Just spent $250 on a 'pro' flush trim bit that chattered like crazy on maple

My old $40 bit from the hardware store gave me cleaner edges. Anyone have a brand they actually trust for hardwoods?

4 comments

4 Comments

Look at joseph_kim talking about slowing way down and taking forever. I get it, but man... sometimes you just need a tool that works. I've had cheap bits that were junk out of the box, but I've also had pricey ones that were no better. Maple's tough, but if a bit chatters that bad right away, maybe it's just a bad bit, not a whole big technique problem. Feels like we're all told to blame ourselves first when sometimes the fancy tool just stinks.

matthewdixon2mo ago

Chatter is usually a feed rate or router speed issue, not just the bit. Maple is tough and can cause that. A sharp bit helps, but slowing down your cut or taking lighter passes often makes a bigger difference. That expensive bit might work fine if you adjust your technique.

joseph_kim2mo ago

Yeah, maple will really show you every little mistake in your setup. I was routing some curly maple last month and got that awful chattering sound, even with a brand new bit. Slowing the router down and taking way shallower passes than I thought I needed was the only thing that fixed it. Felt like it took forever, but the finish was finally smooth.

vera_johnson91mo ago

Wait, are you saying the cheaper bit actually worked better for you? I used to be all about spending big on router bits thinking expensive = better, but after a few duds like that I'm starting to wonder if it's more about luck than price lol.