Types of wood cutters for a manual router: edge, groove, combined. The main types of wood cutters for a hand router. What is the diameter of wood cutters?

A milling cutter is a cutting tool with which a manual milling machine or a stationary unit processes the surface of various materials (wood, plastic, metal). Since the equipment is designed for rotational movement, its basic shape will be disc-shaped or cylindrical. At the same time, the cutting edges of the tool can have a rather intricate shape. Hand milling cutters are divided into several types. The most common among them are for wood processing. At the same time, wood cutters also have their own classification. Let's look at what types of cutters are designed for processing wooden surfaces, and how to choose them correctly.

If needed select groove any depth and width, then a groove cutter is ideal for this purpose. Its design allows this operation to be performed both on the face (face) of the part and on its edge. A groove cutter is mainly used when joining parts into a tenon. Also, using attachments for a wood router that follow a ruler, you can cut even grooves of any width.

Shaped

Allows you to give the groove certain shapes, similar to braces. The tool not only selects grooves inside the workpiece, but also changes the shape of the edge ribs. When making a complex pattern on the surface of a workpiece, a straight cutter (groove) is first passed through it. In the future, this simplifies the alignment of the shaped equipment.

The following pictures show the main types of slotted router bits.

Structural

After processing the workpiece with this equipment, a groove is obtained that looks like a trapezoid (dovetail) or an inverted letter “T”.

This method of connecting parts is considered one of the most reliable, since the tenons are pushed into grooves of the same shape, and they cannot be separated by any other method.

V-shaped fillets

Although the word “fillet” refers to a semicircular notch or groove, V-cutters also fall into this category. The tool allows you to select not only vertical grooves, but also grooves at a certain angle. Also, a fillet cutter is often used for decorative carvings and changing the geometry of edges in furniture production.

Fillet

They have a rounded cutting part. If you look at the groove after it has passed through the section, it will resemble letter “U”.

The cutter is used for decorative finishing of the edges and ends of wood products, creating complex patterns on the face of the workpiece or various fillet recesses (grooves) on the face of the product and on its edges.

Direct

This is the simplest tool, shaped like a cylinder. The groove obtained in the workpiece has a rectangular cross-section.

The equipment is most often used with plunge routers.

Straight groove (finger) cutters are used if you need to select a rectangular groove with a clean bottom, for example, for inserting door locks and hinges.

Edge cutters

In most cases, edge cutters have thrust bearing. Thanks to it, it becomes possible to guide the tool along the template, processing the edges and edges of the workpiece.

Half-rod

The tool creates semicircular protrusions on the edges of workpieces.

If you use a half-rod cutter in combination with a molding or fillet cutter, you can make hinged joints. Half-rod tools are also used to produce round rods. In this case, the workpiece is processed on both sides.

Curly

These figure cutters are also called multidisciplinary. Depending on the tasks, the master can use part of the equipment profile or use it completely. In the second case, you will need to install the tool in a unit that has a power of at least 1600 W.

Fillet

Designed to give the workpiece ribs an internal radius or to make grooves with a circular cross-section.

Fillet cutters are equipped with one or two bearings, eliminating tool distortion.

Conical

Using cone cutters you can:

• chamfer the edge of the workpiece;
• decorate the edge of the tabletop;
• create an angular cut on the edges of the workpiece before gluing them (polygonal-shaped products can be obtained).

Folded

Applicable for quarter samples and grooves of rectangular section. Thanks to the thrust bearing, the rebate cutter can be used on both straight and curved workpieces.

To adjust the groove depth, thrust bearings of different diameters are used.

Mouldings

Moulder cutters allow you to obtain an arched, straight, or shaped edge on a workpiece. Working with any part of the same equipment, you can:

• round the edge of the part;
• get a rebated edge;
• make a semi-rod protrusion;
• get edge with sponge;
• make decorative processing of the ribs, for example, making window frames.

You can also use molding cutters to create complex shaped ornaments on the edges and ends of a wooden part.

The equipment in this series can also be double, as shown in the following figure.

On double cutter The distance between the elements can be changed in accordance with the thickness of the workpiece. Thanks to two elements, the workpiece is processed in one pass, simultaneously on both sides.

Direct

A straight edge (overrunning or end) cutter is used for finishing the ends of a workpiece or creating an ideal 90 angle between the face of a part and its edge (end). The bearing can be installed at the top or bottom of the tool.

With the lower position of the bearing, the template is fixed under the workpiece, and with the upper position - above the workpiece.

In addition to the facing function, the equipment with the upper bearing can be used as a groove tool and cut a rectangular groove on the workpiece face, of course, using a template of a certain height. The diameter of the bearing is usually equal to the diameter of the tool, meaning it is flush with the cutting edge. But in some cases it is changed to a smaller or larger diameter in order to expand the capabilities of the equipment.

The corn cutter is also an edging cutter. Its main purpose is to grind and align the edges of the workpiece according to the template. Thanks to the special arrangement of the knives (in a spiral), it is ensured easy chip removal and smooth running of the tool.

Combination cutters

Splicing workpieces is considered most effective if combined equipment is used. These types of cutters consist of both tenon and groove elements: thanks to this design, the equipment produces both profiles in one pass. As a result, the area of ​​the edge intended for gluing increases, which has a positive effect on the strength of the connection.

Framework

Frame cutters are compound tools. All cutting elements are installed on the base, and the master can place them in the desired order. Set cutters have the following components:

• base;
• cutting elements;
• bearing;
• washer;
• fixing nut.

When changing the location of the cutting elements, it is not necessary to remove the shank from the collet of the unit. It is enough just to unscrew the fasteners located at the bottom of the equipment, and all its elements are removed. Thanks to collapsible design The tool overhang remains the same, and re-adjustment is not required.

Tongue-and-mortise

The kit contains 2 cutters, one for making a groove, and the second for a tenon.

Tongue-and-mortise cutters have a mirror-identical profile of the cutting elements, thanks to which the processed parts are joined as accurately as possible.

The only disadvantage of this equipment is that the grooves and tenons are made with different cutters, which have to be changed and again their offset relative to the base of the unit must be adjusted.

For the manufacture of lining

Milling cutters for making lining are similar in their operating principle to a tongue-and-groove tool, but with the only difference that when connecting parts, a V-groove between them to simulate timber. To make the connection, a set of 2 elements is also required.

Universal

After passing the tool, 2 planes are obtained, completely compatible with each other, having a groove and a tenon. Both of the latter are located at an angle to each other.

A microtenon cutter is also used to splice parts.

The equipment can be used both for longitudinal splicing of workpieces (in the manufacture of panels) and for end splicing of parts.

For corner jointing of wood, equipment from a series of combined ones is also used, which makes it possible to prepare joints at an angle of 45 degrees.

It should be noted that the same combination cutter is used to process workpieces that need to be joined. The original design of the equipment makes it possible to achieve maximum quality of joining of parts, and also significantly saves time, since there is no need to change the tool.

Apply a tool in the manufacture of panels, namely for decorative processing of the edges of parts. All equipment has a thrust bearing fixed at the bottom. A cutter with a bearing can process not only rectangular workpieces, but also shaped ones. You should know that paneling tools have a diameter of 50 to 70 m, so in order to use them effectively, you must have a device with a power of at least 1500 W. For a household router, processing panels with this type of equipment will be an impossible task.

To make doors using a manual milling cutter (meaning kitchen facades), you will need to purchase a special set consisting of three elements.

The set contains the following facade cutters: one panel cutter and two accessories for furniture trim (profile-counter-profile).

Horizontal

Used for pre-treatment panels. To form a tenon for insertion into the frame groove, additional processing of the edge will be required.

Vertical

Most often, vertical figurine cutters are used for making plinths.

Horizontal double-sided

This type of equipment significantly simplifies the production process, since in one pass of the tool a connecting tenon and part of a panel of a certain configuration appears on the edge.

In addition to the above types of equipment, many craftsmen also use homemade cutters. They are usually standard plumbing drills, sharpened in a special way. You can learn how this is done at home from the video.

Criteria for choosing a cutting tool for wood

When choosing wood cutters for a manual unit, you should pay attention to the following equipment parameters.

Shank diameter and size

It should be taken into account that some foreign manufacturers of cutters may indicate the diameter of the shank in inches. In most cases, if a collet clamp is installed on the unit, then there will be no problems with installing the equipment, of course, provided that the diameter of the collet matches the diameter of the shank.

It is important to know that the collet of a hand-held unit is not a drill chuck into which you can clamp tools of different diameters. The inner diameter of the collet must strictly correspond to the diameter of the tool shank. Difficulties may arise if you buy equipment with a 1/2ʺ (12.7 mm) shank and try to insert it into a collet with a 12 mm diameter. At the same time, a shank with a diameter of 6 mm will be clamped in a collet at 1.4 inches (6.35 mm) without any problems.

Before purchasing a cutter, especially an expensive one, read the instructions for the unit and find out which collet is installed on it.

Shank length rigging is also of great importance. Not all of them have elongated shanks, and sometimes their size is not enough to use the tool, for example, when expanding deep grooves. Also, long shanks of the equipment may be needed when securing the unit under the table. In this case it is customary to use cutter extension, which is clamped in the collet of the unit.

Blade material

This is an important criterion when choosing equipment. The product can be made of high-speed steel (HSS) or carbide (HM). Blades from high speed steel Can easily cope with soft wood of low density. But these cutters are not suitable for processing hard wood. In this case, they can be replaced with equipment with carbide blades.

Location of cutting elements

The blades on the tool can be positioned vertically, that is, parallel to the axis of the shank, or at a certain angle to it. Vertically located the blades work like a plane and cut wood more than they cut it. Therefore, if the blades are a little dull, they will leave marks on the surface they treated, which will have to be sanded.

Blades located at an angle to the tool axis, they work much cleaner and do not form chips.

Stone cutters

To process artificial stone with a milling cutter (manual), you can use traditional types of cutters designed for wood, but only with carbide blades. There is one nuance here: artificial stone is a composite material containing tiny abrasive particles. Therefore, no matter what carbide material the cutter is made from, it will only be enough to process no more than 10 linear meters of stone workpiece. Further, dull blades will not provide the required cleanliness, for example, of the bonded surfaces, which will affect the quality of the connection.

Therefore, professionals advise using the best cutters from well-known manufacturers such as Festool, Leuco, Titman, Leitz, Dimar. The service life of cutting tools manufactured by these enterprises is 5-10 times higher than that of conventional carbide tools. With “branded” equipment it is already possible to process from 60 to 100 meters of composite.

Cutters for wood and stone are similar in appearance and even have the same names. Some of them are very often used for stone cutting operations. But there are cutters specially designed for processing composite products.

Using this stone cutter you can create drip edges on kitchen (toilet) sinks and composite countertops. Typically, complete bead formation occurs in 2 passes of the tool.

There is also a modification of the cutter “anti-overflow”, which has a thrust bearing.

This tool is designed for preparing surfaces before splicing. The cutting part of the equipment has a wavy profile.

Using the equipment, a groove is selected, which is subsequently intended for inlaying with composite materials.

This set is used to repair damage to the surface of artificial stone products. The set contains 2 elements. One makes the cork, and the second makes a hole for it.

You can also use cutters from CERATIZIT for processing composites.

This diamond cutters, which are distinguished by their wear resistance. They are made by sintering several layers of diamond chips. The multi-layer coating allows you to extend the service life of the tool, since during its operation new layers of abrasive appear to replace worn-out layers.

Metal cutters

There is no specially created metal equipment for a hand router. Typically, craftsmen use equipment designed for machine tools with a suitable shank diameter. Most often, end mills are used on hand-held units to create grooves. But you should know that the router is a high-speed machine, which is not very suitable for end cutters. Therefore, the metal must be removed in minimal layers, a few tenths of a mm thick, and in several passes. The following photo shows a spiral cutter for metal.

You can also install on milling cutters burrs of various configurations, which can easily handle steel, cast iron, stainless steel, brass and even titanium. But since they most often have a small shank diameter (6 mm), an adapter will be required for installation in an eight-mm collet.

Burrs for metal come in the following types.

1. Disk. You can make all kinds of cuts and process grooves.
   
   
2. Conical (60°). Used for countersinking holes.
   
   
3. Conical with reverse taper. The equipment is used for grinding grooves, processing sharp corners of the workpiece, removing welds in the corners of the product, and processing hard-to-reach holes.
   
   
4. Conical with rounding. Used for processing joints, cleaning welds, and processing planes.
   
   
5. Conical pointed. The tool can handle sharp corners, joints of parts, and also perform milling in hard-to-reach places.
   
   
6. Oval. They process and expand holes, and also align welds in the corners of parts.
   
   
7. Flame-shaped. Thanks to its universal shape, the tool is used for creating fillets, as well as for processing them.
   
   
8. Spherical. The tooling can be used for machining holes, creating semicircular mates and machining grooves.
   
   
9. Spheroconic pointed. You can process honey with planes connected at an acute angle.
   
   
10. Spheroconic rounded. Mates with internal radii are processed.
    
    
11. Spherocylindrical. You can process edges, profiles, welds, radius grooves. This equipment also removes chamfers and burrs and prepares the surface for welding.
    
    
12. Cylindrical with a smooth end. Used for processing contours, seams after welding, edges, for chamfering and deburring.
    
    
13. Cylindrical with teeth. Equipment with teeth on the end is used for the same purposes as equipment with a smooth end. Only this type of tool can work simultaneously in two planes at right angles.

Accessories for hand router

The main task performed by various devices for this unit is to expand the functionality of the device. Some of the accessories are included with the device, but other attachments for the router must be purchased separately or made by yourself.

This device is available in standard any router.

The stop allows you to make straight cuts on workpieces. The edge of the workpiece or the guide rail is used as a basic guide.

The tire acts as a guide along which the device stop moves. Using this device, they produce straight-line milling of workpieces.

This device is attached to the sole of the unit and allows you to produce radial milling and cutting out circles.

Grooving

For making grooves for a certain width, use the router attachment shown in the following figure.

The width of the groove is adjusted by one platform. In this case, a straight groove cutter with an upper bearing is used.

Copier

To transfer any complex ornament or pattern special devices are used for the workpiece - copiers (pantographs).

The copier works as follows:

• the workpiece is placed under the unit installed in the pantograph;
• the ornament or pattern that needs to be copied is placed at the required distance from the copier;
• The pantograph pointer is set to the initial position, after which the unit engine is turned on;
• all movements of the pointer along the pattern are accurately transmitted to the router, and it cuts out a copy of the required pattern on the workpiece.

The copy sleeve is needed, first of all, to protect the template from the impact of tool blades. In addition, the copying ring, moving along the edge of the template, transfers all its shapes to the cutter, which processes the part located under the fixture.

If the hole in the template exceeds the dimensions of the sole of the device, then it can be installed on a platform of suitable dimensions.

This simple device allows you to cut transverse and longitudinal grooves in cylindrical workpieces (turned table legs, pillars, balusters).

To make tenons for box connection, straight or dovetail, use a tenoning device.

The use of this attachment allows you to produce tenons with equal distances between them, so that the parts are connected in an ideal way.

Tenon-groove device

The tongue and groove connection is the most common in carpentry.

To make this connection, there are special devices called pantorouters.

Despite the apparent complexity of the design, this machine can be easily made with your own hands according to drawings, which are abundant on the Internet.

By installing a manual unit in the table, you get stationary mini machine. With its help, it is convenient to process small and long parts that cannot be clamped with clamps. There are ready-made milling tables on sale that are specifically designed for mounting hand-held milling machines. Below is a table produced by the Corvette company.

But as practice shows, most craftsmen prefer to make milling tables with your own hands, since their design is not complicated. The table for the router can be made from thick plywood or chipboard with a thickness of 16 mm or more.

If you cut an isosceles triangle, for example, from plywood, and attach it to the sole of the router, as shown in the following figure, you will get a simple device for processing door panels.

This overlay allows for additional decoration of already finished doors without disassembling them, without the use of templates.

How to sharpen a cutter at home

Sharpening of a cutter should be carried out only after complete removal of carbon deposits and contaminants from its body and cutting elements. For these purposes, it is better to use a special cleaning liquid (shown in the figure below).

Apply the product to the cutting parts of the equipment and wait a few minutes for it to dissolve the carbon deposits. Then you should take a regular toothbrush and thoroughly clean the blades of any remaining dirt. After cleaning, you can begin the sharpening process itself. To carry out this operation at home, you will first need to purchase set of diamond stones, differing in grain size.

For rough sharpening, bars with larger grains are used. But the process of straightening blades should always be completed by polishing with the finest abrasive.

To sharpen a cutter, follow these steps:

• Place the block on the edge of the table and moisten it with water. If necessary, fix the device;
• lay the equipment on the block so that its cutting edge is in contact with the block along its entire length;
• move the cutter along the emery with smooth movements with equal pressure, periodically wetting it with water;
• Make the same number of movements for each blade of the rig so that the edges are stitched evenly.

If the equipment prepared for sharpening has a thrust bearing, it must be removed before starting the process.

Of course, if there is such an opportunity, it is better to submit the cutter for sharpening to a specialized workshop, where it will be restored using precision equipment. This procedure is inexpensive when compared to the cost of diamond stones.

Wood processing at home has become much easier thanks to the advent of new tools. One of the most popular of them is the manual router. But to choose the right consumable tools, you need to familiarize yourself with the types of wood cutters and their functional features.

Working principle of cutters

The purpose of this type of woodworking tool is the formation of recesses of a certain shape or fine processing of the surface of a workpiece. To perform these functions they have individual design features.

Currently, there are several fundamental differences between wood cutters for various purposes. To complete a manual router, so-called finger models are used. Structurally, they are similar to drills - they have a tail, main and working part. However, this is where the similarities end. The main difference is the type of movement of the part and the tool. The processing part for wood has a rotational moment, and the workpiece has a translational moment.

Using finger tools, you can perform the following types of processing of wooden workpieces:

• edge processing. Necessary for interfacing various workpieces with each other. In effect, a tenon/groove assembly is formed;
• insertion of hinges or other fittings;
• decorative function. Using a hand-held wood router, you can make three-dimensional shapes on the surface of flat products or workpieces with complex configurations.

In practice, any professional craftsman can list several dozen ways to use finger cutters on wood or metal. But to correctly select a specific set of tools, you need to familiarize yourself with the official classification.

In addition to the processing tool, the quality of work is affected by the configuration and type of hand router. In particular, a set of additional stops and templates.

Classification of cutters

The determining parameter for cutters is the types of work that can be performed with their help. For a small furniture production, a set may consist of several edge processing tools. Professional carpentry shops will require more tools.

Profile cutters

They are among the most popular tools for processing wooden products. They can be used to form grooves, quarters and grooves. One of the methods of application is the production of curves on the ends of the workpiece.

Depending on the area of ​​application, processing tools of this type are divided into the following categories:

• For rounding edges. Structurally, they can consist of cutting parts with different radii. In this way, a complex figured edge is formed in one pass;
• For chamfering. They differ in the angle of inclination of the chamfers (from 45° to 60°), as well as their number. In their design, the working edges are only lateral. To improve positioning accuracy, they contain a thrust bearing in the lower part;
• Grooving. In many ways similar to models for forming chamfers. The difference lies in the presence of a cutting part at the lower working end.

The most popular area of ​​application for this type of tool is furniture production and the production of decorative frames of various types.

Grooved

Designed for the full implementation of the cutting part into the workpiece and the subsequent formation of grooves or grooves with a complex configuration. Groove models consist of main working parts (side) and auxiliary (end). The latter is needed to deepen the tool into a wooden part.

After installing the tool on a hand router, you can make grooves of various shapes in wood. The configuration of groove models depends on the design and shape of the cutting parts. Based on these parameters, the processing tool can be divided into the following groups:

• straight edges. They can have a diameter ranging from 2 to 30 mm. Well suited for primary processing;
• spiral configuration of the cutting part. Their size varies from 3 to 8 mm. Designed for processing soft wood. Their shape allows for good removal of chips from the processing area;
• for cutting tenons;
• finger-type disc instruments. Designed for making grooves on the end parts of products. To ensure accurate groove formation, it is recommended to make multiple passes of the cutting part.

When choosing grooving tools, you need to pay attention to the size of the rotation angles of the edges being machined. Additionally, the parameters of the templates and stops of the hand router are taken into account.

Rebate selection (quarters)

Their configuration is in many ways similar to finger cylindrical models. The difference lies in the presence of thrust components located at the bottom of the structure. They may take the form of thrust pins. An alternative option is to install a bearing.

This addition is necessary for precise positioning of the edges at the end of the workpiece. In this way, the same groove width is achieved. Depending on the configuration, the following types of cutting tools with a lower stop are distinguished:

• fit. The diameter of the bearing and working edges is the same. Designed for flush processing of the edge part of the workpiece;
• prefabricated Several cutting parts can be installed on the tool shaft, thereby changing the configuration of the future groove or quarter. This function is necessary for connecting several parts with complex shapes.

When choosing models that use a rotating thrust pin as a stop, it should be taken into account that it will leave an uneven surface after processing. But at the same time, the processing speed of such models is much higher than that of tools with thrust bearings.

Special

In most cases, special-purpose models are used to improve the aesthetic qualities of processed products. With their help, you can form complex convex patterns on the end and front parts of the workpieces.

To form the ornament, you can use V-shaped tools. In addition, they will perform the function of engraving. Changing the position of the tool on wood often occurs not according to a template, but freely - by hand. In addition to this model, the following special types of wood cutters are used:

• for forming holes for dowels;
• for installation of furniture fittings - hinges, locks and similar elements;
• formation of two matching profiles. One of them serves as a response.

These are just typical cases of using special woodworking tools. To create truly complex designs without a lot of time, special one-piece models are often developed.

Additionally, when choosing a milling tool, it is necessary to take into account not only its configuration, but also the material of manufacture. For processing hard wood, it is recommended to use models with carbide tips. They will not only quickly complete the required work, but will also ensure high quality. To increase functionality, you can use models with removable cutting edges.

Helpful information

Milling cutters for a hand-held wood router are designed for processing various workpieces, parts and structures made of wood, as well as its derivative saw materials (chipboard, fibreboard, plywood, veneer, etc.) and are, in fact, working equipment for a hand-held on wood. In general, using such a tool, equipped with special equipment, it is possible to process the widest range of known materials. But here we will talk specifically about working with wood and saw materials.

Application

It is widespread and practiced when performing various construction, finishing, repair and installation works made of wood. This processing method makes it possible to create a wide variety of elements on wooden structures: grooves, ledges, edges, profiles, grooves, etc. This processing allows you to articulate wooden blanks and structures, ideally fitting the component parts to each other, and with the help of recessed cavities, various structural and functional elements (locks, latches, hinges, lamps, etc.) can be inserted into the wood.

Equipment classification

There are several classification options for this equipment, taking into account various characteristic features. They are divided by the structure of the teeth, the design of the body of the tool (solid, welded, brazed and prefabricated), as well as by the material from which they are made (hard alloys, high-speed steel, mineral ceramics and rarer new high-tech materials). Solid ones are made from the same material and are in this sense monolithic; in welded ones, the stronger cutting elements are directly welded to the body; in brazed ones, they are soldered on, and in prefabricated ones they are fastened using connecting elements.

In our online store you can always choose and purchase not only a single copy of the equipment, but also a set of wood cutters for the router.

A real helper in the house is a hand router with a variety of cutters. Their use turns wooden blocks into real works of art. Let's get acquainted with the most popular wood cutters, purpose and application.

What is a manual milling machine

Small wooden parts are processed at home using a manual milling machine. Let's look at what types of cutter sets there are and what they are used for.

Main Application:

• For installing doors
• For mounting window frames (frame cutters)
• When turning small bars and planks
• When creating holes for installing door and window locks

The router is used only for spot work on small wooden areas.

The power of the tool is:

• Easy

The lightweight model has a power of up to 750 W. Suitable for small jobs at home.

• Average

With a power of 750–900 W, the model is in demand. This is an indispensable assistant during the installation of furniture frames and the creation of shaped parts from wooden blocks.

• Heavy

The heavy model is used to make professional products. It has a power of 900–1200 W.

Classification of wood bits for a hand router

Regardless of the technical characteristics, equipment can be divided according to the specific use.

• Spiral

The spiral cutter allows the tool to be in constant contact with the wood material. This results in a smoother cut.

• Profile

Using profile tools, corners are rounded, chamfered and grooves are made. Microtenon cutter is one of the varieties. It has side and end edges. Using this cutter, a tongue-and-groove joint is formed;

• 45˚ cutters

An edge type of cutter that gives the edge an aesthetic appearance. There are no knives at the end, and the presence of a bearing on the structure helps to cut the edge of the tabletop according to patterns and obtain a chamfer on the edge of the product.

Important! To prolong the life of the bearing, it must be lubricated regularly with machine oil.

• Extended

To make wooden workpieces look clean - with grooves and grooves, you should opt for long grooved cutters. They can be either a carbide monolith or a steel tool with high-speed cutting tips. MDF and chipboard boards are processed with an elongated cutting tool for a hand router.

• Round

Ball cutters for wood have a round shape. They are used to process the ends of wooden parts and create grooves. A distinctive feature of this type of cutter is the presence of a cutting part along the entire circumference. This advantage allows the tool to work at any angle, both on the entire working surface and in individual areas.

How to choose slot cutters. Their main types

• Direct

The cylindrical shape of the cutter leaves a rectangular section in the groove after work. This is the simplest tool.

• Fillet

Milling cutters with a rounded cutting head are used for shaped processing of carpentry blanks. They are used for decorative processing of furniture elements, and the cross-section of the groove resembles the configuration of the letter U.

• V-shaped 90˚

Cutters are used to create a small V-shaped groove on a wooden piece. Its side walls have an angle of 90˚ between themselves.

• Structural

The cutter in the workpiece forms an inverted letter T. Its base has the shape of a regular trapezoid. This is a very reliable connection. If the workpieces move together, there is no other way to separate them.

• Shaped

The tool is used for decorative and edging work. They are also called paneled. The cross section of the groove produces the shape of a curly brace. Not only the center, but also the edge of the workpiece is milled.

Important! Milling cutters are consumables. It is necessary to make a supply of cutters, since they are worn out during processing of wooden blanks.

• Finger

Finger (overrunning) sharpening consists of a tail, main and working part. Using the tool, a recess of a certain configuration is formed, the edge is processed, and hinges or other fittings are cut in. And on the surface of the block you can make decorative elements of volumetric shapes.

• Radial

The cutters are convex and concave with reverse rotation, which makes them universal. They perform complex or figured processing of wooden blanks.

• Profile

The cutter has a cylindrical shape, a cutting edge, and additional end elements that protect the bottom of the groove. They come with interchangeable knives. Process recesses and concessions. The sharpening penetrates deeply into the workpiece, processing the hole and plane, which are located at an angle of 90˚ to each other.

• typesetting

The construction industry offers cutters in sets of 10, 12, 50 and 60 pieces. You need to choose a tool according to technical parameters.

• Profile–counter-profile

With the help of some cutters it is possible to form two mutually matching profiles, one of which is a counter profile. This can be a set of two separate cutters that complement each other (“profile-counter-profile”).

• Corn

The planing cutter is made of a light but durable alloy, equipped with four-sided carbide knives, designed for planing smooth surfaces of soft and hard wood or milling curved workpieces made of wood, plywood, MDF on single-spindle milling machines with manual and mechanical feeding of workpieces.

You need to pay attention:

• for soldering, which may lose its longitudinal stability during long-term operation;
• on a plate with a shank, which must be firmly soldered with article material PSR 40 or PSR 37.5 with silver and copper;
• for thermal strength, which is tested by heating to a temperature of 200–250˚ C. In this case, the longitudinal axis should not be bent by more than 0.05 mm.

Cutters made from high-speed steel have better strength compared to monolithic cutters made from tool steel.

• Conical

Used to obtain 3D reliefs on the surface of workpieces. The shank in a cone cutter can have a diameter of 4, 6 and 8 mm. The depth of the relief depends on the selected shank diameter. It is used to process external edges, decorative chamfers, and furniture parts, which will subsequently be joined into a round shape.

These cutters perform slotting and grooving work in wood blanks. Manufacturers use high-strength steel with anti-corrosion protection.

Wood cutter sizes

The main parameters of the equipment are length and diameter. The most popular shank diameters are 6, 8 and 12 mm. It is key to the tool. The store sells cutters with a diameter of ¼ inch - 6.35 mm and ½ - 12.7 mm. They do not fit 6 and 12 mm collets.

Important! The diameters of the shank and collet must be the same size. A small difference will not give the expected result in your work.

Conclusion

Having familiarized ourselves with the types of cutters, we can conclude that milling has great capabilities - it forms edges, panels, grooves, grooves of different depths and configurations. Each type of tool is designed for a specific type of work. The seam cutter is used to produce window grooves for glass in wooden frames. The production of furniture facades using façade cutters, plinths, parquet boards, handrails, and baguettes is possible in other ways. You can see how much wood cutters cost in any hardware or specialty store. A separate product group is diamond wood cutters. They are distinguished by the highest strength, but the price is several times higher. There are cutters for aluminum, stone, and metal, but that’s another topic.

When working with a hand router, you must follow safety precautions. Special clothing and a respirator are required.

Just a couple of decades ago, a simple cutter from a hand router for cutting quarters was considered to be in short supply.

They were rented from each other for "magarych", and the craftsmen at the factory tried to make them themselves, converting them from machine tools, adapting them to home instruments.

Currently, the types of wood cutters for a hand router amaze the imagination with their diversity.

Wood cutters for hand routers of various types

The wide selection of existing equipment requires some systematization; today we will analyze the main types of wood cutters, their division into groups and types.

Typical cutter design and blade options

The design of wood cutters for a manual router is typical: the shank and cutting part, dimensions and appearance, which depend on the tasks assigned. Let us consider their structure in detail.

Shank - attached to the router chuck

It can have a different design - cylindrical, conical, sometimes a flat is machined on it to prevent slipping in the chuck.

The tail is cylindrical

The main task of the shank is to ensure reliable fastening to the required depth of penetration of the equipment into the material.

It is possible to install a guide bearing on the shank. It serves as a kind of stop for bending around the template or moving along the guide edge of the workpiece.

The advantages of this design are that it wears out less and the bearing is easy to replace. The bearing attachment does not require installation of a copy ring on a hand router, which simplifies work with the template.

Cutting part

Determines the shape of the milled surface. It can be made both in the form of molded grooves on the main body of the tool, and carbide brazing on a softer base.

The cutting part is either monolithic or consists of replaceable dial disks mounted on an axis. For example, like on a microtenon cutter.

Microtenon is used in tenon joints, consists of stacked disks

The stacked version is more practical because it allows you to create different configurations on the same shank. However, due to the complexity of manufacturing, they have a higher cost. Replaceable disks have a second name - attachment cutter.

Replaceable disk

According to the type of material, cutters are divided into two groups

1. High speed, HSS classification. They mill soft wood very efficiently and at high speed. On hard rocks they overheat and quickly become dull. Advantages - low cost.
2. Carbide, HM classification. Designed mainly for processing hard wood. They wear out more slowly, but are more fragile and on soft wood it is difficult to achieve a perfectly flat surface. The processing of the workpiece takes longer. The cost of these attachments is higher than high-speed ones.

The working surface (sharpened edges or cutting teeth) can have different shapes. Straight ones are easier to maintain, but get dull faster. When passing through, dissimilar wood can cause chips and gouges.

note

Helical-shaped edges provide an ideal milled surface, but sharpening them requires special equipment, so as they become dull, as a rule, a new attachment is purchased.

Sharpening angles for different attachments

Much depends on the angle at which the working edge is sharpened. Usually it does not exceed 90 degrees and is selected according to the type of material with which the nozzle will work. After the rear platform of the cutting edge comes a complex-shaped structure called a chipbreaker.

Without proper removal of chips from the working area, high-speed rotation of the equipment will become impossible.

Set cutters often have double-sided sharpening. This allows you to use one disk twice as long. When one side becomes blunt, the element simply flips 180 degrees.

But this design does not allow the use of a system of complex trailing edge angles and grooves for chip removal. As a result, the efficiency and quality of work of the nozzle decreases.

Slot cutters

They are also called end saws, can withstand radial loads, and are designed for milling slots of various sizes and configurations.

They are divided into separate types:

1. Straight – designed for making rectangular grooves.
2. Triangular - they are used to mill V-shaped grooves.
3. Shaped - give the groove a figured shape; you can imitate a panel pattern on the surface.
4. Dovetail, a type of structural cutter, is used to make tenon joints with the same name. Milling is possible only with the use of a special template.
5. Structural - choose grooves in a “T” shaped configuration. During operation, it is necessary to ensure that chips are removed from the groove.
6. Fillet - cut semicircular grooves, used in surface decoration.

Examples of slot cutter grooves

For very deep grooves

The photo shows an example of a groove cutter for very deep grooves; it is used for inserting locks and making grooves for hinges in doors and openings.
The equipment is available in diameters of 16, 20, 24 mm, the length of the working part is 50 mm. Carbide knives are secured with screws. They can be purchased separately as a set of main ones, trimming ones and, if necessary, replaced independently.
The cutters are designed for the Festool OF 2200 router and are used together with the KR-D 30/21.5 / OF 2200 copying ring. Thanks to the non-sharpening inserts, they have a constant diameter, which is very important when working with templates.
In addition to the separately sold attachments, there is a set HW KN D20/D24 WP/K, consisting of cutters D 20x50 and D 24x50, a copy ring, two replacement knives, four screws, two scoring knives, Topx T15 wrenches and a socket wrench 22. The set is supplied in the Festool Systainer.