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Router & Router Bit Terminology Ball Bearing Pilot - Usually located at the top of a bit, bearings (also called pilots) ride along the edge of a work piece.  The ball bearing keeps the cutting edge at a fixed cutting distance from the edge of the wood. They are often used to rout a profile on the edge of a work piece or as a flush trim or pattern bit. Piloted bits do not need a fence or edge guide to steer them. Make sure the ballbearing rotates freely.  A frozen bearing can burn the edge of your workpiece. Base - The part of the router that either supports or holds the router's motor unit. Carbide Tipped - Carbide is an extremely hard material.  It is very resistant to heat and it keeps an edge (stays sharp) longer than High Speed Steel bits.  It is more expensive than high speed steel, and that is why most bits are carbide tipped rather than solid carbide. Solid carbide bits are expensive but can be form into spirals, while a carbide tipped bit can not. Solid carbide is very strong, but also brittle, so it is more likely to break. Collet - In a router, the collet is the sleeve that grips the shank on a router bit.  To install your router bit correctly, the shank should be inserted through the collet but not bottomed out in the spindle.  The shank should be in complete contact with the collet jaws. Depth of Cut - The amount of stock the bit is allowed to cut when either vertically or horizontally controlled with an adjustment or accessory.  Feed Rate - The speed at which the router is advanced.  Fixed Base Router - A router that keeps the bit at one fixed vertical postion throughout the operation.  Flute - A straight or spiral groove behind the cutting edge of a router bit that permits the chips to be expelled from the cut.  Plunge Router - A router which features safe vertical bit movement with the power on.  It is essentially employed at the start and at the completion of the operation. Router Table - Any routing system in which the router is mounted upside down beneath a flat surface (table) so that the bit protudes vertically through the surface. Shank - Your router's collet grips this portion of a router bit during use. Most US router bits have either a 1/4" or 1/2" diameter shank, but larger bits come with only 1/2" shanks for safety reasons. We recommend using 1/2" shank bits whenever possible, as they are more stable and less likely to bend or break. 1" of the shank should always be inside of the router collet. Larger routers are usually supplied with two collets that will allow them to accept either size shank. Smaller routers are limited to 1/4" bits because of their smaller motors.  Socket-Head Cap Screw - This is the fastener that holds the ball bearing in place.  You remove it to replace the ball bearing with a hex key (allen wrench).  Sub Base - A thin piece of smooth plastic attached under the base.  It is the surface of the router that rides on the wood workpiece.

Q: How do I care for my router bits? 
A: 1. Store bits properly. Carbide is easily nicked with careless handling and storing. A good storage system for bits not in use is well worth the effort. An easy storage system is to drill holes in a wood block and place router bits shanks in the holes.
2. Keep the bits clean. Pitch, resin tars and adhesives will accumulate on the bit. The results are increased friction and overheating, and subsequently, additional feeding pressure, placing more strain on your router and you. Clean your bits frequently with appropriate solvent such as lacquer thinner, special wood-pitch removers, mineral spirits or oven cleaner. Be careful with ball bearing guides not to remove the lubricant in the bearing by soaking the bearing in solvent. 
2. Apply a protective surface coating to your bits. Bits may rust if kept in damp or unheated workshops. Apply a coating of light oil, or spray lubricant to all bits periodically. 

Q: What are the manufacturing specifications for Whiteside bits ? 
A:
Technical Specification and Quality Assurance for Bits 
Trace-ability 
Router bits are manufactured in lots and are assigned a "Lot Code". Each step of the manufacturing process from materials acquisition to final inspection, all steps and measurements in-between are recorded and saved in the inspections records for a Lot Code. The Lot Code number is etched on the shank of each bit. 
Design
All router bits are computer designed using state of the art CAD tools. Copies of the CAD drawings for each bit are produced and follow the lot of bits through the factory. 
Accuracy and Consistency 
All  bits are manufactured to and checked against a computer generated drawing. An optical comparator is used to check for accuracy and consistency.
Inspection 
All  bits are inspected after each operation. Each bit is visually inspected, measured with a micrometer and optically checked for accuracy and defects. Measurements are recorded and kept with other information on the bit lot. Carbide Bits are made using C-2 and C-4 micro-grain carbide. The maximum thickness of carbide is used for each router bit. Shape, size, and other design details determine the thickness of carbide used. In  most  cases carbide will not be less then 1/16 of an inch. Certain applications allow carbide up to 2/22 of an inch. Note: The use of maximum thickness carbide allows for longer tool life. 
Tolerances 
Allowed tolerance for straight bits is +/-.005" on the outside diameter.  All  shanks are center-less ground to -.001" to +.000"  to insure that they are perfectly cylindrical. Finish A 600 grit diamond abrasive wheel is used to sharpen all bits. Note: Carbide tipped router bits will cut easier and have a longer life when sharpened to a supper sharp mirror finish with a 600 grit diamond wheel. 

Q:What are the advantages and disadvantages for solid carbide spiral bits?

A:Solid Carbide Spiral Bits are designed much like a drill bit and it makes plunge cuts easily and nicely. The flutes on a spiral bit curve around the body of the bit and help to smooth vibration by spreading the cutting action over a longer edge. A spiral bit cuts forming a continuous chip formation, rather than the chopping action of a straight flute tool. A spiral bit is either up-cut or down-cut. A down-cut bit sends the chips downward and leaves a clean top edge and an up-cut send them up toward the shank and leave a clean exit hole.  On a router table the direction is reversed.  The bad news is solid carbide bits are more expensive. Solid carbide bits are also not available in the large range of sizes that carbide tipped bits are. The cutting diameters are rarely larger than their shanks. Carbide tipped straight bits also come in more cutting lengths. 

A:

A: Make the stile & rail cuts for glass doors using Whiteside's standard stile & rail 2 piece sets. Stagger the cutting edges and "stack" both groovers on the stile bit. Use both bearings (no groover on the rail bit. (see drawing). Now make your cuts just like in normal door construction - but the inside edges of all four pieces with the stile bit. Trim the ends of the rails with the rail bit. Assemble door and insert glass pane. Use clips or corner trim mold on the back side to hold the pane in place.

Q: What bits do I need for a drop leaf table? 

A: To make the drop leaf table joint use a cove bit and a roundover with a 1/2" radius. The material thickness should be 3/4".