Replies

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jul 04, 2006 06:12am | #1

   Hi Gizmo,

   Not to worry, as long as the shank diameter is the same, they'll all work just fine in your new Bosch (nice router, by the way).

   Good luck!

   -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

2. 
   dgreen | Jul 04, 2006 08:01am | #2

   Just out of curiousity, what bits did PC offer in 1/2" shank that Bosch did not?

   Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb
1. 
   gizm0 | Jul 04, 2006 08:56am | #3

   Thanks Jazzdogg...I suspected as much but given my track record with ASSuming, I figured I'd better double check.  Dgreen, I guess I should clarify - I can't find the Bosch router bits I need in the 1/2" shank and they're very common (1/8" edge beading, 1/2" cove, 3/8" beading), so I am probably just looking in the wrong places.  I've checked Lowes.com and the Bosch website; all of the links I went to from the Bosch website were dead ends as far as router bits.  But the Porter Cable bits were very easy to find and the bits with 1/2" shanks cost me substantially less at Hechinger.com than the 1/4" shank Bosch bits cost at Lowes.  Thanks again guys! 

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jul 04, 2006 09:03pm | #6

   You might want to look at:

   http://www.routerbits.com/

    -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

2. 
   KeithNewton | Jul 06, 2006 01:26am | #7

   You are getting some good advice so far, and I would like to add, that you are better off getting 1/2" shanks over 1/4" when you can. There is 4 times as much metal in the shank which eliminates a lot of deflection in the bit, and will lead to a smoother cut.

1. 
   EdHarrison | Jul 07, 2006 03:49am | #8

   Just got an email telling me that Amana router bits at http://www.internationaltool.com are 50 percent off while they last.  I don't exactly know if that's a great brand or not and I'm personally trying to put my routers mostly out of business with wooden molding planes, but there you go,...

    

1. 
   gizm0 | Jul 07, 2006 05:59am | #9

   You guys are the best...thanks again for all of the great advice! 

2. 
   gizm0 | Jul 07, 2006 10:29pm | #10

   What is a wooden molding plane?  Just curious...

3. 
   EdHarrison | Jul 08, 2006 12:08am | #11

   A wooden plane typically about 9.5 inches long by 3 inches high with steel cutter that cuts a profile, or excavation in wood, similar to the way a router bit cuts a profile.  Like router bits, you can buy a different one for whatever profile that you want.

   As a hand tool, no requirement to be plugged in and they don't make much noise, enabling the listening to music while you work.  Disadvantages:  more work to sharpen, maintain, more difficult to use and generally slower, unless you are very skilled, which I am not.  I generally prefer hand tools to power tools but I'm not a wood working professional.  However I recently rebuilt my deck railing and I had both my Porter-Cable and Milwaukee routers out there.  Quicker, less time out in the hot sun.

   Good luck, Ed

    

    

3. 
   Knotscott | Jul 04, 2006 04:08pm | #4

   Absolutely interchangeable...much like using different brand saw blades in a TS. As long as the physical sizes match, it's no problem.

4. 
   Napie | Jul 04, 2006 04:40pm | #5

   Try looking at some cutter only manufactures, I’m sure Bosch and P-C do not make their own bits, they probably job them out.  I’ve had great luck with American Eagle, CMT and Whiteside to name a few.  Also the house brand at Woodcraft is pretty good.