Rant: Tried using a cheap router bit set and ruined a cherry panel

I bought a 15-piece router bit set from a discount tool site last month to save some money. On the third pass through a nice cherry board for a client's kitchen cabinet, the bit chattered and left burn marks I couldn't sand out. Has anyone else had bad luck with those budget sets, or did I just pick a bad brand?

2 comments

2 Comments

amymiller6d ago

Cheap bits are definitely a gamble with hardwoods like cherry. I learned that the hard way too, the steel just isn't good enough to handle dense wood without chattering. Save your nice lumber for better tooling.

charles_kim6d ago

I saw a woodworking video where a guy tested cheap bits and said they're basically made from bad steel that can't hold an edge. Sucks that it happened on a cherry panel though, that's a pricey mistake.