Nothing puts the finishing touches on a woodworking project quite like a nicely routed edge. But router bits do more than just increase the aesthetic form of a piece. They alsoย work for cuttingย dados, rabbets, and mortises. With a little patience and a quality bit, quite literal run-of-the-mill stock can be transformed into beautiful and functional creations. This is possibleย even in the hands of an inexperienced craftsman. Sinceย router bits can be priced upwards of $20-$30 or more, itโs often difficult to choose the right one. This goes double ifย youโre not experienced enough to knowย if youโll like the outcome. Thatโs what makes the Ryobi 15-piece router bit set attractive. For about $50, you get a nice cross-section of common trimming, edging, and joining bits to experiment with. Thisย allows both novices and veteran woodworkers alike the ability to work and experiment without buyerโs remorse.
That only remaining question is whetherย these bits are of Ryobiโs typical solid-value craftsmanship. We aimed toย find out. If you havenโt already, be sure to check out our article on setting the right router bit speed.
Ryobi 15-Piece Router Bit Set First Impressions
The Ryobi 15-piece router bit set includesย 1/4-inch shank,ย carbide-tipped flush cut (2), dovetail, several straight cutting (4), chamfer (2), ogee, roundover (3), rabbeting, and slot cutting bits. Everything comes in a convenient storage box. The set even includesย a couple extra bearings and a hex key to replace them. Ryobi makesย other types of router bits such as a cove and V-groove, but those arenโt part of this set.
I would have preferredย a cove or V-groove instead of one the straight cutting bits, thatโs nit-picking.ย The included bits are the most common types for basic routing. You could argue thatย the additional bitsย are for more particular uses. This set will get you well on your way to using those others when youโre ready. The trimming and joining are appropriate for a trim router such as the cordedย Ridgid R2401 trim routerย or even the newย cordless Ridgid trim router.ย You wouldย want a full-sized router to take advantage of the edging bits. For this review Iย usedย the very capableย Triton TRA001 plunge router. It covered all the bases.
En Route
I could have just made a bunch of cuts to show you how the bits performed, but what fun would that be? Instead,ย I took the opportunity to kill fourย birds with one stone. Iย craftedย a table and shelves for an empty space in my spare bathroom. This made my very soon-to-be wife happy. When we share the same house, sheโd like a table and shelves in the empty space in my spare bathroom. Making her happyย and reviewing these bitsย sounded like a multiple win all around.
I wasnโt working from any plans except for the dimensions of the empty space. As such,ย I just scratched out some notes and dove in. The finished piece wouldย ultimately be painted. I purchased aย basic pine table topย andย milled the legs, apron, and stretchers out of existing pine stock. Afterย marking some dimensions and making some initial cuts, I got to work.
Rabbets and Tapering
I donโt want to go down a โrabbetโ trail here, but right after I milled the legs, I built a leg tapering jig. Even the most spartan pieces have some sort of taper and I wanted my table to have them as well. There are several methods, but I like this one from Fine Woodworkingย the best.
The straight cutting bits were the first used. I routed decorative dados in the top and bottom portions of my newly tapered legs. I used a wider bit on the top and a narrower bit on the bottom. With the Titan router, they made a nice, clean cut. Of course, this brings us back to Routing 101. If youโre routing across the grain, youโre going to have some tear-out upon exit. The woodโs fibers arenโt strong enough to hold on at the edges. That means you can chip or otherwise damage the sharp edgesย you want to leave. How do the Prosย avoid this? Clamp a piece of sacrificial stockย of the exact thickness against the piece you want to route. Then make the cut. The sacrificial stock holds the fibers at the edge of your piece securely and prevents unwanted tear-out.
Ryobi 15-Piece Router Bit Set Features & Specs
- Includes: 15 router bits and a protective case
- Bit types:ย Decorative edging, joining, and trimming
- Shank: 1/4-inch
- Blades: Carbide tipped
Routing 101ย Tips from the Pros:ย Be sure to cut in a counterclockwise motion and always route end grain first. The end grain will tear out, but routing the edge grain last will fix it.
Before I cut the tabletop to size, I tested the roundover bits and the ogee to see what I liked best for the application. I decided to go with the roundover, but to add just a little style, I let the bit plunge just a little low to create a fillet around the top. Both the ogee and roundover bits of theย Ryobi 15-piece router bit set made beautiful edges and corners.
For holding all of the stock to my workbench, I used the Kreg Bench Clamp System.ย I joined the apron to the legs with pocket holes using the Kreg K4 jigย and I glued up the top. Then I used the Ryobi chamfer bits to style the stretchers. At the time of this review I hadnโt attached the stretcher to the table, but you can see a sample of the chamfered stretcher in the featured image at the top of this review.
The Bottom Line
Theย Ryobi 15-piece router bit set made quick work of the details required forย this table. With bits this economical, it may alsoย give you an excuse toย spend more time in yourย workshop. With practice, these bitsย will allow any hobbyist or Proย to make professional-looking pieces. After all, isnโt that why we tinker, cut, sand, join, edge, and glue? Iโll be using the rabbet bit and dovetail bit in upcoming projects. Given what Iโve used so far,ย I can safely assume they work as well as the straight cutting, ogee, roundover, and chamfer bits. For $49.99, you can be well on your way to making your own functional, beautiful things.
