Router Bits 101: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Using & Maintaining Router Bits for Every Woodworking Project

Walk into any woodworker's shop and the router bit collection tells the story — tattered original boxes from a beginner set, a handful of worn-down favorites, and that one bit you bought for a single project and never used again. But when you understand router bits — the types, the materials, the geometry, and which brands deliver real value — you stop buying bits you don't need and start investing in the ones that earn their place on the shelf.

This guide covers everything from the basics (what's the difference between a straight bit and a spiral bit?) to the advanced (when does carbide grade actually matter?), with buying recommendations from the brands Burnette Tools carries: CMT, Amana, FS Tools, Freeborn, and more.

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Part 1: Router Bit Types — What Each Bit Does and When to Use It

Straight Bits

What they do: Plunge-cut and rout straight-sided grooves, dados, mortises, and inlays.

When to reach for one: Dadoing shelf pins, creating grooves for drawer bottoms, mortising for hinges, or any situation where you need a flat-bottomed channel with parallel walls.

Buying tips:

Diameter range: 1/8″ to 1-1/2″ is the useful range for most woodworkers
Core bit vs. standard: Core bits (small-diameter straight bits with reduced shank) are essential for tight grooves but are more prone to breakage — buy spares
Our pick: CMT straight bits with anti-kickback bodies offer superior safety and chip evacuation

👉 Shop Straight Bits at Burnette Tools

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Spiral Bits

What they do: The same jobs as straight bits, but exponentially better — cleaner cuts, faster feed rates, and dramatically less burning.

Spiral bits come in three configurations:

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When to reach for a spiral instead of a straight bit: Any time you're cutting plywood, melamine, MDF, or veneered material. The spiral shear cut eliminates the tearout that straight bits produce.

Our picks:

CMT spiral bits — PTFE-coated, anti-kickback, available in upcut, downcut, and compression
Amana spiral bits — application-specific geometries for solid surface, acrylic, and composite materials

👉 Shop Spiral Bits at Burnette Tools

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Flush Trim & Pattern Bits

What they do: Trim one surface flush with another — the workhorse of template routing.

The key distinction: Flush trim bits have bearings at the tip (for routing with the template on top of your workpiece), while pattern bits have bearings at the shank (for routing with the template underneath). Get both — they're not interchangeable.

Common sizes:

1/4″ shank, 1/2″ cutting diameter — for light template work and small trim jobs
1/2″ shank, 3/4″ cutting diameter — the sweet spot for cabinet door template routing
1/2″ shank, 1″ cutting diameter — for thick stock and aggressive trimming

Our pick: Amana flush trim bits with their superior carbide thickness allow more resharpening cycles, giving you better long-term value.

👉 Shop Flush Trim Bits at Burnette Tools

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Rabbeting Bits

What they do: Cut a stepped recess (rabbet) along the edge of a board — essential for cabinet backs, picture frames, and joinery.

Interchangeable rabbeting sets are the way to go: one bit body with multiple bearing sizes that let you cut rabbets of different depths with a single purchase. Look for sets that cut 1/8″, 1/4″, 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, and 1/2″ rabbets.

Our pick: CMT rabbeting sets offer six bearings with one bit body — excellent quality at a fair price.

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Chamfer & Roundover Bits

What they do: Chamfer bits cut 45° beveled edges; roundover bits cut a smooth radius. Both are among the most-used bits in any shop.

Sizes to own first:

Roundover: 1/8″, 1/4″, and 3/8″ radius cover 90% of softening needs
Chamfer: 1/2″ and 3/4″ are the workhorses for picture frames and beveled edge work

Pro tip: Many roundover bits have interchangeable bearings — remove the bearing and you get a flush trim bit. Two bits in one.

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Dovetail Bits

What they do: Cut the angled slots for dovetail joinery — the gold standard of drawer and box construction.

The geometry matters: Dovetail bits come in different angles (typically 7°, 8°, 9°, 10°, and 14°) and different diameters. The angle must match your dovetail jig. Most commercial jigs use 8° bits, but always check your jig's specs.

Our pick: CMT and Amana both produce excellent dovetail bits. Amana earns the edge for custom angle requirements and solid surface work; CMT wins on value and availability.

👉 Shop Dovetail Bits at Burnette Tools

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Stile-and-Rail & Raised Panel Bit Sets

What they do: The one-two punch for producing raised panel cabinet doors — stile-and-rail sets cut the cope-and-stick joinery, and raised panel bits shape the center panel profile.

This is where buying quality really matters. A cheap stile-and-rail set produces doors with gaps, uneven reveals, and joint lines that no amount of sanding will fix. Invest in a proper set and your doors go together like they were made by a machine — because they were.

What to look for:

Matched sets — cope and stick bits ground to work together, ensuring tight joints
Carbide thickness — thicker tips mean more resharpenings over the bit's lifetime
1/2″ shanks — always, for stile-and-rail work. 1/4″ shanks flex under the side load
Anti-kickback design — these are large-diameter bits running at router-table speeds; safety engineering matters

Our picks:

CMT stile-and-rail sets — precision-ground, anti-kickback, PTFE-coated for resin resistance
Amana raised panel bits — available in vertical and horizontal configurations, with ogee, traditional, and classic profiles
Freeborn — for custom moulder/profiled work that matches your unique design requirements

👉 Shop Door-Making Bits at Burnette Tools

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Specialty Bits (Slot Cutters, Keyhole, V-Groove, Sign-Making & More)

Slot cutters — Cut grooves for biscuit joinery, spline joints, and T-molding. Available in kerf widths from 1/16″ to 1/2″.

Keyhole bits — Cut the keyhole-shaped slots for hanging mirrors, signs, and wall-mounted pieces. No hardware needed.

V-groove bits — Sign-making, decorative grooves, and chamfering. Available in angles from 15° to 90°.

Inlay/templating bits — Ultra-precise 1/8″ and smaller diameter bits for detailed inlay work and pattern routing.

Edge-beading bits — Create decorative beaded profiles on furniture, moldings, and trim.

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Part 2: Carbide, HSS & Diamond — What Your Bits Are Made Of (And Why It Matters)

Carbide Grades Explained

Carbide router bits aren't all made from the same material. The tungsten carbide used in cutting edges varies by grain size (micro-grain vs. nano-grain) and binder percentage, which directly affects:

Edge sharpness — finer grain = sharper edge = cleaner cut
Edge retention — harder carbide = longer life between sharpenings
Brittleness — harder carbide is more prone to chipping under side load or impact

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CMT uses C4 micro-grain carbide across their router bit line — the sharpest, cleanest-cutting grade available. Amana uses C3–C4 depending on the bit, optimizing for the specific application. FS Tools and Toolco use C2–C3 for cost-effective production work.

HSS (High-Speed Steel) Bits

HSS bits have their place — they're cheaper, easier to sharpen by hand, and less prone to chipping than carbide. But they dull 10–20x faster than carbide and aren't suitable for production work or abrasive materials (MDF, plywood, laminate).

When HSS makes sense: light hobby use, one-off projects, or when you need a custom profile ground quickly and cheaply.

Diamond-Coated Bits

Diamond-coated (or PCD — polycrystalline diamond) bits are for the most abrasive materials: solid surface (Corian), fiberglass-reinforced composites, aluminum, and titanium-coated materials. They cost 5–10x more than carbide but last 50–100x longer in abrasive applications.

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Part 3: How to Extend the Life of Your Router Bits

Even the best router bits eventually need sharpening. Here's how to get the maximum life between sharpenings — and between replacements.

1. Control Your Feed Rate

Too fast = tearout, poor finish, motor strain

Too slow = burning, premature edge wear, heat damage to carbide

The sweet spot varies by material, bit diameter, and RPM. As a general rule:

Hardwoods: slower feed, multiple light passes
Softwoods: faster feed possible, but still avoid forcing
Plywood/MDF: moderate feed, single pass when possible

2. Use the Right RPM

Larger diameter bits need lower RPM. The formula:

RPM = (SFM × 12) ÷ (π × diameter in inches)

Target SFM (surface feet per minute) for carbide on wood: 150–250.

| Bit Diameter | Recommended RPM |

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| 1/4″ | 24,000–28,000 |

| 1/2″ | 18,000–22,000 |

| 1″ | 14,000–18,000 |

| 1-1/2″ | 10,000–14,000 |

| 2″+ | 8,000–12,000 |

Variable-speed routers with speed adjustment are essential for large-diameter bits.

3. Make Multiple Light Passes

Never try to cut a 3/4″ deep dado in a single pass. Take 1/4″ to 1/8″ depth increments. Your bit will stay sharper longer, your cuts will be cleaner, and your router motor will last years longer.

4. Keep Bits Clean

Resin and pitch buildup on carbide acts like sandpaper against your workpiece and accelerates edge wear. Clean bits after every session with:

Bit & Blade Cleaner spray (available at any woodworking supply)
Soak in denatured alcohol for stubborn pitch
Never use oven cleaner or caustic chemicals — they can degrade the braze holding carbide to the steel body

5. Store Bits Properly

Don't toss bits in a drawer where they'll chip each other. Use:

Individual bit boxes or tubes
A router bit rack
Edge protectors on large bits

6. Sharpen Before They're Dead

A bit that's "a little dull" can be resharpened. A bit that's been run until the carbide is rounded over or chipped may need tip replacement — which costs significantly more than a resharpening.

Burnette Tools' sister company, Carbide Saws Inc., provides professional router bit sharpening and repair. Send your dull bits to 701 Garrison Street, High Point, NC 27260, or call (800) 578-7197.

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Part 4: Which Brand Should You Buy?

Quick Comparison

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When to Spend More

Spend up for CMT or Amana when:

You're running stile-and-rail/raised panel sets (precision is non-negotiable)
You need compression spirals for clean cuts on both sides of plywood
Your bits run daily in a production shop (thicker carbide = more sharpenings = lower cost per cut)

When Value Wins

Go with FS Tools or Toolco when:

You need functional bits for repetitive, straightforward cuts
You're outfitting a crew and need multiple bits of the same profile
The application doesn't demand premium edge quality

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Part 5: Buying Guide — Build Your Router Bit Arsenal

The Starter Kit (Under $200)

Every woodworker needs these bits first:

1. 1/4″ straight bit — dados, grooves, mortises

2. 3/8″ straight bit — wider dados, general plunge work

3. 1/4″ roundover bit — softening edges

4. 1/2″ roundover bit — larger edge profiles

5. 45° chamfer bit — beveled edges, picture frames

6. 1/4″ upcut spiral — clean dados and through-cuts

7. 1/2″ flush trim bit — template routing, edge trimming

8. rabbeting set — cabinet backs, joinery

The Cabinet Shop Kit (Add to Starter)

9. Stile-and-rail set (matched) — cope-and-stick joinery for doors

10. Raised panel bit — vertical or horizontal, depending on your setup

11. 1/2″ downcut spiral — clean top surfaces on veneer work

12. Compression spiral — clean two-sided cuts in plywood and melamine

13. Dovetail bit — drawer construction

14. 1/4″ and 3/8″ core box bits — decorative grooves and finger pulls

The Production Shop Kit (Going Pro)

Add to the above:

15. Full set of straight bits (1/8″ through 1-1/2″) — organized and ready

16. Multiple spiral bits — keep upcut, downcut, and compression in 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″

17. Custom profile bits — send your profile requirements to Freeborn for custom-ground bits

18. Spare sets — nothing stops production like a broken bit with no replacement

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Ordering from Burnette Tools

Free shipping on orders $75+ — nationwide, no exceptions.

Expert consultation — call 1-800-578-7197 and speak with someone who actually uses these tools. We've been in the cutting tool business since 1957.

Wholesale pricing — volume discounts for cabinet shops, millwork operations, and industrial users.

Factory-authorized service — our sister company, Carbide Saws Inc., is an authorized Freud service center for router bit sharpening and repair.

Browse the full router bit selection at burnettetools.com/router-bits

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Burnette Tools (DBA Carbide Saws Inc.) — Premium carbide router bits, saw blades, and cutting tools since 1957. Authorized distributor for CMT, Amana, FS Tools, Freeborn, Freud, and more. 1-800-578-7197.