How does one sharpen router bits? Especially the molding bits?
Can they be touched up with a sharpening stone? Other than
taking them to a professional sharpening business, how can
the bits be sharpened or maintain sharpness?

I'm a recreational woodworker and buying a replacement
bit, inexpensive versions, is less expensive that having
them sharpened. Is there something I can do to sharpen
or maintain router bit sharpness myself?

Thunder

"Rolling Thunder" wrote in message
...
How does one sharpen router bits? Especially the molding bits?
Can they be touched up with a sharpening stone? Other than
taking them to a professional sharpening business, how can
the bits be sharpened or maintain sharpness?

I'm a recreational woodworker and buying a replacement
bit, inexpensive versions, is less expensive that having
them sharpened. Is there something I can do to sharpen
or maintain router bit sharpness myself?

Thunder

call around. i get router bits sharpened for about $5.

Rolling Thunder wrote in
:

How does one sharpen router bits? Especially the molding bits?
Can they be touched up with a sharpening stone? Other than
taking them to a professional sharpening business, how can
the bits be sharpened or maintain sharpness?

I'm a recreational woodworker and buying a replacement
bit, inexpensive versions, is less expensive that having
them sharpened. Is there something I can do to sharpen
or maintain router bit sharpness myself?

Thunder


I'm not an expert, but I have tried touching up the back (flat) edge of a
couple of bits that I _really_ needed to have right then. It helped, I
think, for that project. Keeping them clean, free from pitch and crud,
seemed to help as well.

Working in something other than red oak also gets me much better results.

Patriarch

"Rolling Thunder" wrote in message
...
How does one sharpen router bits? Especially the molding bits?
Can they be touched up with a sharpening stone? Other than
taking them to a professional sharpening business, how can
the bits be sharpened or maintain sharpness?

I'm a recreational woodworker and buying a replacement
bit, inexpensive versions, is less expensive that having
them sharpened. Is there something I can do to sharpen
or maintain router bit sharpness myself?

Thunder

Send them to Ridge Carbide tools. www.ridgecarbidetool.com Five bucks,
equal or better than new.

Rolling Thunder wrote:

How does one sharpen router bits? Especially the molding bits?
Can they be touched up with a sharpening stone? Other than
taking them to a professional sharpening business, how can
the bits be sharpened or maintain sharpness?

I'm a recreational woodworker and buying a replacement
bit, inexpensive versions, is less expensive that having
them sharpened. Is there something I can do to sharpen
or maintain router bit sharpness myself?

Thunder

Clean them up. Use a stiff brush, some blade/oven cleaner if necessary.
Put a drop of light oil in the bearing (if the bit is piloted). You
can touch up the flat side of the bit with a fine file. Don't fiddle
with the curved side. Can only lead to grief.
mahalo,
jo4hn

Use a fine diamond file on the wide flat on the back side of the cutting
edge of the carbide. These files can be had for less than $10.


"Rolling Thunder" wrote in message
...
How does one sharpen router bits? Especially the molding bits?
Can they be touched up with a sharpening stone? Other than
taking them to a professional sharpening business, how can
the bits be sharpened or maintain sharpness?

I'm a recreational woodworker and buying a replacement
bit, inexpensive versions, is less expensive that having
them sharpened. Is there something I can do to sharpen
or maintain router bit sharpness myself?

Thunder

Yep definitely only tough up the flat surface on the 'back'. I use diamond
hones for this task and seems to work well. A picture of router bit
sharpening in the following review:
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/ezelap.htm

Hope that helps!


--
Regards,

Dean Bielanowski
Editor,
Online Tool Reviews
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com
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"Rolling Thunder" wrote in message
...
How does one sharpen router bits? Especially the molding bits?
Can they be touched up with a sharpening stone? Other than
taking them to a professional sharpening business, how can
the bits be sharpened or maintain sharpness?

I'm a recreational woodworker and buying a replacement
bit, inexpensive versions, is less expensive that having
them sharpened. Is there something I can do to sharpen
or maintain router bit sharpness myself?

Thunder