Plunge Router Bits Vs Non Plunge

Plunge routers and fixed base routers.

Plunge router bits vs non plunge. Most profile edge bits like a round over or roman ogee bit will have a sleeve bearing that will guide the bit along the edge of the work piece. Join the wwgoa community to access a huge library of woodworking instructional videos. Use other bits to cut profile edges with a plunge router following the same procedure. A plunge base router is designed so that you can preset the cut depth and then lower plunge the bit into the cut with the router s base flat on the surface of the material.

If you are just getting into woodworking and you want to purchase your first router we suggest that you start with a fixed base one because it s easier to use as it offers a much more precise cut. Learn how to work t. Because a spiral bit is designed much like a drill bit it makes plunge cuts easily. The cutters of a straight bit do not overlap so if you plunge straight down deeper than 3 32 in you might burn away the wood in the middle but you won t cut it.

Router george vondriska demonstra. The biggest advantage that plunge routers have is that they can make cuts directly in the middle of a workpiece much like the way you use a scroll saw on an intarsia project fixed routers aren t able to accurately or safely cut into the middle of a workpiece since their cutting bits are already set to a specific depth. Which one should you buy. Fixed routers are more common in professional woodworking shops because mainly they offer a higher quality result than the plunge routers but that doesn t mean that the plunge models are not good.

Each router has its benefits and drawbacks over the other which makes it even more important for you to understand what makes each router different from each other. Why spiral bits are better for plunge cuts. One bad part about this type of router is that when users need to cut the material from the top they would encounter some challenges because these tools are not built to handle tasks like that. Set the depth gauge for the amount of bit you want to use.

A plunge router is named after its plunging abilities that come from its plate that slides on a rail to put the bit into a piece of wood. Install the desired router bit in the collet. Power needs to be applied to the plunge router to drive the bit to the wood you are cutting but when it comes to fixed base routers it cannot be shifted once it is set in place.