Woodpecker's Land Mortising Bits

[smorgasbord]

This is a really interesting product and product video:


Essentially, a redesigned cutting geometry that gives smoother mortise walls/tenon sides as well as making the bits stiffer. Inspired by the bits included with the Multi-Router/Panto-Routers of the 1970s and 1980s. These should work well for hand-held or Shaper Origin mortising as well.

@jeffinsgf, can you expand on the other potential uses? for instance, being stiffer, the ¼" bits might be good for CNC routing, where bit breakage is sometimes an issue. The 12º angle versus today's more common 30º angle does make me think we'd have to slow the CNC down for proper chip evacuation, which kind of takes away the need for stiffer bits in the CNC, so maybe that's not the best use case for them.

For woods like cherry or hard maple that have a tendency to burn, are these bits, since they almost rub on the sidewalls, more likely to create burn marks if feed rates aren't kept up?

Basically, compared to "regular" spiral bits, what are the pros/cons?

 

[jeffinsgf]

You're the second person today to ask about Shaper Origin. I did a good strong head-slap after the first one. Should have thought of that and included it in the video.

Just to correct you a little bit on the origin of the species. The inspiration for these bits was a European mortising bit made to work in a combination machine with a chuck on the end of a planer head. Kind of a different animal, since the speed is much lower. I brought one in and showed it to Rich and he and the router bit team started playing around with the idea.

I firmly expected them to burn. But with the exception of a little bit at the ends if you stop and sit there, they don't. Don't know why, but they don't. My guess is the margin is so narrow and the cut is so true that there just isn't enough friction to get heat build up...except at the end where you have 180-degree contact.

In the couple weeks I've been working with them, I have used them mostly in the Multi-Router. They seem to handle a heavy cut a little better than a 30-degree helix. And I haven't seen that "comma-shaped" end to a mortise you can get sometimes. I am also very impressed at the lack of ghost lines along the mortise walls showing the depth of each pass.

The edge in chip evacuation has to go to 30-degree helix, but I haven't noticed it causing an actual problem other than some chips in the finished mortise. I'm not seeing the burn or chatter that is common when waste is being constantly re-cut. I have another project that is going to require me to set up our Shark CNC. I'll do some testing with these while I've got it set up.

As for the Origin. I am probably going to carve out an hour of my schedule tomorrow to try them out. I think they might be a perfect match.

 

[rmhinden]

I just ordered two of the 1/4" shank bits to use with my Shaper Origin. I was about to get some new 1/4" bits anyway, so seemed good to try these out.

I would really like to see some 8mm shank version.

I was surprised do see 3/8" shanks included, not a common size in my experience.

Bob