Amana offers mini bearing router bits

Company says they're ideal for tight corners

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Amana Tool, manufacturers of industrial-quality carbide-tipped cutting tools, has launched a series of miniature bearing router bits. The bits feature a 3/16" diameter ball bearing guide that is much smaller than other ball bearing router bits on the market. The bits are designed for delicate projects such as sign-making, building musical instruments, routing letter edges, flush-trimming tight corners and high-production projects.

"The bearings are only 3/16" in diameter which is exceptionally small compared to the standard bearing on a standard router bit, which usually starts about 3/8" and goes up," says Lonnie Bird, consultant for Amana Tool. "You could certainly use them for all types of small work such as a jewelry box that we build here at my school that has all kinds of tiny dovetails and moldings and little feet and so forth, so this type of router is ideal for that because of the small profiles and the small diameter bearing."

The cutting edge of each router bit is engineered from a carbide grade designed to deliver maximum cutting efficiency aimed at prolonging tool life, according to the company. The bits can fit into tight spaces and sharp corners where a larger diameter bearing can't, making it easier for users to work on finely detailed workpieces that have intricate contours, tight confines and narrow openings.

The miniature bearing router bits can be used on wood and plastics and come in a variety of profiles.

"I think for a lot of woodworkers, they'd find for tight corners that they'd be ideal, because furniture makers especially end up going back and carving corners that are left round by router bits and shaper cutters," Bird says. "So the further the router bit can reach into the corner, the less carving there is to do.

"At this time we have five profiles: a Roman ogee, round over, flush trim, rabbetting and seven-degree bevel."

Bird says that the bits will permit trimming without the risk of burning the work.

"One of the other benefits is that they are carbide, whereas if you are using a solid pilot bit, which tends to burn, you're also using high-speed steel and high-speed steel doesn't hold an edge too long. High-speed steel cannot be used on sheet stock and man-made materials, and these bits obviously can because they are carbide-tipped."

The miniature bearing router bits start at $18.90 for the flush trim bit.

Contact: Amana Tool. Tel: 800-445-0077. www.amanatool.com.

This article originally appeared in the September 2009 issue.