Sharpening worktop cutting router bits. Do you bother?

[Graham Orm]

If so how?

I've thrown loads away over the years and currently have about a dozen blunt ones but can't bring myself to throw them.

 

[MMUK]

Consumable item. I just chuck them in the metal recycling bin.

 

[carlb40]

I throw all router bits away. Ive never bothered sharpening any of them.

 

[Woodcrafts]

At the price they are it's just not worth it. Also sharpening will (albeit slightly) change the diameter of the bit which could have an adverse effect on the fit of a joint when used with a worktop jig.

 

[ColeyS1]

.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

!

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Well, in the age of disposable furniture (and how long does the average fitted kitchen last?), the use of disposable tools seems entirely appropriate.

(Not meant in sarcasm, more in slightly world-weary sorrow.)

 

[paulm]

I rub the flat back surface of the tct cutter part a few times on a fine diamond hone or plate.

I don't use worktop cutting jigs very often so can't say from that particular experience, but as you are probably removing microns of material from the cutters I can't see it making any practical difference to tolerances unless done to the same cutter many times over. Would have thought you could get several sharpenings though without issue ?

Certainly worth sharpening general use cutters that way as I do, would be crazy to chuck them away too soon !

Cheers, Paul

 

[JustBen]

I sharpen mine.
It's only £10 or so for a thin/credit card diamond stone and only takes a couple of swipes on the flat back to get it sharp again.

The amount taken off is minuscule and would take a long time to alter the cut by anything noticeable.

 

[Distinterior]

I fit kitchens all the time and do sharpen my router cutters.

I don't buy cheap cutters as I find they don't last as long as the better quality cutters, therefore I have them sharpened 10 or 12 at a time.

I do hone them myself when I'm doing Solid Surface tops as it is a bit harder on the blades than Laminate tops.

Tim.

 

[Graham Orm]

I rub the flat back surface of the tct cutter part a few times on a fine diamond hone or plate.

I don't use worktop cutting jigs very often so can't say from that particular experience, but as you are probably removing microns of material from the cutters I can't see it making any practical difference to tolerances unless done to the same cutter many times over. Would have thought you could get several sharpenings though without issue ?

Certainly worth sharpening general use cutters that way as I do, would be crazy to chuck them away too soon !

Cheers, Paul

Thanks Paul, as mentioned by Woodcrafts the issue is changing the diameter as they will then not cut a perfect joint. I think the only way is to suck it and see. I'll give it a go when I've got half an hour spare.
Test 1 will be to see if they are actually any sharper when I've done with them. The other problem might be that they do over heat and discolour sometimes. This is inevitable even when doing 4 or more passes to cut through a 40mm worktop.

They vary in price But I can't say that the more expensive ones have lasted any longer than the cheaper.

 

[Graham Orm]

I fit kitchens all the time and do sharpen my router cutters.

I don't buy cheap cutters as I find they don't last as long as the better quality cutters, therefore I have them sharpened 10 or 12 at a time.

I do hone them myself when I'm doing Solid Surface tops as it is a bit harder on the blades than Laminate tops.

Tim.

Hi Distinterior. You say you 'have them sharpened'. Who does it and how much do you pay?

 

[Distinterior]

I take them to a company near me in Ipswich, Suffolk. They do all my saw blades as well.

I cant remember at the moment exactly how much I paid for the last lot of worktop router cutters I had done, as I had a few saw blades sharpened and it was all on the same invoice.

I THINK, it was about £8 a cutter.

I have never noticed any discernible difference in the joints after using a cutter that has been sharpened once or twice. Obviously, the overall diameter is going to change every time they get sharpened, but as someone has already said, it is so small a difference that it has never been an issue for me and I have been doing the job for more than 32 years now.

About 18 months ago, I bought a job lot of 10 worktop cutters from Axminster. They were a very good price (about £65 IIRC), but they lost their sharpness very quickly. I have had a few of them re-sharpened, but they just don't seem to cut as smooth or as balanced as my Trend or Titman cutters that I use the majority of the time.

Tim.

 

[gav]

Hi Distinterior,

Do you have details of the company you use for sharpening, only being based in Ipswich myself details of a reliable sharpening firm would be most useful?

Gav

 

[Mar_mite]

I think if you go into a decent timber merchant, you will find they offer a sharpening service. I bought a cheapie cutter from eBay for a massive kitchen I was fitting, it blunted virtually straight away. Never again.

 

[Distinterior]

Hi Distinterior,

Do you have details of the company you use for sharpening, only being based in Ipswich myself details of a reliable sharpening firm would be most useful?

Gav

Hi Gav,

I use Ipswich Plastics.

I have a Kitchen Showroom in Colchester, but make the trip up the road to Ipswich to get all my blades and cutters sharpened.
I have used a couple of companies in Colchester to do my sharpening in the past, but with a few problems. One of them dropped one of my 250mm Dewalt Series 60 saw blades, and absolutely trashed about 12 of the teeth. It was nearly new and had never been sharpened before. They denied all responsibility and tried to say that I had given it to them like that. Lying B...t....s!!!!!! In the end, they offered me a replacement blade at 1/2 price, but I wanted the same blade as they had ruined, but they didn't sell Dewalt blades. They offered me some cheap C..P. I haven't dealt with them since.

I get a good service from Ipswich Plastics, plus I do quite a lot of work in Suffolk so am often over that way so its easy to pop in as its only just of the A14.

Tim.

 

[gav]

I've used Ipswich Plastics for veneered boards and worktops before, never noticed they did a sharpening service.

Gav

 

[Distinterior]

I've used Ipswich Plastics for veneered boards and worktops before, never noticed they did a sharpening service.

Gav

Yes, just go upstairs into the Tool Dept. Its a 1 week turnaround.

I don't know who they send the Blades/Cutters out to, as I would try to deal direct with them, but I find their prices are reasonable so have continued to deal with them for quite a while now.

The Rep that works for them lives in the same town as me, and they have even offered to get him to drop my blades back to my home address if it would help me out. I have yet to take them up on the offer, as I am over that way quite a lot. I have been fitting 10 kitchens on a prestigious development just north of Ipswich over the last 8 months, so it has been convenient for picking up my blades etc.

 

[Graham Orm]

I take them to a company near me in Ipswich, Suffolk. They do all my saw blades as well.

I cant remember at the moment exactly how much I paid for the last lot of worktop router cutters I had done, as I had a few saw blades sharpened and it was all on the same invoice.

I THINK, it was about £8 a cutter.

I have never noticed any discernible difference in the joints after using a cutter that has been sharpened once or twice. Obviously, the overall diameter is going to change every time they get sharpened, but as someone has already said, it is so small a difference that it has never been an issue for me and I have been doing the job for more than 32 years now.

About 18 months ago, I bought a job lot of 10 worktop cutters from Axminster. They were a very good price (about £65 IIRC), but they lost their sharpness very quickly. I have had a few of them re-sharpened, but they just don't seem to cut as smooth or as balanced as my Trend or Titman cutters that I use the majority of the time.

Tim.

Thanks for the input Tim.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Beware cheap router cutters folks, its the quality of the steel that allows them to be sold inexpensively. The reason the cheap ones blunt so fast is that the "tct" is in fact butter basically. The good quality ones which cost more to manufacture have decent quality TCT in the steel and hence keep their edge much longer.