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Round Over Bits

8K views 42 replies 18 participants last post by  rooted 
#1 ·
I am looking to purchase a set of Round Over Bits. I have found that I can buy an fairly inexpensive set of 4 for about $30 to $40.

Or I can buy extremely expensive bits that cost about $30 to $40 each.

I am leaning towards a set of 4 as this would be a good entry point for me. I don't see them being used a lot but then again I have never had any so I don't know if they are something that one finds many uses for.

Suggestions?

Also they seem to offer them in both 1/4" shaft and 1/2" shaft. Is there any advantage with either size shaft?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
½'' shank are more stable...
American or Italian made will last long time and are better balanced...
 
#4 ·
I don't see them being used a lot but then again I have never had any so I don't know if they are something that one finds many uses for.
You will definitely find a use for them. The problem I have with sets of router bits is there is always one bit you'll never find a use for....

I use 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" the most. I usually buy them from Magnate.net a la carte Corner Rounding ( Round Over )/Beading Router Bit

If you buy from Magnate, buy a handful of bits at a time due to their shipping cost.

every so often Woodcraft has a good deal on their store brand, so I grab some there as well.
 
#5 ·
You'll never be sorry for buying the best you find and can afford, and certainly stay with 1/2" shanks. Just my opinion of course.

There is some pride in having good tools, I don't know how to put a dollar value on it, but to me it is real, maybe it's just me. I have better tools than I have skills, but as I'm learning, the value of the better tools become more and more evident.

When cost is a factor and often it is, mid range tools will work just fine I'm sure, guess it just depends on the individual. I do agree that going real cheap usually end up being the most expensive as you end up buying higher priced tools when the chaap ones fail you.

I went that route years ago with a couple of cheap routers.

Jerry
 
#6 ·
Russell...can we assume your router is capable of handling 1/2" shanks...? Your profile doesn't show model...
 
#13 ·
Cheap Bits



MLCS router bits are NO GOOD in Hardwood. They dull in one or two cuts in Maple. I have had enough experience with them, so I will NEVER buy MLCS bits again. No amount of warrantee service can fix the quality that does not exist.
 
#10 ·
Buy the best you can afford. I suggest a moderately priced set to get the basic bits and then when you figure out what bits you use the most replace them with single bits of higher quality. My personal preference is the Whiteside bits but as Stick said the American & Italian bits seem to be a better choice. Most of us have a mixture. I stay away from anything made in China.
 
#12 ·
For budget priced bits, I've had good luck with bits from Woodline USA - Router Bits, Woodworking, Woodworking Tools . I don't know where they are made, but they seem to hold up very well. I have never had a problem with their bits, but one set did suffer a broken box from shipping. A phone call, and a replacement box arrived two days later. They aren't the cheapest available, but they are good general use bits that last well. I have many sets. Woodline is in Tennessee, they have a good sized catalog, both printed and online, and you can find their booth at The Woodworking Shows The Woodworking Shows Homepage around the US.
I'm just a customer. I have no connection with them, but I like their products and service. I use Freud, Whiteside, and Sommerfeld when I need higher quality bits.

Charley
 
#16 ·
My thoughts...I find that round overs are one of the most used bits in the arsenal. I use the smaller ones in a trim router (1/4" shank) to break edges and for lighter, smaller, work. If you need to do larger round overs then go with the 1/2" in a larger router. The 1/2" will work in handheld and table mounted units. I'll echo the thoughts above...stick with mid to higher quality bits...American (Whiteside) and Italian (Freud's, et. al.). Stay away from the cheapies...they'll get you hurt and frustrated.
 
#18 ·
Most bits will cut fine out of the package but that is where the similarity ends. 1/4 and 3/8" round over bits see a lot of use; to my way of thinking you should invest in one of the premium brands so they will last. 1/2" shank bits are stronger and will usually have less vibration than 1/4" shank bits but many members have both a trim router and a regular router so 1/4" shank bits might be the best choice. To get better cuts and extended life from your bits keep them clean and sharp. There are many choices in bit cleaning solutions and having tried most of them I prefer Trend's Tool and Bit cleaner. It sells for about $11 and is available from multiple sources on line and in Woodcraft retail stores.

A word about diamond sharpeners: These are the best choice for touching up router bits and they all are built with a steel base that the diamond media is attached to. Some recommend using water as a lubricant but water + steel = rust. You are best off to use a light sharpening oil instead to avoid problems down the road. A white artists eraser works well for cleaning the debris from the sharpener.
 

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#19 ·
I have found all of the comments helpful and I am intending to purchase some American made bits. I have been looking at the Whiteside Machine bits but I am a bit confused as to the terminology.

For instance: Whiteside Bit: 1/4" Shank, 3/16" Radius x 7/8" Diameter x 1/2" Cutting Length - Roundover Bit, Whiteside# 2000

In looking at other bits I did not find all these specifications. I found the shank size and the radius of the bit. But the last two specifications that Whiteside is giving throws me for a loop.

I understand the 1/4" shank
I understand the 3/16" radius
But I don't understand the 7/8" diameter or the 1/2" cutting length

Can one of you educate me? Thanks much.
 
#20 ·
Russell, it is important to know the OD of the bit: this is what tells you how tightly it will cut a corner. If it is used with a guide bushing this helps you figure out the proper offset. You can have a 3/16" radius on a bit that has an OD of 7/8" or it could be 1-1/2" OD.

Why is cutting length important? Lets say you buy two 1/4" straight bits and one may have a cutting length of 1/2" while the other could have a full 1" of cutting depth. A shorter cutting length will cost less because less carbide is used; without going into a lengthy discussion let me sum up by saying you want to use the shortest cutting length that will do the job. For some projects you may require a full 3" cutting length for the best results but you wouldn't want to use a bit like that for most jobs.

Whiteside provides great information to help you figure out exactly what bit you need.
 
#25 ·
You're welcome...good luck...by all means keep the questions coming...lots of folks ready to help...
 
#24 ·
I'm a little late to the party, but I have half inch shank roundovers in 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4, and mostly use the quarter inch. I also have the 1/4 in a quarter inch shank for use in my Colt. Whenever I can, I prefer to use the Colt, it is so light and easily controlled. Most of my small bits are Freud, although I have a couple of specialty bits from MLCS. I have one or two nice ones from Rockler that came with their jigs.

My door sets, slot cutter, T & G bits are all Sommerfeld, which have matched shank lengths so you set the first bit in the set and just drop in the rest (using a grommet in the collet). For cuts that require careful setup, I really like the Easy Set by Sommerfeld, which allows you to set the bit for different stock thicknesses. That company has both Sommerfeld and Freud models of the Easy Set.

BTW, I don't have any affiliation with Mark Sommerfeld other than being a happy customer, although I think he ought to at least send me a toaster. BTW, his Katie Jig comes with the house brand dovetail bit.

I have a Yonoko (spelling?), set for creating picture frame profiles, which I have not used yet. Made 3 business trips in April, then came down sick, so not much shop time last month. I'll get around to using them and will report. Meanwhile, any opinions about the yellow Yonokos?

Mike is right on about a diamond sharpener. I have a medium and a fine sharpener about the width and length of a tongue depressor. A bottle of fine sharpening fluid will last about 100 years.
 
#28 ·
Update on round over bits search. After looking at the Whiteside Bit Set that Woodpecker was offering and then adding their shipping charge ($11.50 for shipping), the overall cost was a bit higher then the Amazon cost which included free shipping. I plan to go with Amazon.
 
#29 ·
Continuing saga of purchasing some router bits
.
After getting the advice and input from many of you I decided on the round over bits that I was going to purchase. I found where I was going to purchase them from and all I had to do was decide to either purchase ¼” or ½” shafts.

Since my Craftsman router came with both ¼” and ½” collets I thought that I would just change out the ¼” collet to the ½” collet and order the ½” shafts. Well it didn’t work out as easy as I thought.

I could not get the ¼” collet screw out. I tried everything except heat (Possibly I should try my heat gun).

So for the last two days I have been trying to get the ¼” collet out of the router. I cannot turn the screw no matter what. I have soaked the screw overnight with some penetrating oil in hopes of it helping. As of yet, no movement and now, being frustrated, I have come up with two options.

Option 1 would be to purchase ¼” shafts and use my existing router. Although I like the idea of being able to have ½” but then again my other current router bits are ¼”. And keep this router for however long I can and keep my overall cost down. I would imagine that at some point I will end up buying a new router but that might be years down the road.

Option 2 would be to purchase a new router and purchase the ½” shafts. Of course this is more expensive initially but would most likely serve me better in the future.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I would imagine that one of you have gone down this road and might be able to share some wisdom.
 
#30 ·
#31 ·
How are you trying to get the collet out? In every one of my routers, the collet nut unscrews and the collet comes out with it. Then I install the other collet and nut by screwing it onto the end of the router shaft...same process, but in reverse. The actual collet stays attached to the nut. I have no screw to take out. What am I missing here?

Charley
 
#32 ·
The collets for my router have a screw that threads into the shaft. I have attached a picture of the 1/2" collet showing the screw in the bottom. I am not sure if all routers are like this (apparently not as you stated that your router just uses the nut to hold the collet in place) as I would think that the nut would hold the collet in firmly without issue but for some reason this router has these screws.
 

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