Flush trim bit

[Roanin]

What is the difference between a flush trim bit and a laminate trimmer bit that you would use for trimming a laminate countertop sheet edge.

Thanks,

R

[dpb]

Length/diameter and often trimmers use angle not just straight flush.

Flush trim come in multitudes of sizes and diameters; you only need short and preferably smaller diameter (chip out is less) for laminate.

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[Ed Pawlowski]

To add on some clarification . . . there are small hand held laminate trimmers (small router type tool) that use those bits as opposed to a much larger typical wood working router that uses the "flush trim" bits

[dpb]

But they're usable in any router of the proper collet size...either way. The laminate trimmer as a specialty tool is somewhat of a newcomer on the scene.

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[dpb]

...

And to add some clarification on the clarification... :)

I point the latter out because in a home repair group I figure it's far more likely the average reader has a regular router than a laminate trimmer at hand...

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[Roanin]

Reason I was asking, I have some flush trim bits that I was practicing with on an old countertop that I removed the edge band from. Some of the bits when run on the countertop WITH the edgband still on them left a noticeable mark on the edgeband. The only way I felt safe was to adjust the cutting edges to just the size of the laminate. I could tell not difference in the

1" dia. bit and the 3/8" Dia bit. Are you supposed to adjust them so that the cutter bits are not below the top piece of laminate, or do I not have a precise enough bit?

Thanks,

R

[dadiOH]

A mark from the cutter or the bearing?

If the bearing runs free and is the proper diameter there should not be a mark from either regardless of the cutting depth if the top and edge are 90 degrees from each other. Best guess is that the angle was less than 90 degrees in which case the bearing would be slightly inboard of the cutter; in that case, the deeper the cutter was extended, the farther inboard it would cut. IOW, the bit is probably precise enough but your counter isn't.

[dpb]

On 7/24/2012 8:58 AM, Roanin wrote: ...

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If they're properly made and sized, you should be able to trim flush w/o scoring the bottom material noticeably. (I'm assuming here you're talking of the cutter not the bearing burning since raising the depth makes it go away apparently; the bearing would be a problem still, just relocated.)

That said, if the edge isn't square or your base isn't perfectly square or you're not holding the router firmly on the counter top, it's possible you could be causing a problem.

Or, of course, a slightly undersized bearing or lax tolerances on the grinding of the profile diameter.

Are these known brands or just no-name imports?

As for the diameters, if you didn't get chipping w/ that large a cutter I'll wager it wasn't Wilsonart or some of the other laminate products. :)

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[Jim Yanik]

"Roanin" wrote in news:jul1oj$rgq$ [e-mail]:

one has the guide bearing on the end away from the shank,and the other has the bearing close to the shank.

the bearing-away-from-shank bit is the laminate trim bit. the other one is for pattern following,since the pattern mounts on top of the workpiece.

[Roanin]

They were cheep no name bits I got to practice with. I looked at some name brand bits tonite at a big box store and they have a little distance between the bearing and the cutters. I am sure that the cutters are a bit larger than the bearing. Will get a good quality one before I try the new laminate trimming.

Not sure it is old stuff and looked like formica to me.

R

[dpb]

On 7/24/2012 10:33 PM, Roanin wrote: ...

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Superficially Wilsonart will/does look like Formica--it's much more brittle, however...

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