Spiral Upcut Router Bits

[phil p]

Hi,

Im thinking of trying some loose tenons joints for the first time in some future project’s and wondered whether anyone knows the best place to purchase a few bits?

Really just looking for a 6mm and a 12mm.

I’m only a DIYer so I don’t want to pay a fortune, cheap and cheerful will do for my skill level.

Had a quick look on Bangood as they’re not badly priced but looks a minefield on ordering the correct type/size

Any recommendations or links?

 

[Peter Sefton]

Wealden are. very good or if you want made in the UK then go for Titman.

https://www.wealdentool.com/
https://titman.co.uk/

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

As Mr Sefton says the Wealden ones are very good and appropriately priced.

 

[Phill05]

Have a look here very good quick service and good assortment of cutters

https://www.shop-apt.co.uk/economy-...r-mdf-wood-pvc-acrylic-52mm-flute-length.html

 

[Spectric]

I’m only a DIYer so I don’t want to pay a fortune, cheap and cheerful will do for my skill level.

You at least want something that will do the job and not cause undue stress and make you think you cannot do the job which often cheap and nasty cutters will lead to. You need something in the middle, not C&N but not solid carbide or exotic. You do not say what router or setup you will be using, 1/2 or 1/4 or ? Wealdon are always a good bet and I use them a lot as well as Infinity.

 

[baldkev]

You will need extraction to assist waste removal. Ive just been there myself......

 

[petermillard]

You need to be a little careful buying these, as a lot of spiral bits are metric shanks, rather than imperial. Buying a metric bit / imperial shank isn't always straightforward, and they can be on the short side as they're often intended more for CNC applications than hand held routers. Wealden tool do them, though if you want a longer length you need to go to an 8mm shank.

TaylorToolworks in the US do a well-priced HSS bit in 5 & 6mm / 1/4" shank, but again on the short side, and shipping is a nuisance. I bough a couple of hundred of these for my starter sets, and they're currently being held to ransom by customs, so probably won't work out quite so well priced after all...

Taylor Tools 5mm upcut bit - Metric M2 High Speed Steel (HSS) Upcut Two Flute Spiral Router Bits5mm

Rennie tool do slightly longer metric flute / imperial shank carbide upcut bits that are a better price, I've bought a couple of try out, but haven't had the chance as yet.

https://www.rennietool.co.uk/collections/solid-carbide-router-bits
As @baldkev says you must use dust extraction; I had a new user on my loose tenon jig trial burn one of the HSS bits out completely, just by being too aggressive / enthusiastic, and not bothering with dust extraction as they were really keen to get started.

 

[baldkev]

You need to be a little careful buying these, as a lot of spiral bits are metric shanks,

This is the one i got. I havent measured the shaft itself, as it said router in the listing, but i did tighten the collet up more than usual in case. I'll get calipers on it next time im at the workshop.

 

[Spectric]

Collets are machined to a precise measurement, 6mm and 1/4 (6.35mm) are not interchangable so check the sizes and get the right collets.

 

[petermillard]

This is the one i got. I havent measured the shaft itself, as it said router in the listing, but i did tighten the collet up more than usual in case. I'll get calipers on it next time im at the workshop.

Pretty sure that's a 6mm shank; as @Spectric says, it's not just a question of nipping it up a bit tighter, you really need a 6mm collet for it.

 

[baldkev]

Collets are machined to a precise measurement, 6mm and 1/4 (6.35mm) are not interchangable so check the sizes and get the right collets.

Ok, will check it. To be fair, it did work ok f9r the holes i knocked out... I'll go check out ebay collets just in case

 

[Ollie78]

I have purchased several bits from rennie tool and they are decent quality. Also some direct from China which were also fine.
I suggest an 8mm collet as these are common in Europe ( festool routers come with them as standard) an 8mm spiral or compression will be easy to find and it's a good compromise of size and strength. Especially if you need to go deep on the mortices 6mm is quite skinny if you have a lot of stick out.

Ollie

 

[deema]

Wealden are. very good or if you want made in the UK then go for Titman.

https://www.wealdentool.com/
https://titman.co.uk/

It’s good to hear Titman are made in the UK, just, are you sure? It’s not just the ‘added value’ allows them to badge made in the UK. I know when I ran a company that made a certain product I badged a few things made in the UK that we’re made in the far east and we just packaged them (stuck a sticker on the box) and increased the selling price to achieve the minimum added value percentage!!!

 

[Distinterior]

It’s good to hear Titman are made in the UK, just, are you sure? It’s not just the ‘added value’ allows them to badge made in the UK. I know when I ran a company that made a certain product I badged a few things made in the UK that we’re made in the far east and we just packaged them (stuck a sticker on the box) and increased the selling price to achieve the minimum added value percentage!!!

Is that even legal...??

 

[Distinterior]

This is a quote direct from their own site....

• 
  99% of all TCT tooling in our range are made by Titman in Clacton from quality UK sources materials giving our customers real British tooling

 

[deema]

Yep, totally legal. I ran a number of company's around the world for a European base PLC quoted company at the time. For every rule, there is a work around if you can afford the legal team.

 

[deema]

This is a quote direct from their own site....

• 
  99% of all TCT tooling in our range are made by Titman in Clacton from quality UK sources materials giving our customers real British tooling

I know I’m an absolute sceptic…….I’ve imported stuff into one company we owned, sold it to another one we owned in the UK and made a similar claim. Unless someone has actually seen the manufacturing line where raw steel is converted into the finished parts I take it with a large pinch of salt. Hence the question.
The absolute worst offenders for finding solutions to rules in my experience were the largest economy in the world. I worked for a few PLC‘s that had the parent in that continent and my experience was that the Wolf of Wall Street had a lot to learn! I hope the moderators don’t delete my post for being ‘political’ this forum is becoming very woke IMO unfortunately.

 

[Distinterior]

Yep, totally legal. I ran a number of company's around the world for a European base PLC quoted company at the time. For every rule, there is a work around if you can afford the legal team.

Wow!......Okay, legalities aside.....What about the moral & ethical aspect of conducting business like that...?

 

[Peter Sefton]

It’s good to hear Titman are made in the UK, just, are you sure? It’s not just the ‘added value’ allows them to badge made in the UK. I know when I ran a company that made a certain product I badged a few things made in the UK that we’re made in the far east and we just packaged them (stuck a sticker on the box) and increased the selling price to achieve the minimum added value percentage!!!

Not been to their factory but this is what I am led to understand from those in the industry, this is taken from their website.

I do know most of the other quality brands available in the UK come out of one factory in Taiwan, I don't have a major issue with this as the quality of these is good.

I had a Record Power pillar drill with a Made in Britain sticker on it, the sticker may have been made in the UK but......

 

[Spectric]

Happens in the auto industry and I dare say many others where they are big enough to have a good legal team and can massage the rules. Silly things like taking items out of a countries waters and then back in again because it becomes an import and different rules, nothing is really fair in business.

Then look at Amazon, a huge American company that is dominating the UK retail market and making a fortune by selling a lot of Asian manufactured goods to us brits, but we are not capable of creating such a business model and competing.