source for 8mm shank router bits.
- Thread starter eweber
- Start date
The Craftsman Gallery sells a very nice set of metric HSS bits (cleaner cut than carbide on wood) with the 8mm -> 1/2" adapter. If you want spiral upcut carbide bits, Woodcraft sells them (Whiteside bits).
Paul Franklin
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- Jan 22, 2007
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- 157
Yeah my local one is also stocking Festool, what a sad sad day for Festool!
Paul
Paul
ROb McGilp
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- Apr 5, 2007
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- 430
You all probably know this, but..
I have used several different manufacturers 8mm shank bits, particularly 10mm spiral upcutters and DT bits. The Festool 10mm cutter one is brilliant. Good long life and clean cuts. It's like a hot knife through butter!
I have also found that you get cleaner cuts in Dovetails with 8mm shanks.
One thing worth mentioning is that by using an approriate upcutter for the bulk of stock removal from DT's you lessen the wear on the actual dovetail cutter and also lessen the chance of tearout as the DT cutter is under less stress. (not having to remove excess )stock.
Rob
I have used several different manufacturers 8mm shank bits, particularly 10mm spiral upcutters and DT bits. The Festool 10mm cutter one is brilliant. Good long life and clean cuts. It's like a hot knife through butter!
I have also found that you get cleaner cuts in Dovetails with 8mm shanks.
One thing worth mentioning is that by using an approriate upcutter for the bulk of stock removal from DT's you lessen the wear on the actual dovetail cutter and also lessen the chance of tearout as the DT cutter is under less stress. (not having to remove excess )stock.
Rob
I checked the Craftsman Gallery site. The only 8mm bits I could find were a set in this page:http://www.thecraftsmangallery.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=W/PROD/CS/17-150.
Dan.
Dan.
Paul Franklin
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- Jan 22, 2007
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- 157
Altough the Festool line of router bits is not that big, they are great router bits.
We should all get together and send letters to Trend, they are a British company that make great router bits, with 8mm shanks, they are in the Carolina's somewhere, but when I have spoken to the rep he said they will not be bringing them over as there is no demand for them. I think he is wrong, what do you think?
Paul
We should all get together and send letters to Trend, they are a British company that make great router bits, with 8mm shanks, they are in the Carolina's somewhere, but when I have spoken to the rep he said they will not be bringing them over as there is no demand for them. I think he is wrong, what do you think?
Paul
Paul,
My range of marketing consists of keeping two men busy 8 or 9 months per year. I have my own ways to "test the waters" each year. So far, I have been close enough that I have kept busy for almost all of my indepenent life. That being said, my guess is that Trend has studied the market. I have a OF 1000 router that I buy only 8mm bits for. You evidently have either an OF 1000 or 1010 and also require 1/4 and 8mm bits. I have recently (a year ago) added a 1400 to my list of routers. I now do not have as great a need for 8mm bits as I did before. When using my routers freehand, I do prefer the 1000, but am working more and more with the 1400 and 1/2" bits. I suspect there are many other Festoolies who have done the same. The drift I get from reading the FOG is that the 1400 has taken over in popularity over the smaller routers. All of my other routers have 1/2" colletts. Does the (above) suggest anything?
I get all of my 8mm bits from Whiteside. They are good quality and I can get them with longer shanks to accomodte my WoodRat. WW will, upon request, custom make for special orders. Craftsman Gallery is a Rat dealer, so all of their bits have slightly longer shanks (I am guessing of that) to fit their WoodRat.
I have been told in the past about other USA companies who had planned to sell 8mm bits but when push came to shove, i think they made same discovery as Trend. Most American routers use either 1/4" or 1/2" bits. Festool is the best seller in my shop, and I suppose yours. Also nearly all who are tuning in to the FOG. The fact, I assume, remains, we are in the minority at this time.
Tinker
My range of marketing consists of keeping two men busy 8 or 9 months per year. I have my own ways to "test the waters" each year. So far, I have been close enough that I have kept busy for almost all of my indepenent life. That being said, my guess is that Trend has studied the market. I have a OF 1000 router that I buy only 8mm bits for. You evidently have either an OF 1000 or 1010 and also require 1/4 and 8mm bits. I have recently (a year ago) added a 1400 to my list of routers. I now do not have as great a need for 8mm bits as I did before. When using my routers freehand, I do prefer the 1000, but am working more and more with the 1400 and 1/2" bits. I suspect there are many other Festoolies who have done the same. The drift I get from reading the FOG is that the 1400 has taken over in popularity over the smaller routers. All of my other routers have 1/2" colletts. Does the (above) suggest anything?
I get all of my 8mm bits from Whiteside. They are good quality and I can get them with longer shanks to accomodte my WoodRat. WW will, upon request, custom make for special orders. Craftsman Gallery is a Rat dealer, so all of their bits have slightly longer shanks (I am guessing of that) to fit their WoodRat.
I have been told in the past about other USA companies who had planned to sell 8mm bits but when push came to shove, i think they made same discovery as Trend. Most American routers use either 1/4" or 1/2" bits. Festool is the best seller in my shop, and I suppose yours. Also nearly all who are tuning in to the FOG. The fact, I assume, remains, we are in the minority at this time.
Tinker
Dave Ronyak
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- Jan 23, 2007
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- 2,234
I purchased a 1400 router because the 1010 won't take 1/2 inch bits and did not want to be "stuck" with only 1/4" and 8mm bits. What I would really like is for Festool to modify the 1010 to accept 1/2" bits; that would provide the greatest versatility and flexibility. The 1010 has at least as much power as my older Stanley commercial router yet weighs significantly less than either that Stanley or my Festool 1400. I find the greater height and weight of these 1/2 routers to be a disadvantage for much of what I want to do with a router, e.g. mortising hinges on passage door frames, inlaying, slotting and edging. The larger, heavier, taller routers are harder to delicately and precisely control compared to a smaller unit. (Ask yourself why you choose a little Bosch unit when trimming the edges of laminated surfaces!) When I need serious power such as shaping raised panels, I want something bigger than either the 1010 or the 1400, and it will be in a table. If Festool would make this change, I would add a 1010 router to my collection, rather than continuing to struggle with my 1400 at times.
Dave R.
Dave R.
John Stevens
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- Jan 16, 2007
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- 815
mat said:
FWIW, I use a 5/16 spiral upcut in my OF1010 and it works fine.
Regards,
John
