

[Nick Sorenson]

Has anyone tried the Eagle Roundover bit?

[Anthony Anderson]

I have a couple of the Freud Quadra Cut bits, and they are really nice. No tearout, and no fuzz. Just a nice clean, smooth cut.

[dan sherman]

how does the cutter angle (relative to the shaft), compare between the two bits?

By comparing these two pics, it looks like the Whiteside bit is parallel to the shaft, while the Freud is canted. If this is the case, the better finish would make sence, because the Freud bit would produce more of a shearing action (Kind of like skewing a plane).

http://www.woodcraft.com/Images/products/828713.jpg?rand=670353732
http://www.woodcraft.com/Images/products/24C22.jpg?rand=429235827

[Rick Fisher]

Funny, I am re-stocking all my router bits right now.. I have snapped 2 x 1/4" bits in the last few weeks, and decided all table bits will be 1/2" from here on in..

All the bits I am buying are Freud, and I just ordered a bunch of quadra cut bits .. . After reading that, I am glad..

I am in the building supply business, we sell Freud bits.. so naturally I chose Freud..

[Peter Quinn]

I have a few larger quadra cut bits I use for table edges. They are basically small raised panel bits I guess? Anyway, they have a good shear angle, and the two extra cutters are not full profile cutters but hoggers that decrease the chip load on the deepest or most difficult part of the cut. They work quite well.

With the bit in the picks it looks like the hoggers are not touching any wood when used as edge rounding only, but you still have a pretty steep shear angle working in your favor, and possibly a greater diameter to create the second flat when used as a beading bit?

[Nick Sorenson]

I have a few larger quadra cut bits I use for table edges. They are basically small raised panel bits I guess? Anyway, they have a good shear angle, and the two extra cutters are not full profile cutters but hoggers that decrease the chip load on the deepest or most difficult part of the cut. They work quite well.

With the bit in the picks it looks like the hoggers are not touching any wood when used as edge rounding only, but you still have a pretty steep shear angle working in your favor, and possibly a greater diameter to create the second flat when used as a beading bit?

Also, the metal mass of the bit I got (Actually bought the wrong bit-I got their actual beading bit with a smaller diameter bearing than the top of the router bit, It was a 5/8" bearing and the top of the bit is 3/4"-I've since ordered a 3/4" bearing so I don't have a beading on the edges of my guitar roundover). But back to what I was saying... there's a LOT more metal mass which could act as more of a heatsink possibly.

[Mike Shields]

What if you were to throw Rockler's carbide bits into the mix?

Hmm?

[scott spencer]

I've never done the comparison Nick, but I'm surprised by the poor showing of that Whiteside bit....for the price, I'd definitely return/exchange it. I'm not surprised that the quadracut technology worked well on the Freud...makes sense.

If you do exchange the WS, I'd be curious how it goes if you compare again.

[Ed Labadie]

I don't think theres a "normal" bit made that will hold up to the Freud Quadracut design.
I've ran Freud raised panel cutters on my shaper in both designs (other brands as well).....Q-cut is superior, hands down.

Ed

[Nick Sorenson]

I've never done the comparison Nick, but I'm surprised by the poor showing of that Whiteside bit....for the price, I'd definitely return/exchange it. I'm not surprised that the quadracut technology worked well on the Freud...makes sense.

If you do exchange the WS, I'd be curious how it goes if you compare again.

I may have gotten a bad Whiteside bit. I need to try another one.


I don't think theres a "normal" bit made that will hold up to the Freud Quadracut design.
I've ran Freud raised panel cutters on my shaper in both designs (other brands as well).....Q-cut is superior, hands down.

Ed

We'll see how well the Q-cut fairs as time goes on. I'd like to try a few other roundovers as well. I'm giving them a tough testing since it's rounding the edge of guitar bodies (lots of end grain to tear out as it outlines the body edge).

I have the beading bit (added a 3/4" bearing and turned it into a roundover). I do notice that it's a bit bouncy (chatter). I should try the actual roundover. I ordered the Q-cut beading by accident and it was cheaper to get a 3/4" bearing than to order the right bit. It does fine as far as cut quality just a little hard to keep the workpiece to the bit (on a router table).

[Stephen Edwards]

I haven't yet tried the Freud quadra cut bits so I can't comment on them. But, my Whiteside round over is by far the best round over bit that I've used thus far.

I'm slowly building my arsenal of Whiteside bits, having started with solid carbide spiral up cuts and down cuts in various diameters, as well as 1 top and bottom bearing flush trim pattern bit.

Thanks for the heads up on the results of your test.

[Harry Hagan]

Has anyone tried the Eagle Roundover bit?

A couple of years ago, when I was looking for a bit that Eagle didn’t have, Eagle Customer Service directed me to Whiteside stating that Whiteside made most of Eagle’s bits. That was confirmed by Whiteside.

[scott spencer]

A couple of years ago, when I was looking for a bit that Eagle didn’t have, Eagle Customer Service directed me to Whiteside stating that Whiteside made most of Eagle’s bits. That was confirmed by Whiteside.

I've read that a couple of different times too. FWW's last router bit comparison rated the EA bits as highly as the Whiteside bits.

[Stephen Edwards]

A couple of years ago, when I was looking for a bit that Eagle didn’t have, Eagle Customer Service directed me to Whiteside stating that Whiteside made most of Eagle’s bits. That was confirmed by Whiteside.

That's an interesting little factoid to know about. Thanks for the info!