When working with wood, router bits are essential for shaping, trimming, and detailing wood. Here are seven must-have router bits and why they are indispensable for various woodworking projects:
Straight bit
Use: Used for cutting straight grooves, dados (channels), and rabbets (edges). It’s versatile and excellent for making joinery cuts.
Why: Straight bits are essential for creating clean cuts, slots, and channels in wood, making them a staple for cabinetmaking, joinery, and furniture building.
Flush trim bit
Use: Used for trimming materials like wood veneers, laminates, or for following patterns to ensure precision duplication.
Why: The guide bearing ensures precise trimming along a template or edge, ideal for projects that require duplicate pieces or edge finishing.
Roundover bit
Use: Used for rounding off sharp edges to give a soft, smooth finish.
Why: It’s essential for adding a professional finish to furniture, cabinets, and edges, making them safer and more comfortable to handle.
Chamfer bit
Use: Used for cutting angled edges, typically at 45 degrees.
Why: Chamfer bits are great for decorative edges, joinery, and easing sharp edges, making them popular for adding visual interest to furniture and cabinetry.
Rabbeting bit
Use: Used to cut a rabbet (a recess or notch) along the edge of a board.
Why: Ideal for joinery work, such as making door panels or cabinet backings where you need to fit pieces of wood together.
Cover bit
Use: Used for cutting a concave, rounded groove or edge.
Why: It’s essential for decorative edging, especially on tabletops, cabinetry, and molding, offering a contrasting look to roundover bits.
V-groove bit
Use: Used for cutting V-shaped grooves, decorative details, or lettering.
Why: Great for sign-making or adding decorative detail to panels, doors, and trim work, giving a sharp, clean aesthetic.
These router bits cover the essential operations needed in woodworking, from joinery to decorative detailing, making them indispensable in any woodworker’s toolkit.