Replies

1. 
   BArnold | Sep 16, 2004 10:41pm | #1

   Jon,

   Sounds like quite a racket to me!  Let's see, I purchased a 10" tablesaw blade for about $58US.  I have had it sharpened twice for under $10 each time.  So far, my investment is $58+10+10 = $78.  Under the exchange program, I would have paid $58+29+29 = $116 plus shipping both ways (most likely).

   Regards,

   Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

   ---

1. 
   ascaas | Sep 17, 2004 06:35am | #2

   Good thinking!  I was talking to a couple of guys on the job today, and they were not as impressed with the Exchange-a-Blade/Bit program as I thought I was.  I did not realize that the blades were so inexpensive to sharpen (relatively speaking).  Thanks for the heads-up on that!

   Graham

1. 
   BArnold | Sep 17, 2004 01:28pm | #3

   Jon,

   Another thing I meant to mention.  You commented on a 1/2" roundover bit that cost $50 in your initial post.  When I see prices in that range, I wonder how much one is paying for quality vs manufacturer's name.  For instance, I purchased a set of four roundover bits (1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2) several months ago from a catalog company.  The set cost $30 and these are good quality bits.  Individual prices range from $11 for the 1/8" to $17 for the 1/2" bit.  At these prices, a bit becomes a throw-away when it has lived a full life.

   Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

1. 
   ascaas | Sep 20, 2004 07:50am | #4

   How long is the "full life of the router bit"?  I was routing spruce 2x4 edges, and did about 200+ feet of board over a two and a half month period.  I was careful to not damage the bit in installing it or uninstalling it from the router, and it was in its little box when not in use.  It never touched another piece of metal.  In spite of my care for it, it was burning the end grain, and badly chipping the end grain of the work piece.  The carbide cutting edge was also chipped on one corner.  A fellow employee mentioned that that particular bit may have been resharpened several times already, and that may have caused the chip.  I will probably not get another bit like that, due to the bad experience and the recommendation of more experienced men than myself, but is that reasonable bit life or not?  Thanks for your ideas on the topic.

   Graham

1. 
   BArnold | Sep 20, 2004 01:35pm | #5

   "How long is the "full life of the router bit"?"

   Not to be facetious, but the answer to that would be from fresh out of the box to totally unusable.  Length of life will depend on such things as: 1)type of wood; 2)how it's used, i.e., letting the bit do the work rather than crowding it; 3)proper router speed; 4)care of the bit.

   I've never worked with spruce and am not familiar with its characteristics.  I have worked with woods ranging from soft pine to teak, however.  Woods like teak, with its silica content, will degrade a bit much more quickly than others might.  How many board feet could I run?  Don't have a good answer for that, except that I was working on a project for a sizeable boat with all the furniture built of teak.  Along with building some of the furniture pieces, I milled a lot of the molding and column parts which required 1/4" roundovers.  Must have run hundreds of feet with the same bit and it was cutting fine when I finished.  It was a Bosch bit that cost maybe $20.  Other people in the same shop had a way of destroying good equipment because they had to demonstrate how "manly" they were.

   As to how much a bit should cost to be sure it's good is an issue that will bring out the best and the worst in people of experience.  Some people believe that the top-of-the-line, most expensive tools and supplies is the only way to go.  I have a more open mind about it -- taking the price/value route.  For instance, when it comes to something like a router bit I prefer to do what I described in my initial response -- get a good bit at a good price, then toss it when it's no longer doing the job.

   Regards,

   Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

   Edited 9/20/2004 11:49 am ET by BArnold

2. 
   ascaas | Sep 22, 2004 06:53am | #6

   The bit in question would have been about $38 US.  Thanks for your thoughts.  I really appreciate that.  I am thinking seriously about getting a set of Lee Valley bits (12 bits for about $128 US ($170 Can.)), and that will probably be what I will use.  Thanks for all the input.  I don't think I was overly hard on that bit by pushing it too fast.  It was probably just more money than quality for that particular one. 

   Graham