# Is my bit dull?



## tpyke (Nov 11, 2007)

With my chainsaw, when the chain starts to get dull not only does it cut through wood slower, but it makes more sawdust than chips. When it getsa really dull it's only sawdust.
Yesterday I was making 12 8 foot long mouldings and near the 10th moulding I noticed that I had almost 100% sawdust coming from the router. The cuts were still clean though....
Another thing I noticed, and this from the very first moulding....when I fed the material (3/4"X3/4" pine) "too fast" it would make a horrible noise as though there were nuts and bolts spinning in there with my router bit! This bit is an inexpensive 1 3/8" total diameter roman ogee bit. Meanwhile with my 2 3/4" Freud raised panel bit I cut through cherry wood like there's nothing to it!

Am I looking at a dull bit here? It's odd though that the cuts were still clean in the end though, even if it is dull....


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Some times when using a router bit with pine check to see if it is the pine pitch so clean your bit sometimes you can get build up on the bit. It happen to me making molding for my living room. Clean it with some blade cleaner or oven cleaner and then lube your bearing with some wd-40 to makes sure you clean out bearing after cleaning the bit. Try that if there is no improvement get a new bit.


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## tpyke (Nov 11, 2007)

Good advise!
They make a cleaner especially for router bits? Any idea what it's made from-anything I have on hand that could do the job?
When I use to skateboard, we use to clean our bearings with WD40 (especially after having been out in the rain) and then lubricate them with grease. Would WD40 be good to clean the router bit as well?
I have 3 kinds of spray lubes on hand....white grease, silicone and Teflon...would any of these be a good choice for router bearings?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

JUst my 2 cents on WD40...

It's a great cleaner but a not a great lub for router bits or BEARINGS...
I'm not sure what's in WD40 and they won't tell ..but I'm sure a petroleum base product...because the aerosol will evaporate in a very short time and will leave the lub in place BUT it's VERY,Very thin lub.

They make bearing lub and cleaner for router bits and it's best to use the right item on router bits...

It's like gas ,it will get into the bearing seal and brake down the fac.lub they came with and it almost impossable to get back in the sealed bearing...

Here's a quick way to test WD40 out..

Pull a new bit out with a bearing on it, turn the bearing it should turn free but not to free,,, now pull a used bit out with a bearing on it, turn the bearing , the bearing will be much freer now clean the bit and the bearing with the WD40 ,,, now turn the bearing, the bearing will almost spin on it's own ,,, what you have done is changed the then lub in the bearing down to almost zero,that's to say you have put WD40 in for the bearing lub..
The bearing will fail in short order because you have removed the fac.lub. that's why they sell bearing replacement because they do lock up and wear out and the end user cleans them with produtcs like WD40...

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tpyke said:


> Good advise!
> They make a cleaner especially for router bits? Any idea what it's made from-anything I have on hand that could do the job?
> When I use to skateboard, we use to clean our bearings with WD40 (especially after having been out in the rain) and then lubricate them with grease. Would WD40 be good to clean the router bit as well?
> I have 3 kinds of spray lubes on hand....white grease, silicone and Teflon...would any of these be a good choice for router bearings?


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

I'll use WD40 as a cleaner but if there are bearings on the bit, I remove them. WD40 is more of a "detergent" than a lube.

Try these:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/RD-90-Spray-Lubricant/H7468
http://www.grizzly.com/outlet/Citrus-Degreaser/G7895
http://www.grizzly.com/outlet/Bit-Lubricant/G8819

Teflon should be the longer lasting lube.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Normally a dull cutter will cause burning.


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