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The solid carbide spiral bits produced by Whiteside are absolutely gorgeous. The graceful curves of the helical flutes are plunge cutting, and available in up, down and compression cutting geometries.
Upcutting bits protect the bottom surface of the workpiece from tear out, and quickly clear chips from the deepest mortises or grooves. Used with a hand held router, the flutes help to prevent lifting and rocking, for extra control.
Down cutting router bits, help to prevent tear out on the surface of a workpiece. Used with a CNC router, down cutting bits help prevent thin workpieces from lifting.
Compression cut bits are just the ticket for working with plywood, or other laminated products. The bits feature opposing shear angles to keep both the top and bottom surfaces of the workpiece tear out free. 1+1 bits are single flute, 2+2 are double fluted.
A Guide to Straight Router Bits
Available in a range of diameters, lengths, materials, and flute designs, straight bits can do it all. If you need to trim an edge, cut a dado or rabbet, trace a template, cut a mortise, inlay or carve some basic lettering a straight bit can get the job done.
Straight flute bits are a good all around choice. Whiteside straight flute bits are sharpened with a convex grind for an extra durable cutting edge.
Spiral Flute bits have cutting edges that wrap around the bit in a helix. This gives a smoother feel to the cutting action, and in general a smoother finish on your workpiece. Spiral bits are offered in up cut, down cut, and compression cut.
Undersized plywood bits are the correct diameter for cutting dado’s and slots to fit common sheet goods.
Trim or Flush Trim bits are straight router bits with a bearing, or pilot that is run along the edge of the workpiece to guide the cutter when trimming laminate, veneer, or just about anything flush to an edge.
Pattern or Template bits have a bearing above the flutes of the bit where the cutting edges meet the shank. The bearing is run along a template or pattern. Use Template bits to make copies of a shape, rout out material for inlay, or to clean out the bottom of a dado made on a table or chop saw.
Combination Trim bits are a mix between a flush trim and a pattern bit, and have two bearings: one at the end of the bit, and one on the shank.
Ultimate Trim bits are Whiteside's most advanced flush trim, template, and combo trim bits.
Replacement Bearings and Bearing Sets are available in a range of sizes.
For over 30 years Whiteside Machine Company has manufactured best quality router-bits and we are proud to offer an exceptionally wide selection of their catalog. Combine them with your Festool router, or router table and you have a professional quality solution not only for shaping, but for joinery, grooving, copying templates, and even making the kid a custom set of wooden train tracks.
Flag waving aside, the real reason to purchase a Whiteside router-bit is because the hands down top quality of their product. Their router bits feature innovations such as concave ground cutting edges, who's sole purpose is to improve product quality, not simplify a production process, or shave a few cents per bit in manufacturing cost. Whiteside is a company who would rather build their own proprietary machinery, than settle for what's available, and with over 200 years of collective experience in their grinding room alone, they have the chops to pull it off. What that means for your woodworking is not having to worry about endlessly sanding out machine marks. It means not having to worry that a pre-maturely dull bit will tear out the grain. It means you can push your bit through the wood with the confidence of knowing that the folks who made your router bit cared as much about their product, as you care about yours.
Fine Wood Working had this to say about Whiteside in their May June 2007 Router-bit review: "At the end of the day, the Whiteside and the Eagle bits had risen to the top of the mix, tying for the highest score. Lee Valley had the second-highest score, followed by Southeast and Woodtek in a tie for third. By the way, Whiteside also had the best bit when we reviewed straight bits in our August 1999 issue (FWW #137). We named the Eagle and Whiteside bits best overall. And, since the Whiteside had one of the lowest prices of the top bits, we also named it best value."
