Will a flush trim bit plow thru or trim one edge only?

Mar 01, 2006 4 Replies

please excuse my relative newbieness.



Could you use a flush trim bit to cut directly through a material,.or are they for just trimming off a little from one edge of the cutter only. I'm back to thinking of how to cut the 1-3/8" hollow-core 6-panel textures masonite doors again, now that I have them. They'd have an end, say 1" of (soft?) wood, then the two faces of the textured panel, some cardboard possibly, then another end, say 1" of wood. If I got a bit w/ 1-3/8" depth of cutter, could I use that against a straightedge. One problem I could think of is wander. If I were (or even could), would an end bearing or top bearing be best?


I have had to re-read the answers to my previous post, now I've had time, and I'm still absorbing it.


Assuming it's a trim bit with a bearing, you can plow through *only* if the bearing is not riding on anything as you're cutting. If the bearing is riding on an edge, it can only be used for trimming flush.

And if the bearing is on the bottom, it'll only burn.

Use a collar and a straight bit. Spiral for better cutting. The collar follows your pattern, and where thick is a problem, can form the bearing surface for a flush-trimming bit used from the opposite face.

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