Vent: Bought a $200 router bit set and every single one wobbled like crazy

I grabbed a cheap set off Amazon last month to save some cash on a big kitchen cabinet job, and the first dovetail bit left a wavy mess on my test pieces. The runout was so bad I could feel the whole router vibrating through the table. Has anyone else had luck with those budget sets or should I just stick to buying single bits from a real tool store?

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3 Comments

adam_baker3mo ago

Did you check if the collet was clean before you installed them? I had a similar problem with a cheap set and it turned out there was just a little chip stuck inside. A good cleaning fixed most of the wobble.

1

jenny_lane123mo ago

Yeah that's a good point. A dirty collet will mess up everything.

10

maxl933mo ago

Read this tip from a machinist forum once, said the same thing. A tiny speck of crud hidden in the collet can make your runout look worse than a bent spindle. Saved me a headache after I blew compressed air through mine.

4