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The difference in my shop after I switched from a 1/4 inch to a 1/2 inch shank router bit for dados
Did a big built-in job last month with a ton of dados. Started with my usual 1/4 inch shank bit. Got some chatter, had to go slow. Halfway through, I switched to a 1/2 inch shank bit on the same router. The cut was way smoother, almost no vibration. Finished the rest of the dados in about half the time. Is the extra cost for the beefier bits actually worth it for daily use, or just for big production runs?
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iris9271mo ago
But have you checked if your router collet is worn out? A loose 1/4 inch shank in a bad collet will chatter no matter what. A 1/2 inch bit just hides that problem. For most home shop stuff, you don't need that much tooling. The cost adds up fast for a full set of half inch bits, and they're heavier to use all day. I'd rather buy a new collet and save the money.
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marywilson1mo ago
Iris, you really think most weekend warriors are even gonna check their collet before assuming the router's just junk? That chattering sound usually gets blamed on the bit being cheap or the wood being too hard. I swear half the problems I see in doorskin plywood could be fixed with a five minute collet cleaning.
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amy_anderson1mo ago
That bit about the half inch bit hiding the problem really hits home. It's like when people buy a bigger tool to cover up a basic skill gap or a maintenance issue. You see it everywhere, right? Throwing money at the symptom instead of fixing the root cause. A new collet is what, twenty bucks? But how many of us would just assume we need the bigger, more expensive thing first?
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