# 1flute vs 2



## ThePackagerRouterMan (Nov 29, 2016)

i will be cutting some nice decorative wood panels in the near future and i am curious what input anyone has on the type of bit i will be using.
my company has a nice selection of LMT-ONSRUD compression bits and i will be using a 3/16 for most of the cutting i will be doing. i am wondering what the benefits are using a 1 flute vs a 2 flute. i will be cutting 1/4 oak and alder panels so i need a smaller bit to make sure the compression is actually useful.
any input would be greatly appreciated

thanks 
TPRM


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Dear ThePackagerRouterMan,

I've never seen or even heard of a 1- flute router bit. It seems to me like it would cause tremendous vibration.

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

At diameters <1/4" there is not too much untoward vibration with a single flute bit.
Notwithstanding, my goal with single flutes is stiffness.
You might think there is more web in a single flute cutter. There might be with straight cutter but not with a spiral. 
There is more flexibility/chatter with spirals.
I'd be thinking 2 flute, short straight bits, steel or solid carbide.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

The only one flutes I have seen are 1/4" straight bits . We used to use them to do window cutouts in wall sheathing when framing houses, before 1/2" shanks. We broke a lot of them but they were a time saver.
Panel Pilot Router Bit | Amana Tools
Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Single flutes are stronger and remove material faster but not quite as smoothly. I have some Onsrud bits that are single flute. The up/down flutes in a compression bit should overlap but at 1/4" thick you'll have to be careful how you set the height. A few members have used Onsruds customer service to find out depth/feed rates for use on CNC machines. Onsrud is one of the world's leading CNC router tooling makers and Fred Phillips, who I think runs Onsrud in North America or at least their sales dept, is one of our members although inactive for a while. He told me he is just too busy to participate on the forum anymore. He did for a while and he was a wealth of knowledge about CNC tooling. You can google them by searching Onsrudcutter2010. If you look him up in our members list he might still answer a PM.


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