Router bits for worktops

[Argyll]

I can't find a search facility in this section?

I have a couple of worktops to fit in the coming weeks for family members. I would normally buy the Trend 63mm cutters but I'd have to buy quite a few and they are expensive so trying to keep the costs down for them.

I thought about buying the Trend replacement tip cutter but heard conflicting reports about them.

I read this in the SF forum from a member about the Trend replacement cutter and wondered what your thoughts were.

I used one for about a year (until all blades were used, I bought loads) I didnt like it.... They are only single flute and I felt they didnt last as long as the others. The little screws which hold the blades in place are quite soft and are easily rounded off without been heavy handed. I bought a new set of screws from a trend stockist..... wait for it......... £9.00 !!! I nearly dropped through the floor. Over the years I've paid good money for quality router bits but let me tell you - there's no point at all. Not for laminate worktops anyway. Theres so much ***** within the board... bits of metal, grit etc. I now find it much more economical to buy the cheap kitchen fitters router bit sets from Tool Station, £13 for four router bits, one of them is 60mm long so handy for 50/60mm thick worktops. Screwfix do them too but they're dearer. When they are blunt chuck em away, its cheaper to buy a new set than have them sharpened !

[steviejoiner74]

Trend ones are what I use,never tried the replaceable tip ones tbh.
Why would you need to buy quite a few?

[Razor]

Obs I don't do worktops that often but I've had no problems with these http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworkin ... ds+kwjset3

[steviejoiner74]

Another tip to get the most life out of a cutter. Cut the majority of the worktop with a jigsaw first leaving as little as possible to trim away with the router.
And I wouldn't touch cheapo router bits with a barge pole,I've seen them shatter before and it's pretty frightening to say the least!!

[fin]

i bought a cutter of wealden tool co last time out. seems to be decent.

when i rout worktops i use my makita router and hook up my festool hoover to it. it seems to catch the super fine dust quite easily. however it doesnt catch the heavy stuff the router bit flings out. that would be nigh on impossible. i set the hoover to manual so it remains on all the time rather than auto and have it turn off each time i turn off the router.

at the end of each pass i quickly unhook the hoover and go along the groove to get the dust thats in it. no more burnt out cutters. obviously they still dont last forever but it increases their life span a bit. it also works well for doing the tie bolts. i set the depth say 5mm into the top then do the 3 then hoover then set it to say 10mm do the 3 then run the hoover over and so on till you get to the required depth

[Argyll]

Trend ones are what I use,never tried the replaceable tip ones tbh.
Why would you need to buy quite a few?

Because I'll be cutting quite a few

[steviejoiner74]

Trend ones are what I use,never tried the replaceable tip ones tbh.
Why would you need to buy quite a few?

Because I'll be cutting quite a few

It's just you said a couple of worktops in the coming weeks. One cutter will be ample.

[Argyll]

Stevie I was told 4 cuts per cutter. I'll be cutting about 16 cuts including clamps.

[steviejoiner74]

Stevie I was told 4 cuts per cutter. I'll be cutting about 16 cuts including clamps.

4 cuts per cutter? I do 4 passes per mitre but like I said,cut most away with a jigsaw so you only need to take the minimum away. I cut the straight ends and sinks out with a circular saw and a nice sharp blade.
I'd say I can get about 5 worktop mitres(10 cuts plus clamp recesses) so that's 40 passes on the mitres alone and the clamp recesses with 1 bit.
Is it the trend pro cutters you are using or the cheaper ones(they are trend but are called trend craft or something)
How powerful is your router? Mine is a 2000w and this also helps with heavier cuts.

[Argyll]

Not sure I'll check tomorrow on the router.

[Job and Knock]

I'm another user of replaceable tip cutters, although in my case I use Wealden's Easi-Tip product, having used the JKO Versofix for well over 10 years previously. Because I never know how long a worktop has been in storage (the laminates seem to harden and become more brittle over time) I often limit myself to no more than 2 joints per edge (or 16 passes as I seem to average 4 passes per side) - but at with the TK27B (10 pack) of double-sided reversible Easi-Tip cutters costing £36.00 for 10 cutters (or £3.60 per cutter = £1.80/edge = £0.90 per joint) as against £100+ for a new worktop if I get chip-out it's really a no-brainer for me. One of the issues with the chipboard cores in worktops is that there is always the slight possibility of hitting a hard inclusion (e.g. calcite, grit, even screws) - do that and it's far less costly to turn the carbide round on a RT cutter than it is to install a new brazed TCT one. To date I have yet to get chip-out on laminate tops with TC-RT whereas when I used to use brazed carbide tooling it did occur from time to time. As others have said, dust extraction is a bonus, but a 1/2in plunge router with at the very least 1800 watts is a must - I use a Festool OF2200e these days and that replaced a deWalt DW625e. Also as others do, I also make cut-outs and sizing cuts using a circular (plunge) saw and jigsaw combo.