Hi,
I’m new to the group and new to using a CNC. I live just outside of the Ottawa area and would love to connect with any of the members from this forum to learn as much from your experiences.
I have a couple of quick newbie questions, where is the best place to order router bits? My first choice would be to order from a local Canadian company. As a newbie, what are the recommended router bits to buy when first starting out?
Thank you in advance.
Rob
Hi Rob,
Welcome to the forum and to the CNC world, you’re in for a great time.
As for where to buy bits, a number of places sell them and like everything, you get what you pay for. Personally, I buy my bits mostly from www.bitsandbits.com. They are a family owned business in Oregon that manufacture all their bits, and their customer service is great. Another source I buy from is www.idcwoodcraft.com, they too manufacture their own bits. IDC has a big you tube presence with a lot of instructional videos for beginners. Also look at www.cicworkshop.com. They also sell bits, kits and lots of instructional videos. The bits they sell, which are good, are sourced and not made in house.
Each one of the companies I mentioned sells a starter set, which is fine, but I would recommend getting a 1/4" up cut, 1/4" down cut, 60 & 90 degree v groove, 1/4" ball nose and a 1/8" tapered ball nose. And lastly a 1" spoil board flattening bit. As you gain more experience and your projects get more detailed, you can buy more specialized bits, but these will get you started.
If you want to save money, Amazon sells a number of Chinese made CNC bits and sets. They’re not terribly expensive and good to learn with and if you break one (and you will), it won’t be that big of a loss.
Hope this helps.
Hi Rob - the “best” place is really a matter of opinion. Starting out, recommend getting relatively less expensive bits from eBay - they are still good quality and if you break a few, not a big loss of money. As you progress, I would recommend Amana bits over all else. They seem to hold their edge best for me; however, they are perhaps some of the most expensive. I get most my bit from bits & bits or tools today. You can the same bits from Amazon too as it goes back to the company for fulfillment; link to my full cost spreadsheet here from my digital manufacturing series..
I would be remiss if I didn’t shout out Cody from Cadence Manufacturing - his bits are excellent as well and offer a great “middle of the road” price for the quality, though his selection is smaller.
Also, Andy did a great video on bit longevity that I highly recommend.
For bit recommendations, there is a good thread here: end-mill-bits-starter-set-for-a-new-guy
Hope this helps.
-Tom
Thanks for your feedback Paul, very helpful
Thanks Tom, the video was very helpful
Welcome to the jungle!
I live in the GTA and there’s lots of us on both sides of the border and across the pond
As for bits for 20 years I worked with just a 1/4" endmill and a 60 degree V bit from Lee Valley. The quality is good and last a long time.
The Cadence bits and Bits&Bits brand are good too
Amazon was hit and miss for me
Cheers