Using A Drill Bit For Routing

[DrummerDude]

Is it a good idea?

I cant find a flush 6mm routing bit, so I thought of using a mm drill bit with a cut and flattened tip for the purpose.

Is this a "no-no"?

Would it cause any damage? Would it actually work in fact?

Thanks!

[Setch]

Won't work - drillbits don't mill, they bore. They'll also destroy themselves if you run them in a router - they're not intended to be run at 20,000 rpm!

It's a very bad, very dangerous idea.

For routing, you need a router bit. where have you looked so far?

[ryanb]

+1 It wouldn't work and it would be very dangerous.

A 6mm flush trim bit should be quite easy to find. Just do a web search.

[Southpa]

Your next best (and safest) option for making a cavity is with a forstner bit in a drill press and then trimming the edges with a chisel.

[Mattia]

Where the heck are you looking (country, stores, etc.) that you can't find a straight bit with shaft diameter equal to cutting bit diameter? It's one of the most common bits out there.

Seriously.

[j. pierce]

I've been getting my bits from Routerbits.com lately - I really like the whiteside bits they sell, and they have all the bearing template bits you could need. (They seem to be one of the few places with shorter-depth template bits [right down to an 1/8th" depth cut] which is nice too.)

Of course, if you're outside the U.S., it's a bummer option, shipping is a pain. Here in the states, though, I've seen decent bearing template bits at Sears, Lowes, Ace, True Value and Home Depot, as well.

[Mattia]

Acutally, Routerbits.com is a great option for bits, even if you're not in the US. Shipping via USPS is more than reasonable, good service, good prices, gets here within a week, two weeks tops. Infitinitytools.com gets good press as well.

Only downside: if you're in a metric country (ie, most of the world) you need to find imperial (1/4", 1/2") collets for your router. Bosch has them (any company that sells on the UK market will tend to, actually), so I bought one (not cheap) for my plunge, and I'm very glad I did.

Whiteside bits are great quality, though.

[Mickguard]

Is it a good idea?

I cant find a flush 6mm routing bit, so I thought of using a mm drill bit with a cut and flattened tip for the purpose.

Is this a "no-no"?

Would it cause any damage? Would it actually work in fact?

Thanks!

Do you mean a 6 mm shank?

You're in Croatia, right? Do you have a paypal account? If you do, tell me what you need, I'll mail it to you. A flush trim bit here goes for about 20 euros or so, straight bits cost me about half that --although it's easier for me to find 8 mm shanks, but there's a place nearby that carries 6mm shank bits --

Your router should have come with an adapter or a second chuck to allow you to use the larger shank.

Just pay me back for the bit and postage. Better than you getting stabbed by a drill bit.

[DrummerDude]

Thanks guys, I found a store that sells them.

Most hardware stores here have them but wouldn't sell them in single pieces.

The bits go in kits and I don't want to buy a whole kit just to get a single bit.

[Mattia]

Thanks guys, I found a store that sells them.

Most hardware stores here have them but wouldn't sell them in single pieces.

The bits go in kits and I don't want to buy a whole kit just to get a single bit.

My tip is generally to look around for a smaller hardware store, the kind with all sorts of little tubs of the craziest bits of metal imaginable. They tend to have a much better selection than your average DIY shop/hardware store.

[fryovanni]

Thanks guys, I found a store that sells them.

Most hardware stores here have them but wouldn't sell them in single pieces.

The bits go in kits and I don't want to buy a whole kit just to get a single bit.

My tip is generally to look around for a smaller hardware store, the kind with all sorts of little tubs of the craziest bits of metal imaginable. They tend to have a much better selection than your average DIY shop/hardware store.

Those hardware stores are gold, but sadly few and far between. Most of the were run out of business by large chain stores years ago. I know of one in my area, and they have the most amazing selection of parts.

Peace,Rich

[j. pierce]

Yeah, I we still had one of those great mom and pop style hardware stores in my town, the one with almost anything imaginable . . . it just recently got bought out by the ACE Hardware chain. The quality of the place is slowly diminishing. The old-timers that still work there were complaining about it. I think it may be time for me to move out of town to the more rural areas around there, both for the more easy access to a workshop space, and the fact they still have nice hardware stores. (I also wish radio shack was still the wierd electronics parts haven it used to be - having to mail order everything for amp/pedal building is also a bummer.)

[Mickguard]

I can get fancier bits at the local carpenters' supply shop --took me a while to find this one, it's just a little place on the outskirts of town. He's got a selection of at least a hundred bits, maybe more...kind of pricey, but they're all top of the line bits.