Router Bits

[Jerry Bruette]

Does anyone here touch up their router bits when they might start to get dull?

What do you use? and I assume you do it to the face of the carbide only.

Will it eventually affect the diameter of the bit?

[Mike Henderson]

I have touched up a few router bits with a diamond hone. Technically, any honing is going to reduce the diameter a bit, but the carbide is so hard that you'd have a difficult time making any real impact on the diameter. Maybe if you were using some powered sharpening device but not by hand with a diamond hone.

Mike

[John Kananis]

You only really sharpen the flats (from my understanding) so it doesn't reduce diameter. I've not done it myself.

[Jonathan Jung]

Yes, I do it all the time with these and am very happy every time I do it

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/sharpening/files-and-hones/70638-eze-lap-diamond-paddle-hones

The roundover bits get touched up the most. Also use these to sharpen forstner bits. Just make the same number of strokes per wing and you'll be golden. Usually 15-25 strokes is enough.

[Greg Quenneville]

I would try something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Sharpening-Sharpener-Honeycomb-Surface/dp/B09Y5NYT43/ref=sr_1_44?crid=1EAEMS0JMBGVG&keywords=Diamond%2Bsharpening&qid=1653949227&sprefix=diamond%2Bsharpen%2Caps%2C966&sr=8-44&th=1

I have the thin credit card sized hones. They are too short for easy use. And yes, just the face of the cutter. The reduction in diameter is insignificant…in the micrometer range.

[Mike Henderson]

You only really sharpen the flats (from my understanding) so it doesn't reduce diameter. I've not done it myself.

You're correct that you hone the flat part of the router carbide. The remainder of the carbide is cut to a bevel so as you remove carbide from the back of the bevel, you shorten the cutting edge, which affects the cutting diameter. But the reduction is very, very small.

Mike

[glenn bradley]

What Mike said :). I use DMT Diafold:

https://www.dmtsharp.com/sharpeners/portable-sharpeners/diafold-flat-file.html

And DMT Diafold double sided:

https://www.dmtsharp.com/sharpeners/portable-sharpeners/diafold-double-sided.html

In some cases the tapered tool is easier to use. When a bit's profile allows it I will just run the face down the edge of a diamond 'stone'. I learned to touch up bits when I was using less expensive cutters. First I wasn't scared to try it since the bits were cheap and second, they needed touching up more than better cutters. Now that the skills are in place I do not hesitate to touch up any bit.

[Edward Weber]

You're correct that you hone the flat part of the router carbide. The remainder of the carbide is cut to a bevel so as you remove carbide from the back of the bevel, you shorten the cutting edge, which affects the cutting diameter. But the reduction is very, very small.

Mike

I agree, the only time you'll really get in trouble is with matched sets and even then you have to hone them quite a bit.
Not to get too technical but it's not really sharpening, more of a light honing. Keeping bits clean helps a lot also.

[Andrew More]

FWIW, sometimes the blade is "dull" because it's coated in pine resin, at least if you work with as much pine as I do. I find CMT's Blade and Bit (https://www.amazon.com/CMT-Formula-Blade-Cleaner-bottle/dp/B000BJJY5C/ref=sr_1_1_mod_primary_new?keywords=cmt+cleaner&qid=1653958423&s=hi&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=cmt+clea%2Ctools%2C74&sr=1-1) works really well for cleaning off bits in this condition.