What does the color of the cutter on wood mean. Wood cutters: general information, types of cutters and recommendations for choosing

Wood is a material of natural origin. Highly valued for unique technical, hygienic characteristics, appearance. At the same time, it is quite easily processed, therefore, among home crafts, utensils, and furniture, it occupies a leading position.

The processing process is significantly accelerated if there are wood cutters for a manual router. It can be purchased today at a reasonable price. You can achieve a good result by equipping the equipment with the devices necessary to perform all types of woodworking.

Varieties of shank diameter

The first thing to pay attention to is - compatibility of the main tool and equipment. In specialized stores, a wide selection of interchangeable cutters of various designs, and when buying, you need to check the diameter of the shank. To do this, you should look in the product passport for the standard by which it is made.

Typically, the kit provides two types of fasteners. AT metric system this is sizes 6.8 and 12 mm. Almost all domestic manufacturers offer this standard. Imported products often have inch components. Collets have dimensions 6.35 and 12.7 mm. Equipment of different standards cannot be changed. The working stroke of the collet is only a few tenths of a millimeter.

Types of cutter construction

With a manual milling machine, you can perform almost all woodworking operations, with the exception of artistic carving. The kit includes a parallel stop, a centering device for making circles, a basic set of cutting equipment.

However, the available devices are not always enough to implement the conceived idea. You have to buy the necessary models separately. Structurally, the types of cutters for a manual wood router are divided into three categories.

prefabricated

This design consists of several parts. Several options are possible. The universal shank has a fixing nut at the bottom. You can change both the bearing and the working part with brazed cutting edges. It is convenient to carry out work when the structure is fixed in the router. You just need to make sure that the device is disconnected from the network.

With interchangeable cutting edges

The tool of this category is widely used in large industries. But wood cutters for a manual router of a similar design are rare. The tool is in demand among professionals who know how to take advantage of the technology.

Interchangeable edges can be repaired, sharpened, replaced. Difficulties for inexperienced craftsmen may arise during installation. Requires the ability to correctly adjust the position.

Monolithic

One-piece design, ready to use immediately after purchase. Adjustable only in depth. To obtain the desired profile pattern, an appropriate cutter is purchased. The collet clamp allows you to quickly change models. High-quality factory sharpening allows you to perform operations with high quality and productivity.

A wide range of products of various configurations: straight, angular, curly cutters. The affordable price makes them very popular. Not all masters even sharpen them, because the geometry of the cutting edges changes during processing. It's easier to buy a new part for the milling cutter.

Blade types

High rotation speed, up to 30,000 rpm, makes it impossible to use carbon steels as a cutting tool. In the manufacture of all types of wood cutters for a manual milling cutter, alloys capable of withstanding the operating temperature that occurs during friction at high speeds:

  • Tool steel. Good performance in wear resistance. The low price attracts buyers. Even hardwood does not wear out the tool quickly, but MDF is not suitable for working on chipboard. You can blunt it in the first minute.
  • Carbide brazing. The cutting tool of this class will cost more, but the result will be noticeably better. High quality and durability are the main advantages of products with a carbide cutting edge. The disadvantages include chipping of the composite under heavy loads during the processing of certain types of wood of high strength and toughness. Parts made of chipboard do not pose such a danger, they are easily processed.

Ordinary wood cutters for a hand mill made of tool steel can be sharpened with a conventional abrasive tool. To restore carbide products, a diamond wheel is needed.

Surface treatment requires a high level of cleanliness and roughness. It is difficult to do this at home, at home. You need professional equipment or relevant skills.

Video: Types of wood cutters and their purpose

Groove cutters

The standard set of wood cutters for a manual router must include at least one product from this category. However, this will not be enough to perform complex operations. On sale there is a wide selection of groove cutters, divided into the following types:

  • Direct. Are intended for production of a groove of a rectangular shape.
  • Corner. They make a triangular groove.
  • Cone. Used for the manufacture of spiked joints, for example, dovetail.
  • Composite. A set of individual elements on one shank. Often offered as a set. From individual parts, you can assemble two cutters that are mirrored. As a result of processing, a lock connection is obtained. A convenient method of manufacturing at home lining, panels, when assembling shields.

In terms of sales volume, wood grooving cutters for hand routers are among the leaders. Woodwork is often associated with the need to combine parts from this material into a single structure. These devices are designed for just that. The operation time is greatly reduced. In addition, a groove made by hand is usually inferior in quality.

Edge cutters

The largest category of products. We need edge cutters for wood for a manual router when forming the end of a part of the desired shape. Used for the manufacture of furniture elements, rails. A characteristic feature is the ability to use the edge of the workpiece as a support.

The bearing, moving along it, processes the tree at a distance specified by the design. By adjusting the height of the position, you can achieve the desired working depth and the corresponding shape of the part. Copy cutters also fall into this category.

A bearing of the same diameter with a cutting edge moves along a template fixed on the reverse side of the workpiece. The result is an exact copy of the desired size. Convenient when producing a large number of identical parts.

Combined cutters

The product is a design of several types of cutters assembled on one shank. At the same time, you can change their position, using bushings, gaskets, increase / decrease the distance between them. The technology allows you to obtain profiles specified according to the drawing, to make the desired shape, taking into account the dimensions of the workpiece.

The assembly does not take much time, it is important to choose the right components in terms of size, since it is impossible to change the distance from the axis of rotation to the extreme point of the device.

You can also use basic cutters to complete a complex pattern, but in this case you need to make several passes, each time setting up the equipment. The prefabricated structure will significantly reduce the operation time, and all products will be geometrically and qualitatively the same.

Figurine cutters

A special type of product for the manufacture of panels and similar parts. There are one-sided and two-sided. Deep entry into the body of the workpiece creates difficulties in work. The cutting edge during processing captures a large mass of wood.

The cutter gets stuck or starts to vibrate. Experienced craftsmen first go through the part with an edge, groove analogue, leaving a small margin. Finishing is then done with a figurative cutter, which easily copes with the suppressed task. Double-sided models of this product can create a pattern of various shapes on the front and back of the workpiece.

One of the simplest and most common methods of processing any wood is milling. Like any other tool, a milling cutter has some of its own characteristics and varieties. When choosing it, it is important to determine the type of cutter that can be used for work. Most often, when processing wood, manual milling machines are used, in particular, for the manufacture of custom-made furniture.

Parameters for dividing products into types

It is quite common to do woodwork at home, especially for residents of private houses. In such work, a hand router makes it possible to perform a lot of tasks, especially if you know which cutter to use for what. To date, the types of products for woodwork are divided according to such parameters as:

  • Tail section size.
  • The material from which they are made.
  • The shape, location and types of blades.

Types of cutters

Cutters for a manual router perform many functions, which are divided into specific types of cutters themselves. Many varieties are known, but the following are in particular demand:

  • Groove cutters.
  • Edge cutters, often referred to as edge cutters.
  • Combined cutters.

Groove products

These cutters are designed to cut so-called grooves in any wood product. These types of wood router bits for manual router are widely used in the furniture industry.

The groove type will help to obtain a geometrically diverse shape and appearance. As a rule, these cutters are made in the form of a cone and leave behind a hole, a rectangular groove. Cutters of this type can be divided according to the type of working part:

Such milling cutters for a manual wood router are mainly used for beautiful, curly wood processing in any part of a future product. The disadvantage of this type of cutter is the need to work according to a certain pattern, without which it is almost impossible to obtain the correct shape of the groove.

Edge cutters

The edge type of cutters is designed for processing and decorating the edges of wood blanks. There are varieties depending on the shape of the blade:

Combined

These are versatile products with a huge scope. The cutters are a combination of spike and groove cutting elements. Used for payment and splicing wooden blanks - combining them along the edge (for corner joints) or the end part (to obtain a wide board from several small ones).

Combined cutters combine groove and tenon cutters and are designed to create both of these elements in one pass. The use of milling for this purpose increases the glued area of ​​the boards and sands the surfaces for their maximum fit to each other.

It is important to understand that cutters are consumables. They usually wear off at the very important point. That is why experienced experts recommend purchasing them with a margin. As a result, the incisors will definitely be enough to implement the planned scope of work.

Don't rush into this. The first thing to do is turn the blade over to the other side. Such models have double-sided sharpening, so it will definitely be possible to complete the operation.

Purchasing a suitable manual machine is not the whole procedure. It is necessary to comprehensively approach the choice of incisors, presented in a wide variety. This will allow you to perform the intended work with high quality and quickly. At the same time, attention and accuracy should be activated.

If you are quite often engaged in the manufacture of various wooden products for the home, then sooner or later you will acquire a manual milling cutter. Of course, some types of manual milling work can be done using an electric drill, which is available in almost every home workshop.

You can read about various cutters for a drill.

But the main difference between a router and a drill, in addition to the presence of an adjustable support platform, is its high speed (from 10,000 to 30,000 rpm), which even the most high-speed drill cannot boast of. But this is what determines the level of quality of the result. But, you still need the right equipment - cutters, and there are a great many of them for this tool.

To help you understand their varieties and types is the task of this article.

What are the cutters for a manual router

To get started, let's watch the video:

And according to the device, wood cutters are:

  • monolithic;
  • composite;
  • mounted.

Monolithic cutters do not need a detailed description.

But composite and mounted are often confused. Composite - these are cutters in which two or more types of cutters are connected into a single whole on one shank. In them, you can change the order of picking cutters and the distance between them, insert intermediate bushings or bearings.

And the mounted ones have a large hole in the center and are mounted on the shaft of the milling machine.

BUT by the nature and place of application of the cutter for manual milling machines there are:

  • terminal;
  • edging;
  • grooved;
  • copying.

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And this video will help you better understand their diversity and purpose:

Let's consider in order.

Their main feature is the presence of cutting edges at the end of the working part.

This does not mean at all that they work only with the application of axial load. They can also have side edges that allow you to move the cutter in the plane of the router's support platform, making various grooves and selections in the material. They can have a different number of cutting edges, and, accordingly, different material finishes.

End mills are most often monolithic, but there are also compound ones. A striking example of this can be crown cutters, often used with a drill.

Edge cutters for wood

This is the most widely represented range of this tool, due to the most frequent use of hand mills for the formation of various edges on wooden products.

Even in large sets of cutters, which it is preferable for a home craftsman to have than to buy a large number of cutters at random, the main part is edge cutters.

And their classification is much wider than that of other types of cutters. They are:

  • profile- giving the processed edge an intricate curly shape;

  • molding- rounding the edge with a convex shape for a quarter of the circle;

  • conical- chamfering at an angle (more often it happens at 45 °);

  • disk- for grooves in the edge;

  • folded- choosing a quarter in the edge;

  • fillet- making grooves in the edge for a quarter of a circle;

  • figurine- to form the edge of the panels.

As a rule, all edge cutters for wood have a thrust bearing that limits the penetration of the tool into solid wood. The depth of the overhang of the cutter is regulated by the position of the support platform of the cutter itself.

And the methods of working with such cutters are of the same type. If the cutter immediately removes a large array of wood, then it is better to process it in several passes, gradually deepening it into the tree until the thrust bearing starts working. You can watch the video:

Groove cutters for wood

Their main purpose is to form grooves, but most often they are used for carving wood using a hand router.

And there are also quite a few varieties:

  • spiral- the same type with most end mills with a more formed external helical cutting edge resembling a drill;

  • fillet- making semicircular grooves;

  • conical- often they are used for carving on a plane;

  • T-shaped;

  • dovetail type;

  • shaped;

  • combined- used for gluing large wooden shields.

Groove cutters working on the surface of wooden products are most often monolithic, but there are also carbide cutting edges.

This is the smallest subgroup of cutters for a manual router. The main difference between such cutters is the overall dimensions, the number of cutting edges and the location of thrust bearings or thrust surfaces: above, below or on both sides of the cutting part.

It is they who are in contact with the template, according to which the form of milling the workpiece is copied. The principle of their work will become clearer after watching a short video:

Functional cutter sets and more

Quite often, manufacturers form sets of cutters designed to perform the same type of work, with a completed cycle of processing wood products or obtaining the same type of joints.

Such a set of 2 cutters not only forms the inner edge of the frame product, but also performs the groove part of the corner joint in this frame. It is easy to understand that it can also be used to splice boards into shields.

And this set is used for the manufacture of thin wooden window bindings and other similar works.

But each of his cutters, of course, can act as an independent tool for a number of other types of wood processing.

The composite cutter shown in the next photo, depending on the sequence of the set of its constituent elements, serves to form both edges of the wooden lining.

And with the use of a metal sleeve of the appropriate size instead of one of its components, this cutter can become either a moulder or a disk edge cutter.

Of course, as with other handheld power tools, you can greatly expand the capabilities of a handheld router by building a table for it.

By attaching movable stops to it, you will turn hand tool like a milling machine. And with its help and a set of cutters, like the above, you can do very interesting things:

Dear readers, if you still have questions, ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)

Machining manufactured parts with a milling cutter presents many possibilities. Details with the necessary grooves, grooves of various shapes are necessary for a quality finish. Operations for working with manual equipment on wood are performed with a special tool - milling cutters. Each type of action provides a separate type of equipment used.

Classification and types of cutters for woodworking

Power tool for working with lumber - manual type milling cutter. The surfaces of parts made of wood are subject to work with the help of special devices. The manufacture of products that require the necessary grooves, recesses and recesses implies the use of. Before starting, you need to purchase equipment designed for specific purposes according to the configuration of the product.

The choice of a tool that processes wood occurs according to the specification of handicrafts. Professionals have enough experience and skills to use the right equipment. A wood cutter has many purposes:

  • When edging, it is used to connect workpieces by splicing grooves.
  • Making recesses for use, installation of hinged loops, other devices.
  • Making decor - in this case, a cutter is used to make a pattern or in woodworking processes with a complex configuration.

The tool differs greatly in the type of configurations, purpose. Before starting the actions performed with the tree, it is necessary to determine the type and types used for blanks. The unit of measurement of the tail is calculated in millimeters or inches, depending on the type of router used. Common options are types of cutters with a diameter of 6 to 12 mm. It is worth focusing on the fact that the use of an inch collet and a millimeter tail is unacceptable, as this can cause equipment damage or injury.

Kit manufacturers provide various modifications. On the construction market, there is a large selection of types of milling cutters for manual milling, depending on the purpose and material used in the manufacture. The equipment of a handheld device can be used for processing plastic and metal, but it is most widely used in wood processing. The main varieties for working with wood.

  1. The production of grooves, the formation of recesses is carried out by end types of cutters.
  2. Groove, the used cylindrical cutter for wood processes the required groove of a rectangular shape.
  3. Shaped tooling for wood is used in curly recesses, edges, and allows you to give the product a unique look.
  4. Edge bands are made in a design with a bearing, which allows you to make a product according to a template.

It is important to remember that the presence of a bearing in a hand mill implies it Maintenance. It is necessary to lubricate the rotating element with a thin layer, this action is carried out in order to achieve a long tool life.

End mills

End devices in design and appearance are similar to a conventional drill. hallmark is the absence of a conical part at the end of the cutter. On the end part, located to the sides at an angle of 90 degrees, cutting teeth are made. Design feature allows you to perform various operations. The main types of work performed include:

  • Production of products with grooves of a certain depth, through holes.
  • Open products.
  • Drilling, or processing the edges of the part.

The main functions of a manual milling cutter of the end type of cutters are to obtain grooves for locks and hinges installed in doors. The kit is multifunctional, with the help of prepared equipment and a competent approach, you can perform many interesting elements.

Edge cutters for wood

Edging devices are used for the manufacture of a variety of types of edges and recesses. Wood products can be processed with a manual milling cutter with edge cutters for complete processing. The edge view is the most common in use and has many modifications:

  • Profile sets process parts in such a way as to give necessary form edges.
  • Molders have the ability to round the edge of the part by a quarter of a circle.
  • Tapered chamfer, the angle of which is often 45 degrees.
  • Disk are used to make chamfers in parts, making subsequent connections possible.
  • Folded ones process the part from the edge, leaving a quarter of the height.
  • Fillets are needed to make a groove, which is drawn into a quarter of a circle.

Edge cutters for wood used for a hand router are often equipped with a bearing, the function of which is to limit the depth of required processing. Departure adjustment of the processing area is made by adjustment on the tool itself. Performing processing of massive parts requires many attempts. A manual milling cutter works on wood in several stages until the thrust bearing begins to operate.

Groove cutters for wood

The main purpose of the type of grooving for wood is to make grooves using hand power tools. There are enough varieties of devices, a groove cutter, allows you to perform actions on wood with a manual milling cutter. The main types of groove cutters:

  • Spiral, resembling a drill, formed with a helical edge of the outer type. They make it possible to produce parts with recesses and grooves with a right angle.
  • Fillet - made with a rounded tip.
  • Conical are often used for operations with planes.
  • Shaped allow you to make recesses of the required structure.
  • "T" figurative, cutters "Dovetail".
  • Combined are used when joining large wooden parts.

Most of the types are made in a monolithic format, tooling made of carbide metal is less common.

Copy cutters

The least common type of attachment for hand-held woodworking tasks are copy cutters. Distinctive features are numerous types of cutting elements, different arrangement of thrust bearings and small dimensions. The milling head, for wood crafts, is arranged in the shape of an arc. The recess in the workpiece depends on the machining angle.

Using a template tool allows you to achieve the desired result when working with wooden blanks. The hand router must be used with precision and care, failure to comply may result in damage to the part or electrical equipment.

Milling cutter designs and their influence on the production technology of milling operations

The tools under consideration are divided into several main categories, classified by type and purpose. They perform their functions not only under axial load, they have the ability to move during operation, due to the presence of side edges. Cutting edges, or rather their number, directly depends on the quality of the actions performed by a manual router.

The tool used for processing is considered to be a manual milling cutter. There are means of execution of the crown type, they allow you to perform work with an ordinary drill. In this case, the milling head used on wood performs the role of edge processing, making simple holes.




The design and manufacture of products with grooves of the required depth and dimensions is carried out using end mills. Knives used for wood cutters are subjected to considerable stress. Prevention of over-machining has an effect, due to the use of bearings. End mills for a hand router allow you to create joints in wooden structures using a tenon / groove system.

To make the necessary hole on the tree, you will need a burr. In most cases, such a tool is used in intermediate processing. Cones allow you to "open" the hole to the required depth, after which further actions are performed.

Types of cutter construction

There are many designs and varieties of tooling for a manual woodworking machine. When choosing a tool, you should pay attention to the purpose, the device of the equipment. The shape of sharpening cutters can be of two types - helical and straight. The use of a straight form of sharpening can lead to rapid damage to the equipment, and the final product may turn out to have gouges and burrs.

For woodworking with a manual milling cutter, the best option is to use a tool with a helical line of teeth arrangement. The only drawback is the impossibility of sharpening with improvised means, in order to return to its former sharpness, it is necessary to use special equipment. Using milling cutters, for work with a manual wood router, you should pay attention to the sharpening angle. wooden surface in the best possible way processed by a tool, the sharpening angle of which is not more than 90 degrees. The design provides for efficient chip removal, thereby achieving maximum tool action.




prefabricated

The most common type on the market is prefabricated. It consists of a blank, welded on top of the edges. Ease of manufacture makes them the most attractive to the manufacturer. The relatively low price allows you not to waste time on sharpening, but simply replace it with a new one when the sharpness is lost.

With interchangeable cutting edges

Milling cutters with replaceable edges. They have replaceable cutting edges, when there is a loss of sharpness of the knife on one side, it is possible to turn the tool over, then continue working.

Monolithic

Monolithic cutters have cutting edges at the base. They are distinguished by increased strength, however, after short work and subsequent sharpening, the part quickly loses its cutting properties.

Types of cutter blades

The materials used in the manufacture of wood cutters differ in some characteristics. The first type of material is high speed steel. Products made from this material are marked with HSS symbols. With a hand tool, using this type of rig will easily process soft wood. Due to the pointed properties, the working speed is increased in relation to the solid cutter.

The cutting part can be made of carbide metals. Such products are designated HM, mainly used in the processing of hardwood. Distinctive feature is strength and resistance to elevated temperatures. It will be difficult to qualitatively process soft wood species with such a cutter, since the frequency of the performed actions differs markedly from high-speed materials.

Functional cutter sets

Often you can find on sale functional sets that consist of two or more elements. AT this set includes fixtures and nozzles for a wood router. The main purpose of such kits is the processing of two or more parts to obtain the same type of connection. For example, there is a set of 2 cutters, one of which forms an edge inside the product, and the second allows you to make a groove part.

There are universal options that, due to the design, can be used for various purposes. The collapsible part involves the replacement of knives for the cutter, after which work with wood is performed.

It is worth noting that the presence of a table for storing all types of equipment for equipment will reduce the time for the actions performed, and it is also possible to build a kind of milling machine. By installing movable stops on the table, the master expands the range of possibilities of the tool for woodworking.

Applications

The use of any type of equipment involves dangerous work with rotating parts. When working with wood, you need to remember safety precautions. The implementation of complex elements is not done in one go, the edges of the cutter must be sharpened for the best result.


Wood carving with a milling cutter

Getting started, you should understand what type of cutter you need to use. The edging category tool has received a high prevalence. This category makes it possible to produce almost all types of woodwork with your own hands. Groove or cylindrical cutters are mainly used for making recesses in the ends of the material.

How to choose a wood cutter for a manual router

The choice of milling cutters on the building materials market is very rich. The price range is varied, it is not always possible to determine whether the purchase is made correctly. Several basic conditions must be met for right choice cutters for wood.

  1. Quality. It is worth paying attention to the appearance of the part. The product must be burr-free, have high-quality threads, seats.
  2. Thermal strength is indicated in the passport, the higher, the better and more reliable for further use.
  3. Solder material, as well as the connection of the tail with the part responsible for cutting.

The quality of product soldering plays an important role in operations with lumber. When working with hardwoods, a certain margin of safety of the tool is necessary. Solder is divided into types and brands, when buying, you need to pay attention to its quality in the cutter. It is advisable to pay attention to the tool, the solder grade of which is not lower than PSr 37.5. The higher the number, the better the indicators of reliability and quality of the part. The brand is indicated in the composition by the amount of copper and silver. When connected by welding, the use of a router becomes unsafe and pointless.

Solid cutters must be checked before use. The quality of the metal is determined by the file. If noticeable scratches or cracks appear, then it is worth postponing this tool. Optimum metal hardness from 58 units. The quality of work performed by a manual router directly depends on the availability of fixtures and kits.

Selection necessary tool the right way to a good result when working with wood. A cutter made for a wood router must meet all standards and be of high quality. There are many kits that are designed for woodworking. A high-quality kit guarantees not only the completed tasks, but also safe work.

From this article you can find out what a cutting element is like a wood cutter for a manual router. The text contains a detailed classification of products: the main varieties and features of parts, their specifications and practical use. The article contains useful advice, which will help determine the choice of milling cutters for hand tools.

A hand mill is a convenient and efficient tool designed for processing lumber, including shaped, as well as flat surfaces. Besides this device suitable for forming various technological recesses, for example, grooves, ridges, recesses for installing hinges. To do this, it is enough to buy cutters of the appropriate configuration. Each such element has individual design features and is used to perform certain functions.

The purpose of a hand cutter for wood:

  1. Edge Processing - It is assumed to use a wood splicing cutter for a hand router when it is necessary to connect various workpieces together by connecting a tenon / groove.
  2. Inserting hinges and other fittings.
  3. Decorating - in this case, cutters are used to form flat products of three-dimensional shapes on the surface, as well as to manufacture wooden blanks with a complex configuration.

Professionals know dozens of options for using cutters on a manual router. However, in order to correctly determine the choice of cutting parts for a tool, it is advisable to study the official classification of existing products. Having figured out what cutters are and the features of their use, it will be much easier to make a choice.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the unit of measurement for the diameter of the shank. This can be done in millimeters or inches. The unit of measurement depends on the type of collets that are included with the router. These components are designed to clamp the shank. If the size is calculated in millimeters, then the most common options will be products with a diameter of 6, 12 and 8 mm. If inches are taken as the unit of measurement, in this case it will be possible to buy cutters for a manual router in only two sizes - ½ and ¼.

Note! You cannot combine a mm shank and an inch collet and vice versa. This may result in tool breakage.

Types of cutters for a manual wood router: typesstructures

There are dozens of product options on the market with different purposes and costs. If we consider the design features of the cutting elements, we can distinguish the following types of wood cutters for a manual router:

  1. Prefabricated - have the form of a blank with welded cutting edges. These cutters are very easy to manufacture, which is why most of the products on the market have a similar design.
  2. With interchangeable edges - the products are equipped with interchangeable cutting edges with double-sided sharpening. When the knife becomes dull on one side, the cutter can be turned over and used again.
  3. Monolithic - milling cutters, at the base of which the cutting edges are turned. They rarely break, but after several sharpenings, the part will have to be changed.

Types of cutters for wood: product classification by blade type

Cutters can have vertical, helical, or beveled blades. Products with straight edges will cut pieces of wood from the workpiece, which increases the likelihood that chips will appear during the cutting process. As a result, the quality of milling is significantly reduced. This does not happen with angled blades.

Consumers can buy wood cutters with two types of blades:

  1. High-speed cutting (HM) - used on surfaces made of soft wood.
  2. Carbide-tipped (HSS) - used for machining hard surfaces.

Products with carbide blades have a higher temperature coefficient and have improved characteristics, which affects their cost.

Milling cutter classification: an overview of the main product types

Cutters are rotating parts studded with teeth. These elements are available in various configurations. Milling cutters can be used for processing metal and plastic surfaces, but they are most often used for working with wood.

There are the following types of products:

  • end;
  • terminal;
  • cylindrical or slotted straight lines;
  • shaped elements, which are both grooved and edging;
  • disk, etc.

Useful advice! If you periodically lubricate the support bearing, you can increase the life of the part.

Features of end mills for wood for hand tools

End mills for wood for a hand mill have cutting edges on the end side of the working part. At the same time, they work not only due to the application of axial load. These cutters also use the side edges, due to which it becomes possible to move the rotary element in the plane of the support platform on the cutter. As a result, you can get different samples and grooves in the wood. Such parts may have a different number of cutting edges, which affects the finish.

In most cases, end mills have monolithic structure, but sometimes you can also find composite ones, for example, crowned, used as cutters for wood drills. This option is used in cases where there is no manual milling cutter at hand.

  • end;
  • spiral;
  • burrs;

  • profile;
  • conical;
  • spherical.

End mills for wood are used to form grooves of various configurations and sizes. They are suitable not only for the manufacture of wooden products, but also for creating tenon / groove joints. Therefore, often end mills are classified as groove products.

Profile cutters represent an extensive group of components for the following tasks:

  • processing of the end part;
  • formation of grooves with a complex configuration;
  • surface decoration with ornaments.

Wood burrs have another name - cutters. They are designed to make holes with a specific configuration. Such cutters are used at an intermediate stage of processing. In addition, they can be used to finalize the configuration of some parts.

Classification of edge cutters for wood for a manual router

Edge cutters are the most common group, since hand tools are most often used specifically for making edges on products made of wood. Even in large sets, edge cutters represent the bulk of the parts. This option is more preferable for home craftsmen. It is easier to buy a set of wood router bits for a manual router than to select these elements one by one.

This group includes:

  • profile - to give an intricate shape to the edges of the product;
  • molding or shaped - to round the edge, while obtaining a convex shape on ¼ of the circle;
  • conical - designed for chamfering at an angle, the most common option is 45 °;
  • disk cutters for wood - for the formation of grooves in the edge part of the product;
  • folded - designed for sampling a quarter in the edge part of the product;

  • fillet - used to make grooves in the edge on a ¼ circle;
  • figurine - designed for the manufacture of the edge of the panels.

In most cases, edge cutters are equipped with a thrust bearing. This element restricts the movement of the tool, preventing it from sinking into the wood. In this case, the cutting part of the part can be located above or below the bearing. By setting the tool support pad to a certain position, you can adjust the cutter overhang depth.

Useful advice! If the cutter makes large cuts, it is desirable to carry out the processing of the product in several stages, each time deepening it into the material until the thrust bearing is triggered.

In some cases, the bearing in the design of the cutter is missing. To work with such a part, you will need a template and a copy sleeve or parallel stop. The size of moulder cutters depends on the height of the cutting part. If the profile has several roundings, then the manufacturer indicates the dimensions of the largest diameter that can be obtained using such a part. Moreover, the distance between the cutting parts can be adjusted at your discretion.

Figure cutters of horizontal type have a large diameter and weight. Such elements require a lot of cutting force, for this reason they are made exclusively with a 12 mm shank. These cutters are designed for the fixed design router.

Related article:


To accessories, operating instructions. Recommendations for the choice of designs and an overview of the best models.

Classification of groove cutters for wood for a manual router

The main purpose of a groove cutter for wood is to make grooves in wood - grooves.

There are several varieties of such cutters:

  • fillet - these parts are designed for the manufacture of semicircular grooves;
  • conical - elements are used for threading flat surfaces;
  • spiral cutters for wood for a manual router - in many ways similar to end elements. However, they have a more pronounced cutting edge located with outside. In fact, the design of a spiral wood cutter resembles a drill;

  • T-shaped cutters for the formation of grooves of the appropriate shape;
  • elements of the type "Dovetail";
  • shaped;
  • grooving straight cutters for wood - cylindrical parts that form a groove with a rectangular section;
  • combined - milling cutters are used to connect large-sized wooden shields.

Combined elements include tenon/groove cutters. Most often, such elements have a monolithic design, however, there are also options equipped with carbide cutting edges. They are used for splicing workpieces.

Copy cutters or straight cutters are the smallest group of accessories for a manual router. Between themselves, these parts differ in the number of cutting edges, dimensions, as well as the nature of the placement of thrust surfaces and bearings, which can be located both above and below. There are options with double-sided placement in relation to the cutting part. During operation, the bearing moves along the template, which makes it possible to obtain a part of the required configuration from the workpiece.

The head of the fillet cutters has a rounded shape. The cut-away groove resulting from its use looks like the letter "U". The walls of the recess can be rounded immediately at the very surface or for some time be located at a right angle. It depends on the depth of the cut.

Note! Even though a “fillet” is considered a semi-circular cut, this category also includes cutters that form a V-shaped groove. If in the course of work it is necessary to make grooves with different angles of inclination of the walls, it is advisable to have an appropriate set of wood cutters for a manual router, where there are cutting elements of different configurations.

Wood cutter for manual router: choosing the optimal set for the job

Buying the right woodworking tool is no guarantee of a great result. In order for the processing of the material to be accurate and of high quality, it is advisable to purchase good equipment. For this purpose, sets of wood router bits for a hand router are designed, which include a set of cutting parts suitable for certain jobs.

Which wood cutters are better to buy for a manual router

When choosing equipment for a manual router, you need to pay attention to the main criteria:

  1. Execution quality.
  2. The level of thermal strength.
  3. Type of connection of the cutting part with the shank.
  4. Solder material.

Before purchasing a set of wood cutters, you should pay attention to the quality of soldering. It must be made in such a way that during long-term operation the tool does not lose its longitudinal stability. This is especially true in cases where products made from hardwoods, such as pear, hornbeam, oak, etc., are used in the work.

Solders of the following grades are considered to be of high quality: Psr 37.5 and PS p40. They are characterized by a high content of copper and silver. If a material of a different brand is used to solder the inserts and shank, it is likely that nickel is present in its composition, which does not provide the required level of strength of the joints. It is not allowed to use elements in cutter sets for a manual router, in which the working cutting part is welded to the shank. This equipment is not the best option.

Solid cutters also need to be checked for the hardness of the material of manufacture. This operation can be performed at home. To do this, it is enough to walk along the working part of the cutter with a calibrated file. If no visible marks remain on the surface, then the element is made of quality material. The optimum hardness is 58-62 HRC.

Note! The quality of work also depends on the availability of additional devices. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a set of templates and stops.

A brief overview of the Enkor milling cutters catalog for a manual router

Very often, manufacturers offer craftsmen to purchase a ready-made kit designed to perform the same type of work. For example, some Encore wood router bits for a hand router are combined into kits that allow you to get a certain result. Such sets are used to make identical joints or wooden products. Moreover, in the second case, the cutters allow you to complete a full processing cycle.

In the catalog of cutters Enkor there are sets with a different number of elements. For example, a set of two combination frame cutters with a 12 mm shank can be used to create frame products. These elements are designed not only for the formation of the inner edge. They can be used as corner splicing cutters for a hand router.

Using this set, you can create not only frame products, for example, thin window covers, but also splice wooden boards into large shields.

Of course, each of the cutters in this set can act as an independent element, with which you can perform other operations for processing wood products.

Consumers can buy a set of cutters for Enkor wood for making lining. With the help of these elements, it is possible to form the edge of wooden products, which can later be used for interior finishing works. In addition, the manufacturer offers sets of decorative cutters, which can include from 4 to 12 elements with different configurations. The average price of sets is in the range from 1370 to 8300 rubles.

Overview of the catalog of wood cutters for a manual router SMT

The products of the Italian manufacturer SMT are in high demand among consumers. On sale are individual cutting elements and entire sets designed to perform various jobs.

The catalog contains the following types of CMT cutters for wood for a manual router:

  • slot and end;
  • overrunning;
  • for furniture strapping and splicing;
  • disk;
  • T-shaped and "Dovetail";
  • paneled;
  • edge molding;
  • profile;
  • jointer and chamfer.

The kits offered by the manufacturer are designed to perform certain types of work or to form specific connections. The buyer can purchase a ready-made kit designed for the manufacture of doors, furniture facades, lining, strapping and various bindings. The cost of sets varies between 5610-63000 rubles.

Buying hand mills for wood: the price of popular types of products

Wood cutters are suitable not only for the manufacture of solid wood products. These elements can be used to process lumber such as plywood, chipboard, veneer, fiberboard, etc.

Average prices for cutters Enkor:

Type of cutters Type of price, rub.
Slotted Fillet V-shaped from 185
Direct from 189
Shaped from 190
Structural T-shaped from 202
Structural from 206
Fillet from 212
edging Direct from 220
Moulder from 287
Cone from 352
Folded from 405
Half rod from 519
Fillet from 550
curly from 615
Mold adjustable from 1500
Multiprofile from 1570
Combined Universal from 1130
Framework from 2160

The existing range of accessories for a manual milling cutter has several classification options. These products differ in design, structure of the teeth, as well as the material of manufacture. By choosing a cutter with the necessary characteristics, you can create an edge, grooves, ledges, grooves and other elements of the desired size and configuration in a wooden blank. In addition, cutting parts are used to install various functional and structural elements. For example, hinges, locks, latches.