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Homeowners and DIY enthusiasts involved in various renovation tasks often find themselves needing a router to achieve precise cuts, both physically and metaphorically. This versatile power tool stands out among others due to its wide range of applications. Whether you’re cutting sockets for door hardware, engraving designs, or performing intricate joint work, this indispensable device covers all these needs. For optimal performance from your router, investing in top-notch router bits is crucial.
Router bits have three main roles: making wood joints, cutting grooves or inlays from the middle of a piece, and shaping the edges of wooden pieces. Although their applications extend beyond just a few straightforward uses, the typical router bits usually produce grooves, joint work, or rounded edges. If you aren’t aware of what type of router bit accomplishes each task, then you might not fully utilize all your tools can do.
Looking to enhance your woodworking projects? Check out these router bits you might not yet own, which could take your skills to the next level.
Grooving Bits
When you learn
what you should do to operate a router
, you usually begin with one of the most practical and frequently used router bits for grooving, like these two widely favored grooving bits.
1. Straight
Perhaps the most commonly utilized kind of router bit is the straight bit due to its extensive range of uses. Typically employed for creating various square-cut channels, these bits can form grooves parallel to the wood grain—referred to as such technically—or create dados when perpendicular to it. Additionally, they help craft rabbets: L-shaped edges found at the end of wooden pieces.
All these cuts are commonly employed for connecting two sections of material. For instance, the
mortise and tenon joint
is a very popular and sturdy joining technique that can be easily made with a straight bit. (A
plunge router
can also be used to make a mortise and tenon joint.)
Apart from joinery, straight bits can also be utilized for mortising tasks.
door hardware
, or for cutting a groove where a decorative inlay can be placed. These versatile tools can also substitute for more specific bits (like a rabbeting bit, detailed further down), adding to their remarkable adaptability.
These tools come with cutting diameters varying between 3/16 of an inch up to 1½ inches. They feature either single or double “flutes” (cutting edges) based on whether you require a coarse or precise cut.
Best For
: Creating grooves, dado cuts, mortise joints, and decorative inlays.
Our Recommendation
:
The Freud Double FluteStraight Bit is available onAmazonfor$15.24.
Produced in Italy, the Freud straight bit features a precisely milled hook and shear angle designed for clean, even cuts.
2. V-Groove
As suggested by their title, V-groove bits carve out a V-shaped pattern within a material, frequently for aesthetic purposes. These router bits can etch patterns onto smooth planes such as signboards or cabinet fronts, form slender channels along the extent of pillars (“fluting”), or generate raised lines on panel surfaces to achieve distinct effects.
beadboard
These bits are available in different sizes and V-groove angles, which dictate the width and depth of the groove produced. Certain bits feature flat bottoms rather than pointed tips to control the maximum depth of the cut.
Best For
: Making signs, fluted columns, and a beadboard appearance on panels.
Our Recommendation
:
Whiteside V-Groove Router Bit at Amazon for $17.12
The V-groove bit from Whiteside can make intricate engraving cuts at either a 90- or 60-degree angle.
Joinery Bits
Enthusiastic
wood router novices
you can achieve greater utility from your tools by incorporating some additional joinery components into your collection. These
router bits
Are mainly utilized for trimming adjacent slots to provide robust, long-lasting connections between two materials. Every tool forms these joints through distinctive methods.
3. Rabbeting
Rabbeting bits are created to produce an L-shaped ledge or dado (a square groove cut across the direction of the grain) along the edge of a workpiece, enabling the formation of a rabbet joint.
type of wood joint
is utilized in cabinetry for crafting drawer components and backing panels, along with attaching the upper sections of cabinets to their side walls.
The key difference between rabbeting bits and others such as straight bits lies in the inclusion of a circular pilot bearing at the end of the bit. This bearing functions much like a rolling wheel, gliding along the material’s edge to guide the cutting mechanism precisely into place. Consequently, the dimension of the cut depends on the diameter of this bearing; specifically, a larger bearing leads to a broader groove. Typically, the two most prevalent dimensions for these bits are 1¼ inches and 1⅜ inches, and they usually include multiple exchangeable bearings spanning diameters from ⅜ inch up to 1⅛ inches.
Best For
: Forming rabbet joints to connect two sections of material.
Our Recommendation
:
The Yakamoz Shank Rabbet Router Bit available on Amazon for $15.99
The Yakamoz rabbeting set features a premium quality bit that is specially crafted to prevent kickback and excessive heat, accompanied by six bearings of varying sizes.
4. Glue Joint
Dado set bits help in connecting two sections of material by forming corresponding grooves along the edges of each piece. These cutouts offer ample bonding surfaces for adhesive application and create a snug connection that keeps the parts secured during assembly.
clamped
They come in two types: standard and mitered. A standard glue joint connects pieces with square edges, whereas the mitered version features a 45-degree angle for joining two beveled edges together.
Prior to starting with these specific router bits, remember that their intended use is solely within a router table. Utilizing glue joint bits in a hand-held router might lead to inconsistent profiles or, more seriously, injuries if the router gets stuck and jerks backward towards you.
These pieces range in size from 1⅜ inches to 2¾ inches and can be utilized for materials between ½ inch and 1¼ inches thick.
Best For
: Creating two adjoining joints that have a higher surface area for gluing.
Our Recommendation
:
Yonico Reversible Glue Joint Router Bit at Amazon for $22.95
The Yonico reversible glue joint bit features a strong ½-inch shank and a micro-grain construction, offering excellent cutting performance and durability.
5. Flush Trim
Trimming bits are basically straight cutters equipped with a pilot bearing that matches the diameter of their fluting. This guide-bearing located at the end helps control the cutter precisely along the perimeter of a workpiece, enabling flawless removal of excess material until everything is even. These tools find application in tasks like finishing shelves, refining veneers, or aligning joints seamlessly. Additionally, they excel in reproducing intricate curves from templates. While these bits suffice for basic trimming jobs using a hand-held router, mounting them on a stationary router table yields superior outcomes when copying designs from templates.
Trim bits for flush cuts are available in different cutting arm lengths and sizes, yet the most typical ones measure ½ inch in diameter with a 1-inch length and have a ¼-inch shank.
Best For
: Cutting laminate and reproducing designs using a template.
Our Recommendation
:
The Freud Bearing Flush Trim Router Bit available on Amazon for $17.56
Freud’s ½-inch flush trim bit combines the bigger ½-inch shank with Freud’s renowned quality to achieve exceptionally smooth and detailed flush cuts.
6. Rail-and-Stile
Commonly referred to as a cope-and-stick bit, a rail-and-stile router bit set is utilized to construct an interlocking corner joint for a cabinet panel door. These two router bits are intended to function synergistically; the stile bit cuts the groove where the panel sits, whereas the rail bit shapes the stub tenon—a brief tenon that inserts into this narrow channel. Opting for a matched set ensures a precise assembly.
A range of rail-and-stile router bits exists, each crafted for specific kinds of profile joinery. Common styles include Shaker, French Provincial, beveled, ogee, and beading designs. To minimize the quantity of router bits they own, some manufacturers provide a versatile single bit capable of cutting both rails and stiles.
Best For
Attaching the corner joints of a cabinet door panel.
Our Recommendation
:
The Whiteside Shaker Style-and-Rail set is available on Amazon for $116.61.
A pair of carbide-tipped tools is intended for crafting shaker-style door panels on cabinets.
7. Slot Cutting
Should you wish to carve out a path within timber, bore biscuit slots, or embellish your creation with ornamental touches, a slot-cutting router bit could prove indispensable. This tool ensures a smooth, linear incision across various materials and is frequently employed for securing deck planks using a tongue-and-groove connection.
Others utilize the bit for attaching drawer bases, crafting grooves to fix sheets together, and adding aesthetic touches in woodcrafting tasks. Additionally, a slot-cutting router bit can be employed to produce frame-and-panel constructions for cabinet entryways and drawer facades.
Best For
: Designing spaces for connecting decking planks or using biscuit joints.
Our Recommendation
:
The Yonico Slot Cutter Router Bit available on Amazon for $15.95
Made from tungsten carbide, the top-bearing slot cutting router bit creates a ¼-inch-by-¼-inch slot for joining wood.
Edge-Forming Bits
The next five router bit types are all designed for shaping the sharp edges of lumber in different ways and for different purposes.
8. Rounding-Over
Rounding-over bits are not just the most frequently utilized kind of edging bit; they might be second only to straight bits when it comes to usage frequency. These bits produce a smooth curved surface that softens the abrupt, 90-degree edge of wooden pieces, resulting in an enhanced finish appearance. This softened edge helps maintain paint and stains better because such coatings tend to chip easily at sharp corners. Additionally, surfaces with rounded edges feel smoother to the touch and pose a lower risk of causing injuries compared to their sharper counterparts.
These bits are available in two types: single and double. A single rounding-over bit shapes one edge at a time, resulting in a quarter-round appearance. In contrast, a double rounding-over bit works on both the upper and lower edges concurrently, achieving a complete half-round contour.
Best For
: Softening harsh edges to maintain a project’s appearance and adding a decorative border.
Our Recommendation
:
Freud Radius Rounding-Over Bit available on Amazon for $20.90
The ⅛-inch rounding-over bit from Freud has been designed with computer balancing to decrease vibrations and lessen kickback, ensuring an incredibly smooth rounded edge.
9. Chamfer
The chamfer bit is intended to create a beveled cut along the edge of a wooden piece for aesthetic purposes or functionality—or both. This bevel offers an appealing edge design and gives any flat-edged project, such as countertops and others, a polished appearance.
tabletops
. Its beveling ability can also make perfect miter cuts on long, bulky, or curved material. While ripping perfectly straight miters on long boards with a table saw and keeping them free from ugly saw marks or burns can be tricky, a chamfer bit in a router table can make exceptionally clean cuts. This is particularly useful when the angle of your miter needs to be spot-on, like when you’re making multisided boxes. And when you need to chamfer a curved edge, installing the bit onto a
hand-held router
allows the pilot bearing to smoothly track the curved shape—a feat no saw can perform.
Chamfer bits vary in diameter from ⅛ inch up to 2½ inches and can have angle ranges from 11.25 to 45 degrees. With this extensive selection of sizes and angles, these tools are able to produce miter joint angles spanning from 22.5 to 90 degrees for materials up to 1 inch thick.
Best For
Creating decorative borders and attaching two sections of mitered components.
Our Recommendation
:
The Whiteside chamfer router bit available on Amazon for $28.56
Whiteside’s 7/16-inch chamfer bit provides an economical yet premium choice, meticulously crafted for optimal equilibrium when operating at elevated speeds.
10. Cove
Rounded grooves create a concave quarter-circle that is basically the opposite contour of a roundover. Unlike a roundover, where the quarter-circle forms a smooth transition outwards from the edge, this groove creates an inward depression along the side of a wooden element. This design feature serves as decoration on items like window seats, stools, and table edges, and it can also be employed to craft moldings.
This tool can also be paired with a matching roundover bit to create adjacent edges for a rule joint, which is a specific kind of folding joint utilized in drop-leaf tables. Cove bits come in various sizes, typically spanning from a radius of ⅛ inch up to approximately 1 inch.
Best For
: Forming a semicircular groove along the side of a wooden piece for aesthetic purposes or fitting.
Our Recommendation
:
The Yonico Cove set is available on Amazon for $40.95.
Yoniko’s five-piece cove set offers profiles from ⅛ inch to ½ inch, making it perfect for many types of projects and lumber dimensions.
11. Roman Ogee
The Roman ogee bit produces a decorative S-shaped contour—known as an ogee in architectural terms—for moldings, furniture, signage, or whenever a flowing curve is needed. These bits typically include flat sections at the upper and lower parts of the design, featuring a rounded curve in the middle section.
Classical as well as double ogee profiles can be chosen, where the double version includes two ogee shapes typically divided by a square section. Similar to other trimming bits, these tools feature a pilot bearing at the tip to help direct the cut following the outer boundary of the workpiece. The bit sizes vary between ½ inch and 2½ inches in diameter.
Best For
Creating ornamental S-shaped contours along the borders of the material.
Our Recommendation
:
The Freud Classical Roman Ogee Bit available on Amazon for $36.80
The Classic Roman Ogee Bit features a non-stick coating and works well with both hand-held routers and table-mounted ones using a ½-inch shank. It produces a sleek, ornamental edge when working with materials like plywood, composites, hardwoods, and softwoods.
12. Molding
Integration of different edge-shaping profiles allows bit sets to achieve a singular objective: crafting molding. Using molding serves as an excellent method for enhancing aesthetics.
reinvent a room
, and crafting your own moldings provides you with complete control over the final details of your home decor. Although various other router bit styles (such as cove and Roman ogee) can be used for creating edge cuts for molding, molding bits expedite the process and yield outstanding outcomes.
Owning one of these bits opens up endless possibilities: you can create crown molding, baseboards, and window casings with just a single set. The range includes various styles, from classic to modern, making it perfect for tackling any home renovation task.
Best For
: Manufacturing molding.
Our Recommendation
:
The Yonico Molding Router Bit Set is available on Amazon for $80.99.
5
This premium five-piece collection from Yonico includes three case molding bits along with two furniture base bits, offering great versatility.
Specialty Bits
Some router bits are designed for creating specific effects, like making a bowl or freehanding designs on a sign. Here are a few particularly useful specialty bits.
13. Raised Panel
Because they are bigger than many other router bits, raised panel bits are typically used in a router table. They shape the edges of door panels or drawer fronts so they can slot into the frame’s rails and stiles. They’re available in horizontal and vertical versions; the vertical versions can be easier to use but are less versatile than the horizontal.
Based on the desired design, a woodworker might opt for an ogee, cove, or Shaker raised panel router bit alongside the matching stile-and-rail router bit set. This raised panel bit can similarly be utilized for crafting tabletops and moldings.
Best For
: Contouring the borders of doors or drawer faces.
Our Recommendation
:
The Yonico Raised Panel Router Bit available on Amazon for $19.95
The ogee raised panel router bit features a durable tungsten carbide cutting edge and can be used with routers that are mounted on a table.
14. Dish Carving
Often referred to as a bowl bit, this type of router bit is engineered to cut out substantial amounts of material so you can scoop out a wooden block to shape the interior of bowls or trays. It’s equally useful for crafting raised-letter signs, inset designs on gaming tables, or any pattern needing significant indentation. The result leaves behind a sleek, rounded area. These bits come in versions compatible with both hand-held routers and those mounted on tables; additionally, certain models may be suitable for working with materials like plastic laminates.
Best For
: Eliminating substantial quantities of substance to form a smooth, curved inside space.
Our Recommendation
:
The Freud Dish Carving Bit is available on Amazon for $23.52.
Covered with its Perma-Shield Teflon-like coating, the Freud radius dish carving bit smoothly carves out recesses in materials like plywood, hardwood, and softwood.
15. Round Nose
A rounding bit is commonly employed for crafting curved recesses and borders in wooden materials. Craftsmen opt for this type of bit when manually inscribing texts onto signs or producing rounded ornamental features such as flutes along pillars or columns. Additionally, it serves to contour edges, add intricate designs to cabinet faces, and carve trenches into chopping blocks and countertops. Also referred to as core box router bits or bullnose bits, these tools find application in both CNC machinery and manual operations using router tables or hand-held routers.
Best For
: Creating a rounded groove and freehand lettering on signs.
Our Recommendation
:
Whiteside Round Nose Bit at Amazon for $27.92
Crafted using high-quality carbide, this Whiteside round nose router bit is capable of cutting through materials such as wood, engineered wood composites, thin sheets of aluminum, and tough plastics.
The prices provided here are current as of April 23, 2025.
