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Threw $300 at a cheap CNC bit set and regretted every cut
I picked up a 20-piece router bit set off Amazon for 80 bucks... thought I was saving money. First dozen cabinet doors in, the bits started chipping and burning the maple. Ended up replacing every single bit with Whiteside within a month, so that original cost was basically thrown in the trash. Has anyone else learned the hard way that you just can't skimp on router bits for face frames?
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patricia324mo ago
Bought a 24 piece set on sale for 60 bucks thinking I was being smart. By the time I finished my kitchen cabinets, half of them were chipped or had burnt edges on the maple. Switched to Freud and Whiteside after that and never looked back. The cheap ones just don't hold an edge well enough for hardwoods, plain and simple. Did you keep any of the bits for rough work or throw them all away?
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wright.leo4mo ago
Kept a few for rough stuff like cutting through old paint or pine you don't care about. The cheap bits dull fast though, and they'll burn on hard maple every time. Freud and Whiteside are definitely worth the extra cash.
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wader714mo ago
Patricia, I felt that about the 24 piece set. I bought a similar one a couple years back and by the time I was done with a maple desk top, I had burned edges on half the cuts and a couple bits just snapped clean off. For rough stuff like framing lumber or old pine I still use them, but I keep my Freud bits for anything that matters. It's a shame how much money we waste learning that lesson.
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