Carbide Cutter

[scimitar]

Having recently moved over to the dark side and bought a router, I am now on the lookout for bits I will need for it and have been looking at solid carbide spiral cut end mills. My question is I have seen a long 1/2" cutter that is very cheap but I am thinking it is really too long and might be too much for the router bearings and a little dangerous - it has a 4" cutting length and overall is 6" long. I would ideally go for a 2" cutting length bit but the cheapest is twice the price of this one - any thoughts? I am intending to use it mounted in a table (yet to be built).

 

[pshupe]

Only buy for the length you need. 4" cutter length seems a bit overkill for guitar work. I have a couple of 2 1/2" cutter length and they are lots. The problem comes when you try to get smaller diameter bits with a long cutter but if they make a 1/2" diameter bit with a 4" cutter length do they have any long 3/8" dia or 1/4" dia??

It's more about how much you are cutting at one time. For us, guitar makers you should not be cutting much at once. If you are hogging out, a chamber for instance, use a forstner to take most of the material and just clean up with the router bit. You will need a cutter length at least the length to the deepest part.

Logically having that long of a bit seems pretty dangerous in a hand held router and not that useful for a router table. Not sure where you would ever need that length.

Cheers Peter.

 

[scimitar]

Yes, that was really my thought, it would only be used for trimming the outer perimeter of the body or for the neck profile on a table and so the excess bit length could be below the table - hence my query more about the safety rather than the utility. The supplier clearly came across some surlus stock as these are the only bits they have so its probably this or just a standard TCT cutter.