# Whiteside Template Bit on Melamine



## senebraskaee (Apr 29, 2012)

Recently purchased a Whiteside WS3000 1/2" template bit to use with a dado jig to route 3/4" wide by 1/4" deep dadoes in melamine coated particle board shelving (from Menard's). Did this in one passe, up one side and down the other on the jig using full speed on my Porter Cable 690. The bit cut like a champ for the first 6 or 7. Then, it started tearing the melamine and the bit showed a deep wear groove at the exact point on the bit where it cuts the melamine. I could not change the depth of the dado so was kind of stuck on what to do.
I had only cut about 50" of dado before the bit got spot-dull.
Is this normal wear for light duty service on what I perceive is a premium bit? Anything I should do differently?


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

That is a good question; clearly you're tuned into your machines.
Might be a micro-inspection (10x lens) will show a chip.
Maybe track back where the wear begins and inspect the pathway, see if there is any shrapnel in the groove. WMC cutters are not for cuttting metal intentionally or not.
If the substrate the melamine was painted on is particle board you mave have hit some steel scrap.

That would booger the carbide. The carbide could have chipped spontaneously too, a fragile stress riser e.g.
I have definitely seen cutters, all sorts, start quick and clean and dull up in no time, minutes.
So it's not straight forward. I do think, however, that 3/4 x 1/4 is way too much waste for any kitchen router & a cutter with only a 1/4" shank. 
So what to do? Use 1/2" shanked solid carbide and a cutter with a CD never <.5" for inside cuts that waste on both sides and floor of its pathway.

Normal wear? No. You should get a couple 100' feet out of a carbide (faced or solid) cutter before a wear line expresses itself.
More on wear and figures of merit.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

I bet this sounds familiar; you have the best information available in this response from Whiteside:

_Hi Michael,
In melamine, it is normal to put a groove into the carbide from wear. The melamine is very tough on bits. What is full speed on your router? I would try to run this bit at 14000 to 16000 rpm and make the cuts. Try to feed the router at the same speed but less RPM.

This is why: Say a bit gets 1,000,000 rotations in the cut before it is dull. If you get through 100 feet in that 1,000,000 rotations, that is the life of the bit. If you can slow the rpm by 50% you will get 200 feet of life. RPM is very important when it comes to bit life.
When slowing the rpm you will still need to be comfortable in the cut so there will be a point that this happens. At 1/4" depth the comfort level should be good at the recommended rpm's._


We often mention that speed kills router bits. Reducing your bits speed and giving it time to cool between cuts always helps. Inexpensive man made products often have debris manufactured into them and this will kill your bits. Best results on any type of plastics are obtained with low bit speeds.


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## senebraskaee (Apr 29, 2012)

Mike (nice name!)
Curious how you saw the response to my question to Whiteside. Thought it was a "private" e-mail. No concern, just curious. 
Was waiting to post their response until after I heard back on their diagnosis of the bit I returned to them. I believe the plastic/melamine just wore the bit out, as it showed no real chipping, just a worn out spot on the cutting edge right in the plastic area. I was running the bit at full speed - 25,000 rpm, my bad, so this is just like when i raced cars and as you said, "Speed kills".
Interesting, as I have used the same cheap (read Sears/Craftsman) flush cut bit to trim plastic laminate (Formica in most cases) on hundreds of feet of counter top at 22,000 rpm and it still looks like new and cuts great.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

> Curious how you saw the response to my question to Whiteside. Thought it was a "private" e-mail. No concern, just curious.


Good question, does Whiteside have a privacy policy?


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## BCK (Feb 23, 2014)

jw2170 said:


> Good question, does Whiteside have a privacy policy?


would be something I'd like to know for sure.....?


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

My official duties as Forum Liaison is to act as a go between solving problems for members and companies. I contacted Whiteside about the bit in question and was given a scrubbed version of the reply. No personal information was disclosed.

This is why I have the only routerforums email address, so there is no confusion that I am the official rep when dealing with companies. As a further safe guard for members none of the moderators or I have access to their personal information. That information is secured at the Admin level. In other words members privacy is secure both on the forums and with companies we interact with.


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## senebraskaee (Apr 29, 2012)

Thank you for the response. Was curious, not concerned, as you and the others on the Forum Team have always conducted yourselves in a professional and courteous manner.
Whiteside sent me a new bit at no charge. That is super customer service, however it is way beyond what one should expect. The error was mine - running the bit too fast - and the education was worth the price of a bit to me. 
Thanks Whiteside, now I fully understand why your customers are so loyal.


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