Yonico 14705 1/2-Inch Height with 6 Bearings Rabbet Router Bit & Bearing Set 1/2-Inch Shank

Product Information

As with all other bits that produce accurate cuts, the rounding bit also includes a bearing guide at the base that is also used to control the depth of cut. Due to this rounding bits also normally include a range of different sized bearings that can be swapped out depending on the depth of cut required. V-bits as with most other decorative cutting bits come in a range of different shapes and angles that can be used to form everything from a deep thin channel to a wide shallow one. To be fair, I've only really used my router for putting nice edges on right-angled pieces of wood, plus my latest attempt at a rabbet. What I would like to do, though, is (realising that I must bite the bullet for building some jig / sled type thing) build myself a crosscut sled so I bought some 18mm plywood last night, and some wood for the runners and some for the fences... I do my work in the garden so if the weather holds out I'll give a crosscut sled for the Bosch GTS 10 J a go later today...

Essentially the shank is the part of the bit that your router collet grips on to so that when the motor is running it allows the bit to rotate and do its work. Generally, router bit shanks are available in two different sizes; 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch. Flush trim bits come in a variety of cutting arm lengths and diameters, but the most common are ½-inch diameter by a 1-inch length with a ¼-inch shank. As the bit is also non-guided e.g. it does not feature a bearing it can also be used to great effect for hollowing out objects. What distinguishes these bits from others (like a straight bit used for rabbeting) is the addition of a circular pilot bearing at the bit’s tip that acts like a spinning wheel riding along the edge of the piece being cut, guiding the cutting arm to the perfect depth. As a result, the width of the cut is determined by the size of the bearing, with a smaller bearing producing a wider cut. The most common sizes of rabbet bits are 1¼ inches and 1⅜ inches, and most bits come with several interchangeable bearings ranging from ⅜-inch to 1⅛ inches. Rabbet cutting router bit and rabbet or shoulder joint cut – Image courtesy of mullerconstructionsupply.com Edge Cutting Router Bits

The worst base for this sort of work is actually the standard fixed base, which has a very small footprint and only takes Makita's own guide bush (which is 9.5 or 10mm from memory, AFAIK no other sizes available). It isn't difficult to make a larger (more stable) sub base from acrylic plastic (Perspex, Lucite, etc) or polycarbonate (Lexan, etc), in any shape you like, such as an egg shape with an offset handle. A better base for your purposes is the plunge base, which can be set up to allow repeatable depth cuts. It is more stable, too, because it has a bigger footprint than the fixed base, and has the advantage of being able to take Porter-Cable guide bushes when used with a commonly available adaptor. That gives you the ability to do template routing with a selection of guide bushes. The plunge base can also be used with the same micro adjustable side fence that is sold for the Makita RP1110 router (and is compatible with other fences from Bosch and DW) Due to the nature of a bearing and it’s very smooth rotation, this helps to avoid the router bit juddering or jumping around, keeping any cuts dead straight and accurate to the surface you are working on. This project should be read in conjunction with our project on how to use a router found here. What are the Different Parts of a Router Bit?

Actually with a side fence and, say, a 20mm 2-flute straight cutter you could do straight rebate - the thing is you'd need to do it in incremental depth passes of 1 to 3mm (assuming in MDF or ply). This is at best tedious, but depending on the base you have in the router it may prove very difficult to get two cuts of the same depth. On its own, the router is useless, but coupled with the correct bit you can create a masterpiece! To these ends here is a run down of the most popular router bits and different shapes or mouldings they cut. Straight Cut Router Bits A lot of timber we buy over here is 19mm, isn't it? How best do we cut a rabbet that's 19mm wide by some depth? I'd have thought a router bit was the way to go.

Rabbet or shoulder joints are a common type of joint used when making furniture, specifically for building drawers and joining together cabinet framework.