Freud 12-152: 3/4 (Dia.) Double Flute Straight Bit (Eclipse Grind) Red

To start off with, this product is great and I enjoy using it, but it measures at 1.4 instead of inch and a half. I use it to machine plastics, it leaves a great finish even during roughing cuts, the grind is good and it leaves a perpendicular wall if youre cutting a slot, etc. I have no reason to be upset that it isnt quite the size stated, I can make it work for my needs and I will have no problem ordering more tools from this company.

I wanted to flatten the end of a 6x6 reclaimed oak beam. The beam was just the right height to secure in my benchs tail vice, and I made a jig to control the path of my 2.25 HP plunge router. I chose this bit because of its size (1 diameter-- takes off a decent amount but not too scary-big) and because of its cutting depth, which was necessary for me to reach the piece with my jig, while a more typical slab-flattening bit was not able to do. Anyway, it worked great for that purpose!

Quality piece of tooling. Ive used it with both a hand router and CNC so far and it moves through maple like butter. Cant yet speak to the longevity, but it has worked perfectly for surfacing the table Im workin on.

High quality bit.

worked great, well made!

You do the math... this should produce a very tight fit. It does. Pliers were required to force the 1/4 shelf pins into the 15/64 holes. But, that was the recommendation of the shelf pin jig maker (Rockler). I dont think I will be making frequent changes to the shelf positions. (I have used the bit only one time to make 16 shelf pin holes so I wont comment on either longevity or value for money.)

Used this to widen an opening on my counter. It did the job well, I didnt try to do it all in one pass, instead I did about 1 deep then another and finally the 3rd step was to complete the pass. I also only shaved off about 3/8 at a time. I cut well, didnt leave burrs/shavings.

I use this almost exclusively to cut slots in small shelves. Like for a fastener or a lectern book sliding stopper or perhaps something adjustable. I could use the 1/4 straight bit that came in a set of various bits costing about what this one bit costs. So why would I buy this? Well, it cuts far more accurately. You can see by eye even that the slot is kind of perfect. The 1/2 shank transfers more power for any brand, but its still a feature. The cutter goes straight and it doesnt care if it suddenly hits where a branch was in hardwood or an odd spot in something, that just disappears. Thats where the free or multi-pack one fails. Something a little off and it wobbles and maybe you can see it, or the board moves a little, or the slot height is uneven, or even some little bits fly out, all of which leave the slot looking crummy. So being frugal I might very well use cheap bits sometimes where the holes will be invisible or Im just doing some random chopping. But for finishing stuff that the end user will see, you need to use a specialty premium bit. For me thats usually Freud bits because I get consistently good results with them. And again, not saying your whole set needs to be these--theyre not cheap. But even for a hobbyist who cant pass on the cost, the ones you really like and use frequently should be Freud.

Its like a hot knife through butter. Very happy.

The trick with router bits is to make sure they are clean and sharp. They are pretty good from factory, but I found if you clean them and give them a good honing with a diamond file card before first use. They work much better. Also important to use correct router speed and feed rate. But dull dirty bits along with incorrect speed and feed lead to burning. When used properly these bits work great. Unfortunately some undersized plywood from foreign producers sold at big box stores are now thinner than 21/32nds. So these might even be a little over sized for those ply goods. So if you buy from large retailers, check the actual thickness of the sheet stock.