Ten Basic Router Bit Profiles

Many woodworkers count their routers as among their favorite power woodworking tools, likely because they can apply so many different shapes to a piece of stock. If you walk into any fine woodworking tool supplier, you'll probably find a complete aisle containing hundreds of various types, shapes and sizes of router bits.

With very few exceptions, router bits fall into one of ten basic shapes. In our list of Ten Basic Router Bit Profiles, we dissect the main differences between these various types of bits and how they can (and should) be used.

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