Workers Of Wood

Can someone please explain to me if there is a REAL difference between a bit that is being advertised as a CNC bit and one that you would use in a handheld or in table router. Quality? Material? Flute geometry?

I can see that SOME CNC bits appear to have a very small diameter cutter radius. But that's only some. Those are mainly used for carving?? But the ones that are used for removing large amounts of material appear to be identical to regular bits.

Is it just "sales talk"?

thks

smitty

I don't know of any. The only difference in how a CNC cuts as opposed to doing it handheld is that the CNCs typically take very small bites at much higher speeds. I remember when the guy that runs Onsrud was a member of RF for a short while and someone asked him about using one of their PCD coated bits (diamond) and he replied that there was no way you could feed fast enough by hand to utilize the advantages of going with one. And they cost up to around $600/bit. Onsrud specializes in CNC tooling but they don't specify that you can't use them either way. A few years ago Onsrud was getting rid of overstocks and bits that got machined to the wrong diameter on Ebay at fire sale sale prices so I bought a bunch. I think BJ3 was too as I recall him mentioning it once. They were also getting rid of saw blades which I think they quit making and I stocked up on 10" 60 and 80 tooth miter/melamine type blades as well as a 24 tooth dado set. The saw blades might have averaged about $15 each.Their bits and blades are some of the sharpest I've ever used and the bits work just fine handheld.