Freud Router bit issue.

[Bill Wyko]

For the last couple nights I was attempting to make some wood hinges. I've done this many times so shouldn't have been an issue. The first night, they were too tight and wouldn't go together. I messed with them for a while and decided to make new ones tonight. Same thing happened so I decided to mic the bit. It is a full 1/32" short of 3/8" This causes the hinge to be too tight.
I'm concerned about QC. Can't figure how it made it on the shelf. I e-mailed them. I'll get back when I get a reply. Pretty sure Woodworkers will swap it too.

[glenn bradley]

I have had this happen twice with two different makers, neither one Freud. Both replaced the bits; one asked for it back to trace the problem, one said keep it if I wanted a beater or toss it. You'll have no trouble with Freud I wouldn't imagine.

[Joe Chritz]

If it is exactly 1/32" short I would say the QC problem was in the packaging.

I am sure at some point they produced 11/32" bits for some run or another.

I doubt you will have any problem with customer service. Every company will slip a dud out occasionally. How they handle the occasional is the real key.

Joe

[Van Huskey]

I am sure you will get taken care of and I have a feeling Joe may be right, thats a LOT to be out on that bit and 1/32 exactly seems a little too perfect.

I have never had this issue with a router bit BUT it got me to thinking how many bits I could have that are 1/32" out and I would never know it. Dovetails, some of the straight bits, bullnoses (when used for hinges like this) and paired bits among a few others your would notice but the majority of my bits I would never even realize they were out of spec.

[Bill Wyko]

I talked to someone at Freud. The excuse I was given is that they are made over seas. (Not an excuse in my book) I was told to take it back for an exchange or I could get an RA# to return it directly. There didn't seem to be much concern about the issue what so ever. I guess I'll have to measure ther bits for accuracy since they obviously don't.:cool:

[Van Huskey]

The excuse I was given is that they are made over seas. (Not an excuse in my book) .:cool:


Well duh, it is made in ITALY not the backwaters of China!!! Are they trying to say it is metric??? Saying tooling is made in Italy is like saying its made in the US or Germany not an excuse for QC issues!!!

I thought I might have that bit but my 3/8 bullnose is a Whiteside, I do have a new Frued Industrial 1" bullnose (they call it half round) so the 1/2" diameter miced out at .496 =/- a thou, on both cutters.

[Bill Wyko]

Took it back to Woodworkers Source. They have the best customer service anywhere period. They offered to exchange it no problem. Except the fact that ALL their bits were undersized. I had to go to a different bit entirely. Hate to say it but I may have to look at a different brand in the future.

[Van Huskey]

Took it back to Woodworkers Source. They have the best customer service anywhere period. They offered to exchange it no problem. Except the fact that ALL their bits were undersized. I had to go to a different bit entirely. Hate to say it but I may have to look at a different brand in the future.

Although, I have never had an issue with a single Freud Industrial bit (I have maybe 50 of them) when I buy a new bit it is Whiteside UNLESS Freud has a quadra-cut in the profile or it is an availability issue.

[Bill Wyko]

I've never had an issue either, that's why I'm so surprised. I think I have well over 200 router bits and 16 routers. Never have come across this. Because I've used them for so long I'll give them another chance, but I'll be checking every bit I purchase for accuracy. This cost me 2 evenings of work. No one will refund that unfortunately.

[Jeff Mohr]

This cost me 2 evenings of work. No one will refund that unfortunately.

Tie it to BP somehow and you may get a check in the mail after all.....:rolleyes:

[Frederick Gross]

The local woodworking store in town had all the Freud bits on clearance a few months back (30% off and more) and were switching their inventory over to CMT.

I asked one of the employees about it and he said it had to do with "quality issues" the were seeing in the Freud bits.

[David Cefai]

Strangely, neither 3/8" nor 11/32" seem to be a standard metric size. They are 9.525 amd 8.73mm respectively. Ok the 3/8" is pretty close to 9.5mm but the other one is way out for 8.5.

I don't know how relevant this is but I have been told that Freud had sold their existing factories to Bosch so maybe they are now contracting out or starting up new ones.

[Bill Wyko]

Got an e-mail back. He asked what I was using to measure it. (Obviously a micrometer that measures better that theirs):D He didn't seem to believe me. Myself and the manager at WWS measured everything on the rack. They were all 11/32. He pulled them off the shelf and is sending them back. I'm guessing it was a bad lot.