Have finally taken the plunge and dusted down that old cheapo Ferm
router I bought X years ago with the intention of learning routing -
just done a pretty edge profile on some shelves and am wondering why on
earth I've been so scared of the thing!

Anyway, early days yet but am just looking at the curved blades on the
bit I've been using and wonder how you go about sharpening them? Or do
you just bin them when they are blunt? If so, seems expensive...

David

On Thu, 10 May 2007 18:53:30 GMT, Lobster
mused:

Have finally taken the plunge and dusted down that old cheapo Ferm
router I bought X years ago with the intention of learning routing -
just done a pretty edge profile on some shelves and am wondering why on
earth I've been so scared of the thing!

Anyway, early days yet but am just looking at the curved blades on the
bit I've been using and wonder how you go about sharpening them? Or do
you just bin them when they are blunt? If so, seems expensive...

I send them to DIPT to be sharpened. Not a DIY job with vice and file.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Have finally taken the plunge and dusted down that old cheapo Ferm router
I bought X years ago with the intention of learning routing - just done a
pretty edge profile on some shelves and am wondering why on earth I've
been so scared of the thing!

Anyway, early days yet but am just looking at the curved blades on the bit
I've been using and wonder how you go about sharpening them? Or do you
just bin them when they are blunt? If so, seems expensive...

David

Most can be tickled up with slip stones or diamond files of the right
profile. Be careful to (1) keep the cutter in balance and (2) keep the
correct profile.
Cheapo steel cutters are good for practice and learning. Can be binned and
replaced cheaply enough after some sharpening. If you have good quality
tipped, TCT etc, cutters they can be worth having reground professionally.
Find a local saw doctor or ask a local engineering firm who they use.
It's worth reading up on the usage and uses for a router. With some
experience they are a very versatile tool.
HTH
Nick.

On 2007-05-10 19:53:30 +0100, Lobster said:

Have finally taken the plunge and dusted down that old cheapo Ferm
router I bought X years ago with the intention of learning routing -
just done a pretty edge profile on some shelves and am wondering why on
earth I've been so scared of the thing!

Anyway, early days yet but am just looking at the curved blades on the
bit I've been using and wonder how you go about sharpening them? Or do
you just bin them when they are blunt? If so, seems expensive...

David

Depends on how much you paid for them.

For sharpening, you can get a kit of various bits and pieces such as
diamond pads and so on from Trend. Works quite well.

Lobster wrote:
Have finally taken the plunge and dusted down that old cheapo Ferm
router I bought X years ago with the intention of learning routing -
just done a pretty edge profile on some shelves and am wondering why
on earth I've been so scared of the thing!

Anyway, early days yet but am just looking at the curved blades on the
bit I've been using and wonder how you go about sharpening them? Or
do you just bin them when they are blunt? If so, seems expensive...

Get a diamond hone or card. A quick 'stroke' on the flat side of the cutter
works a treat.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

On Thu, 10 May 2007 18:53:30 GMT, Lobster
wrote:

Anyway, early days yet but am just looking at the curved blades on the
bit I've been using and wonder how you go about sharpening them?

You don't. It's hard to do, very hard to do much of it without changing
the shape. The trick is a small diamond stone on the face of the cutter,
not the edge.

Don't bother with HSS, go straight to carbide (unless they're tiny).

Mostly they're not blunt anyway, they're just coated with resinous goop
buildup. Cleaning them with a solvent (aerosol carb or brake cleaner is
convenient) is often nearly as good as sharpening them.

At "tenner a box" prices, just replace them when truly blunted.

It's worth having a cheap mixed box on hand early on so that you have
"one of everything", but you soon realise that almost all joinery is
done with just one or two simple cylindrical bits. So get a couple of
those in good quality.

Not all carbide is the same. The "good stuff" usually is significantly
longer lasting.

Andy Dingley wrote:

On Thu, 10 May 2007 18:53:30 GMT, Lobster
wrote:

Anyway, early days yet but am just looking at the curved blades on the
bit I've been using and wonder how you go about sharpening them?

You don't. It's hard to do, very hard to do much of it without changing
the shape. The trick is a small diamond stone on the face of the cutter,
not the edge.

Don't bother with HSS, go straight to carbide (unless they're tiny).

The time you want nice HSS is when you want a really good finish on
softwood. You can get HSS sharper than carbide, it just doesn't last as
long so only use it on softwood. My Trend HSS bits cut pine much more
cleanly than carbide bits.

Peter
--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
www.the-brights.net