Cabinet Door Router Bit Set

[Tom Saurer]

I'm in the market for a cabinet door router bit set. What brands should I be looking at and which ones should I stay away from?

For background...I don't plan on making a lot of doors, maybe 10 total a year. With that being said, I would like to avoid spending major money for a set, but I would like to buy a quality set and will spend the money necessary to get a good set.

[Michael McCoy]

I haven't looked recently but Amazon had some decent buys on Whiteside bits. Whiteside can also be bought at Holbren dot com with a Sawmill Creek discount. I was going to recommend the Freud 5 piece set that I picked up awhile back as I realllly like them but the price is considerably higher than what I paid.

[Eric Haycraft]

You can't really go wrong with Whiteside, CMT, Freud, or Infinity. Take your pick. As for what to avoid..anything that is low in cost. You want micrograin carbide and a reputable brand such as the ones I just mentioned.

[Anthony Anderson]

Amazon has 25% off Freud router bits right now. You can get a raised panel set, which includes a raised panel bit and the stile and rail set, for $120 after discount and w/free shipping. I like the sets with a backcutter. IIRC, I have four different sets of the Freud 2+2 raised panel kits, and they cut like a hot knife through butter. You would be very happy with these. I haven't bought the kits with the glue-up router bit, I just line up the edges when gluing. Make sure to use good parallel clamps (Bessey, Jet, or G-S). If you do get a edge glue-up bit, keep in mind that you have to keep constant and consistent pressure when feeding the wood past the edge bit through the router. I haven't had any problems just edge gluing.

[jason lambert]

I vote for CMT first then Freud and Amarda is not bad but never used there raise panel bits. I don't really buy anything else, as stated above stay away from anything cheap they have almost killed me several times in the past big router bits you don't want to mess with.

[Anthony Anderson]

CMT is also a quality set that I have experience with. One thing I want to mention, the profile on the CMT rail and stile bits are larger than the Freud. I personally like the smaller, and less imposing, profiles on the Freud bits. But that is just personal choice, the quality of the CMT bits are also top notch.

[Tom Saurer]

Thanks for the quick responses.

[Harry Hagan]

How do you get the Sawmill Creek discount at Holbren? How much is the discount?

[Joe Chritz]

MLCS has been decent bits for me. I haven't produced 100's of doors with them but 20-25 here and there and they seemed to do fine.

Now I use MLCS shaper cutters or Katana cutters (upgrade of theirs) and they work as well.

FWIW, I would just get a stile/rail matched set (I have reversible ones and don't care for them as much) and a raised panel cutter. You can then buy whatever edge profile you want if any. A cove raised panel cutter and an ogee raised panel bit will do 99% of the panels you need to do.

Joe

[Steve Clardy]

I'm a Whiteside fan for long term bits like rail and stile.
Something I use frequently.

[Ken Garlock]

I bought my rail & style bits and my panel raising bits at Eagle America. They are easy to deal with. I have made over 20 raised panel doors and the bits just keep cutting. It is interesting that they look a lot like Whiteside, same plastic package with only the name changed. Hum?

[Peter Quinn]

I'd stay away from Freud if you want different door thickness. I seem to recall one bit set did 3/4", another 7/8" and so on. Amana and Whiteside are two top notch cutters that can be configured for different thickness doors on different projects, and easily shimmed for precision after sharpening.

I have had good results with Freud panel raisers and really like shaper cutters for doors from Infinity, though I have not used their router bits. Am planning to try some Eagle America bits next as they get high ratings and offer good pricing.