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Tool: Ultra-Shear Router Bits Shop Now
Manufacturer: Woodpeckers
MSRP: $18.99+
For the last several months, I’ve had the opportunity to use the new Ultra-Shear router bits from Woodpeckers. They are some of the nicest router bits that I’ve used. What makes the Ultra-Shear bits different, in my mind, is that each one is ground out of a solid piece of fine-grained carbide. If you’re familiar with standard carbide, it has a fairly large grain structure. This means that the edge can only be sharpened to a certain point before the grain size of the carbide is the limiting factor. Woodpeckers has used a much finer carbide in the Ultra-Shear bits, and they are sharp!
Being ground from a solid piece of carbide also has another benefit—the router bits can have a variety of flute numbers, and patterns. With standard straight bits, the carbide cutter is usually a flat piece of stock braised on the bit. With the Ultra-Shear bits, the flutes are in a spiral pattern, allowing better chip extraction and a shearing cut. Some of the bits have a compression pattern as well, where the top and the bottom of the bit converge in the center, allowing a smooth cut on both faces of the workpiece.
The Ultra-Shear router bits are being offered in several styles. A mixture of pattern, template, straight and rabbet bits are among the current offering, though I expect that the selection of bits will continue to expand. As with all the Woodpeckers items, they’re manufactured in the USA.
