# Help needed choosing first bits



## Packrat (Nov 19, 2009)

I just recently purchased a Craftsman, fixed base only. Can anyone point me towards what bits I should start to accumulate first? I plan on making a couple of simple bookcases, a filing cabinet, (perhaps a second filing cabinet with box joints or dovetails down the road), and a quilt rack for my mom. Should I simply buy a couple of good quality bits to start on these projects? If so, which ones should I focus on first? Would my money be better spent on a "value" set with a wide assortment of bits?


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## RustyW (Dec 28, 2005)

Joshua, Like many others I started with a huge, cheap set of bits. And I kinda, sorta, recommend it. It's a good way to figure out which bits you will use the most, then replace them with good bits. But buying a set of more than 20-30 bits, you'll end up with some you may never use. MLCS has good bits and this set would be a good start 

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set30piece.html


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Hi Joshua, welcome to the forum.
Plus one on Rusty's suggestion for a small set for openers. I started with one similar to this one:

eBay Store – Super Carbide Tools: Search results for.

Haven't used quite all of them yet and some I have used just to see what they did . But I have had to replace about half a dozen due to wearing them out, mostly, at least a couple for operator error.

The one I linked to are pretty cheap but I have had several bits from this outfit and have only had a problem with one and they took take of that with one e-mail. .
Good luck


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Can't go wrong with a couple of round over bits to soften the edges of your projects.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

+1 on roundover bits. You can get them down to a radius which doesn't really make the board appear rounded but removes sources of splinters and splits.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

I agree with Rusty's suggestion regarding a small set. One thing to consider is cost per bit. At the box stores you may spend a given amount for an individual bit when you may pay 3 or 4.00/bit in sets. Granted you will not use them all, but you will use several of them justifying the cost. Regarding quality, I bought cheap the first time but I do not recommend that after seeing the difference with quality bits, but that is just me.


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## Packrat (Nov 19, 2009)

As long as I go with carbide bits, I should probably be ok, right?


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Packrat said:


> As long as I go with carbide bits, I should probably be ok, right?


Hi Joshua; 
There are different grades of quality in carbide such as C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4. I've seen carbide bits at Harbor Freight for .97 & I would say while it is carbide it is a cheap grade of carbide for that price. If you want to buy bits that last & keep an edge longer you buy from manufactures with a reputation for quality bits.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

hummm 

====


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## Packrat (Nov 19, 2009)

jlord said:


> Hi Joshua;
> There are different grades of quality in carbide. I've seen carbide bits at Harbor Freight for .97 & I would say while it is carbide it is a cheap grade of carbide for that price. If you want to buy bits that last & keep an edge longer you buy from manufactures with a reputation for quality bits.



While I pop into Harbor Freight occasionally and find some occasional things there, I'm not sure I'd buy anything where precision was an issue. 

I guess I was just wondering if I should plan the project I want like a very simple filing cabinet, then get only the bits I would need for that. Get good quality ones, so that when I'm done with that project, I'll have them around for awhile. I just didn't know if the "value" you got from all those additional bits was worth it, when you'd consider that I'd need to save up a bit to get a big set like that. Maybe I should just take it one project at a time.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Packrat said:


> While I pop into Harbor Freight occasionally and find some occasional things there, I'm not sure I'd buy anything where precision was an issue.
> 
> I guess I was just wondering if I should plan the project I want like a very simple filing cabinet, then get only the bits I would need for that. Get good quality ones, so that when I'm done with that project, I'll have them around for awhile. I just didn't know if the "value" you got from all those additional bits was worth it, when you'd consider that I'd need to save up a bit to get a big set like that. Maybe I should just take it one project at a time.


If you don't think you will use certain profiles other than on your filing cabinet than buy a cheaper bit for your project. If you plan to use a bit such as a round over bit I would buy a quality one as it is a popular profile & could be used for easing edges on many future projects.


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## bagofdonuts88 (Nov 6, 2009)

+1 on the set. To start it will give you a good sampling of bits to play with. From there I would go with the project by project basis. Get what you need and but the quality you need for the project at hand. SPend more on a common prof and less on the 1 time deal.


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## Packrat (Nov 19, 2009)

Would a Ryobi set be a good enough quality to start out with? I've seen some good Bosch bits that I might buy on a one by one basis. I know it's just an opinion, but if I had to buy a good brand for bits individually, what would you recommend?


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## cbsjoez1935 (Mar 14, 2007)

Hi Packrat,

When I started, I was put on to MLCS and their assortment of bits. I bought the big set figuring to learn what they all do and have not been disappointed. Do not confuse their price with the quality of their bits. They are good and stand up. They also have a "premium" grade called Katana and I have bought them on a singular basis. They offer free shipping in the USA and their staff will accommodate any special requests that they can. When you are starting out, it is good to experiment and you can always use some firewood anyhow.

Joe Z.


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## Drew Eckhardt (Aug 2, 2008)

Packrat said:


> I just recently purchased a Craftsman, fixed base only. Can anyone point me towards what bits I should start to accumulate first? I plan on making a couple of simple bookcases, a filing cabinet, (perhaps a second filing cabinet with box joints or dovetails down the road), and a quilt rack for my mom. Should I simply buy a couple of good quality bits to start on these projects? If so, which ones should I focus on first? Would my money be better spent on a "value" set with a wide assortment of bits?


If you aren't planning on painted finishes which allow divots to be filled before finishing you will be unhappy if an inappropriate (sub-optimal shear-direction) or bad (dull, with insufficient clearance, perhaps with sub-optimal shear and rake angles) bit leads to tear-out on an assembly which you've glued up. A mistake can also lead to more wood loss than just the board. Even where things aren't yet glued together pieces look better if you keep the grain continuous because the adjacent pieces are consecutive cuts from the same board.

Assuming you're planning on some form of stained and/or clear finish, I'd figure out how you're going to build your next project and buy quality bits to match the small number of operations that will involve.

Lets say you decided to build your bookshelf out of furniture grade 3/4" plywood with a 1/4" sheet on back to avoid racking without the whole thing being too heavy. You might decide to mount the shelves in dadoes because it's strong and a rabbet on the back so its grain would never show.

To make tight fitting dadoes you might buy a 23/32 or 18mm undersized plywood bit; or buy a bearing guided 1/2" down-shear mortising bit which will run along a simple home made jig set to match the exact board thickness.

You might choose a rabbeting bit to make the recess for the back or you might prefer to make a router table (this can be a piece of flat sheet goods like MDF drilled to accept your router, plus a straight board for a fence) and just run the boards over an exposed straight bit.

You might decide to put solid hardwood edging on the front side to hide the plywood grain. That'll be easier to get nice if you rip it slightly over-sized and then trim to fit using a flush-trim bit. A bottom bearing flush-trim bit with a larger diameter will be less likely to tear out. One with shear angle will be even less likely. A solid carbide spiral is least likely but not cheap.

A round over of some sort will soften the edges.

Etc.

When you're planning a few projects ahead of time or have your heart set on making a certain type of joint you can buy quality bits for less money when the opportunity arrives.

I started with the bits I needed for specific projects, and added a few I knew I'd use in the future when good deals came along (like $34 for a 1 1/2" Freud round-over which I'll use on my next set of speaker enclosures)


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## Drew Eckhardt (Aug 2, 2008)

Packrat said:


> Would a Ryobi set be a good enough quality to start out with? I've seen some good Bosch bits that I might buy on a one by one basis. I know it's just an opinion, but if I had to buy a good brand for bits individually, what would you recommend?


Amana, Whiteside, Freud.


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## Drew Eckhardt (Aug 2, 2008)

Packrat said:


> As long as I go with carbide bits, I should probably be ok, right?


Bits which appear identical vary in how likely they are to produce chip-out and how long they stay sharp.

Larger diameter bits (say a 1 1/8" pattern bit instead of 1/2") are less likely to cause problems.

Some makers offer different options which work better. Spiral flush trim bits are least likely to cause problems (one point on the bit is in continuous contact with the work) , followed by bits with shear angle, followed by straight bits (where the entire cutting edge hits the work at the same time going 35 MPH).

Some of this is about protecting the wood. If you're gambling with a $100 figured board, $5 extra on the router bit is good insurance. For MDF at $20 a sheet it doesn't matter and you may not want to waste a good router bit (MDF eats router bits).

Some is about your personal time/money trade-offs. If you get paid well because you work 80-100 hours a week and projects take a year to finish because you have almost no free time when you're rested you might minimize the number of mistakes you need to fix by buying better tools.


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## icehugger (Oct 23, 2009)

Don't waste time and money on a cheap set of bits. Life is too short for cheap tools. Identify what you will need for the job at hand, buy good quality bits to complete that job. You will be happier with the result and you won't be buying bits you will never use. The difference in quality of cut can be quite dramatic.
Apart from what you may require for your current project, the most likey bits to buy are:
a 1/2 inch straight - preferably a down spiral
a couple of round over bits with bearings
maybe a chamfer bit with bearing
There are alot of projects you can tackle with just those bits. They don't provide a lot of decoration though, so you may want to look at some bits for decorative edging. I've never bothered, I go for a more "Shaker" look - its cheaper...


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## Bychen (Dec 28, 2008)

Packrat said:


> I just recently purchased a Craftsman, fixed base only. Can anyone point me towards what bits I should start to accumulate first? I plan on making a couple of simple bookcases, a filing cabinet, (perhaps a second filing cabinet with box joints or dovetails down the road), and a quilt rack for my mom. Should I simply buy a couple of good quality bits to start on these projects? If so, which ones should I focus on first? Would my money be better spent on a "value" set with a wide assortment of bits?


I'll go for a small value set, preferably a cheap one. You can use these later when you want to round of edges on pieces which is not intended for fine use (garage shelfs, building timber...) at the same time you'll get familiar with the different types. 

When you feel ready to start up your project, buy quality bits, this is worth every dollar (krona in Swedish). No tear out, burns or anything bad like using cheap bits. It even feels good to use a high quality bit. 

//Anders


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## Packrat (Nov 19, 2009)

Bychen said:


> I'll go for a small value set, preferably a cheap one. You can use these later when you want to round of edges on pieces which is not intended for fine use (garage shelfs, building timber...) at the same time you'll get familiar with the different types.
> 
> When you feel ready to start up your project, buy quality bits, this is worth every dollar (krona in Swedish). No tear out, burns or anything bad like using cheap bits. It even feels good to use a high quality bit.
> 
> //Anders



Tack så mycket.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

I suggest you take a look at ebay, I'm sure Bj would be happy to provide a link to where he gets his. Quality sometimes isn't measured in the price. You may also want to look at MLCS. Excellent bits IMHO, price range would take these out of any equation but, worth a look. Sommerfelds sets. They follow the K.I.S.S. rule, you set one bit, the rest in the set, will match perfectly without any adjustments made. 

The best on the Market for individual sets are, Whiteside, Katana and Freud. They are also the most expensive.


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