Pro tip: I tried a 3/4 inch roundover bit on a maple edge and it chattered like crazy

I was working on a bar top and figured a bigger bit would give a smoother curve, but it just vibrated and left a rough finish. I switched to a 1/2 inch bit and took two lighter passes instead, and the result was perfect. Anyone have a favorite bit brand for hardwoods that cuts clean?

3 comments

3 Comments

west.anna18d ago

Honestly, one deep pass with a sharp Freud bit beats @the_max's two-pass method every time.

the_max21d ago

Yeah, that chatter is the worst... I've had good luck with Whiteside bits on maple and oak. Their shear angles seem to handle hardwoods without that awful vibration. The two pass method is key though, even with a good bit. Trying to take off too much material in one go is just asking for trouble on a dense wood.

gibson.holly21d ago

My router once chattered so bad I thought I'd summoned a woodpecker. I'm with the_max on the two pass method, it's the only way my old router doesn't try to walk off the bench. I've burned through a few cheap bits on oak before learning that lesson.