Editing Router (woodworking) (section)

== Available cutters ==
[[File:router bit profiles en.svg|frame|right|Profiles made in wood by several common router bits.]]
[[File:Routerbits.jpg|thumb|right|190px|Two typical router bits: (top) a {{frac|1|4}}-inch shaft Roman Ogee with bearing, (bottom) {{frac|1|4}}-inch shaft dovetail bit.]]
'''Router bits''' come in a large variety of designs to create either decorative effects or [[Woodworking joints|joinery]] aids. Generally, they are classified as either [[high-speed steel]] (HSS) or [[Tungsten carbide|carbide-tipped]], however some recent innovations such as solid carbide bits provide even more variety for specialized tasks.

Aside from the materials they are made of, bits can be classified as edge bits or non-edge bits, and whether the bit is designed to be ''anti-kickback''. Edge bits have a small wheel bearing to act as a fence against the work in making edge moldings. These bearings can be changed by using commercially available bearing kits. Changing the bearing, in effect, changes the diameter of the cutting edge. This is especially important with rabbeting/rebating bits. Non-edge bits require the use of a fence, either on a router table or attached to the work or router. Anti-kickback bits employ added non-cutting bit material around the circumference of the bit's shoulders which serves to limit feed-rate. This reduces the chance that the workpiece is pushed too deeply into the bit (which would result in significant kickback from the cutting edge being unable to compensate).

Bits also differ by the diameter of their shank, with {{frac|1|2}}-inch, 12&nbsp;mm, 10&nbsp;mm, {{frac|3|8}}-inch, 8&nbsp;mm and {{frac|1|4}}-inch and 6&nbsp;mm shanks (ordered from thickest to thinnest) being the most common. Half-inch bits cost more but, being stiffer, are less prone to vibration (giving smoother cuts) and are less likely to break than the smaller sizes. Care must be taken to ensure the bit shank and router collet sizes match exactly. Failure to do so can cause permanent damage to either or both and can lead to the dangerous situation of the bit coming out of the collet during operation. Many routers come with removable collets for the popular shank sizes (in the US {{frac|1|2}}&nbsp;in and {{frac|1|4}}&nbsp;in, in Great Britain {{frac|1|2}}&nbsp;in, 8&nbsp;mm and {{frac|1|4}}&nbsp;in, and metric sizes in Europe—although in the [[United States]] the {{frac|3|8}}&nbsp;in and 8&nbsp;mm sizes are often only available for an extra cost).

Many modern routers allow the speed of the bit's rotation to be varied. A slower rotation allows bits of larger cutting diameter to be used safely. Typical speeds range from 8,000 to 30,000 rpm.

Router bits can be made to match almost any imaginable profile. Custom router bits can be ordered. They are especially beneficial for home restoration projects, where production of the original trim and molding has been discontinued.

Sometimes complementary bits come in sets designed to facilitate the joinery used in [[frame and panel]] construction. One bit is designed to cut the grove in the rail and stile pieces while the other shapes the edge of the panel to fit in the grove.