Most commonly used router bits?

[Jim Dwight]

I usually buy MLCS woodworking bits. They are relatively inexpensive but work well for most things. They have sets.

My current project (a bed) requires a 45 degree chamfer bit. I have them in 1/2 and 1/4 shank. Most of the cuts were small so I used the little one in my Colt. A 1/8 roundover is a nice way to break corners. 1/4 and 1/2 roundovers are more for decorative edges. Straight bits are useful and ones with bottom cutters can cut mortises. I would get 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2. A roman ogee bit is another frequently used edge shaper. I also have several sets for cope and stick cutting on doors and panel raising. But I would wait and get those sort of bits when you have a specific project.

1/2 bits for anything that cuts out much wood in one pass. 1/4 shank bits will slip on a hard cut and move. A good collet helps but there isn't much area on the little 1/4 shank bits. Best not to push them very hard.

If you find a set with a lot of these bits, nothing wrong with getting it. But MLCS service is quick and they don't charge for shipping.

[John Goodin]

For me, four bits get 90 percent of the use. A round over, a straight spiral bit and two pattern bits, one with a bearing on top and one with a bearing on the bottom. For heavy use bits it makes sense to buy quality and 1/2 shank when possible. Skip the urge for a locking miter bit. They are great in theory but have a way of making people blurt long series of four letter words.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I usually buy Whiteside 1/2 shank.

The bits I seem to go to most are straight, 1/4 and 3/4. I did buy a 4 piece Rockler set and that include these sizes and they hav lasted well.

The other set I use quite a lot are a Whiteside set for cutting dado's the width for common plywood.

May other favorite is a Whiteside UDC9112 Ultimate flush Trim Bit, it's expensive, but is wonderful to use for creating corners.

I also use various 1/4 round bits with bearings. These i think are worth buying in a set.

[Greg Hines, MD]

Every few months Woodcraft used to offer their bits for like $5 apiece. Straight bits in 1/2" and 1/4", flush trim, pattern, a couple of round overs and cove, rabbetting, and an ogee. I forget the others. Maybe a slot cutter. But those will usually do most of your work for you.

That said, I do have several solid carbide spiral bits that I use for most of my plunge routing.

Doc

[Yonak Hawkins]

75% of my router usage is with round-over bits, especially a 1/16"r and 1/8"r. I have, also, been using cove bits more and more lately. Oh .. seeing my avatar image reminds me of the one job I do that requires a 1/4"r round-over on both sides of 1/2" panels.

[Andrew Seemann]

It depends on what you do. I inherited a lot of sets of things from my dad that had only one item used in the set (router bits, hole saws, odd drill sets). Since I have gotten them though in the last two years, I have used several of the things in the sets. For him, sets were a waste of money, for me less so.

I use roundover bits, chamfer bits, and a drawer joint bit the most with pattern, straight, and profile bits being used less. I doubt there is a set offered with only the bits I use. I did get all those Woodcraft $5 router bits when I lived near them. I haven't used them all, but every once in a while, I do break out an unused bit for something.

Going with 1/2" bits where ever you can is a good idea though. Those 1/4" ones are fragile, especially after you are used to 1/2" ones.

[Frederick Skelly]

I agree with buy as you need them. I only use my tailed router for shaping the edge of tables, etc. So the ones I personally use most are roundover and ogee. If you are going to use it for dados and other joinery, you need other types/shapes (that I can't speak to). As for brands, my new "thing" is the Freud Quadricuts - beautiful edges even on maple. Whiteside has an excellent rep but I haven't tried them. I also have some Infinity.

Fred

[Mike Ontko]

"Most used" is honestly going to be different for most folks because everyone uses their routers a little different.

I'm just a small garage shop hobby guy, and I only have three routers that I use for shop work, A PC690 for hand work, a Bosch 1617EVS that sits in my benchtop router table, and a Rigid R2401 compact trim router. My main bits for the trim router are either a 1/4" roundover (currently a Freud) or a chamfer (currently a Grizzly) that I use for knocking down sharp edges. In the PC690 I most frequently use straight cutting bits, either for making dadoes and grooves or used with a guide bearing or guide bushing for pattern cutting. Come to think of it, I also use spiral up-cutting bits quite a bit (hard to avoid this pun) for making mortises. The router in the table doesn't get as much use as the other two, and so far hasn't run the same bit or bit set more than once, but includes: a lock miter set from Infinity and a solid edge-banding set also from Infinity.

Echoing other responses here, I have a Rockler straight bit set that I bought for dadoes and grooves, but so far have only used one or two of those bits. So I wouldn't recommend purchasing bit sets like this unless you expect to make use of all or at least most of the bits that come in that set.

[Mike Ontko]

Skip the urge for a locking miter bit. They are great in theory but have a way of making people blurt long series of four letter words.

+1 here!! I learned the hard way (after spending money for a good lock miter bit set), that you can create a decent lock miter joint on the table saw. If you do opt to use them though, you can make the initial cuts on the table saw and then refine them using the bit set.

[Michael Costa]

Thanks guys. A la carte it is!!

[Bob Vaughan]

75% of my router usage is with round-over bits, especially a 1/6"r and 1/8"r..

Same here. Those little round over bits get used to ease the edge of something that will come in contact with the hands. It also makes for a better surface for finish adhesion.

[lowell holmes]

Actually, you need to go to your favorite purveyor of wood working tools and browse. You probably will find something you have to have.

[Jim Morgan]

Same here. Those little round over bits get used to ease the edge of something that will come in contact with the hands. It also makes for a better surface for finish adhesion.

Lee Valley makes a little set of corner-rounding tools http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...30,41182,41200 With a bit of polishing, these work great - zero setup time, quiet, shavings rather than sawdust. Not normally a Neanderthal, but these really do the job.

[Rick Potter]

I will go against the tide. Buy a small, inexpensive set from Woodline or MLCS. Then buy good versions of the ones you use most. You may find your usage is different from what you think it will be.

[Van Huskey]

Back in 2006 FWW did an article on the 10 essential router bits and honestly I can say that all of them get fairly common use in my shop either the exact bit or variations of them.

• 1⁄4-in. straight bit • 1⁄2-in. straight bit • 3⁄8-in. spiral-fluted straight bit • Rabbeting bit with four bearings • 1⁄2-in. dovetail bit • 1⁄4-in. roundover bit • 3⁄8-in.-radius cove bit • 45° chamfer bit • Three-wing slot cutter • 1⁄2-in. flush-trimming bit

Whiteside supplies these in a set and if there is a set I would recommend it would be this one. I, like most, wouldn't recommend the big "cheap" sets but I think most woodworkers would get their moneys worth out of this set and it ensures you have the bits at hand to handle most router situations.