sharpening router bits

[Cyrille de Brébisson]

hello,

like most beginner, I have a set of router bits that I bought for "cheap", but that are not working well (obviously). I was wondering, provided that they are mainly use for little jobs on a non regular basis, is it possible to just sharpen them and get them in an acceptable stage? if so, how am I supposed to sharpen them? just use a stone and grind on the flat part of the blades?

thanks, cyrille

[Chuck Hoffman]

Most of us have been there so let me guess: they are not carbide tipped and have 1/4" shanks. Steel bits can become dull quickly when used on hard stock and the 1/4" shanks tend to vibrate, particularly with too high a feed rate. They are appropriate only for very light work in soft wood. The answers are:

1) throw them away and get a set of carbide bits with 1/2" shanks. Yes, they are expensive. 2) check your local saw sharpening shops to see if they do router bits. 3) sharpen them yourself...NOT an easy task.

Answers #2 and #3 are only in play if the shanks are true. If the shanks are out of alignment, see answer #1.