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Your cart is empty.Whiteside Machine Company has been in the router bit business for over 30 years providing customer with quality products while at the same time striving to achieve complete customer satisfaction. Several woodworking magazines have tested Whiteside versus the competition and selected Whiteside as the winner for best router bits available in the market. Whiteside Machine Company was founded in 1970 as a general purpose machine shop in the basement of Bill & Bobbie Whiteside's home. Located in Western North Carolina near the furniture manufacturing town of Hickory, the company was often involved in making repairs or special parts for the furniture and woodworking field. A strong commitment to customer problem-solving, a can-do attitude, and innovative ideas, along with a growing core of dedicated employees, helped the business evolve into a manufacturer of woodworking equipment and tooling. Primarily through repeat business and referrals, the tooling business continued to grow to meet a demand for quality production router bits as well as custom application tooling. Today, Whiteside Machine occupies a 40,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility and produces a complete line of solid carbide and carbide tipped router bits. Whiteside's quality, innovation, and customer commitment is still present in our superb product line, in the design of custom tooling to fill special customer requirements, and in the development of special machinery and tooling for our own manufacturing use. As always, Whiteside Machine is continuously striving to improve our product through new technology, improved production techniques, and ongoing research and development efforts; along with rigid quality control, vital customer feedback and extensive field testing. Whiteside Machine Company. Made in America. Family owned and operated. Committed to Quality. Come on - give us a try
Papa Carlo
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2024
I spent so much time trying to drill mortises using straight and non carbide bit. I almost bought Festool Domino but tries this bit instead. I made 32 of 2" joints in very short time. It required me only 3 passes while with other bits I could not do less than 10 or the whole thing would vibrate violently.
RK
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2022
I recently used this to cut out a 21” diameter lazy Susan from 1” thick walnut, ash, and blood wood. The edge was absolutely clean and never bogged the router down once. All of my Whiteside bits outperform the Freud bits I own. Just be careful because this thing is razor sharp.
Justin
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2021
This bit performs really well. I used it to cut dados into oak and maple and it produces a very nice cut and goes through it like butter. It is a bit on the expensive side but I have several Whiteside bits and they are nice.
Osvaldo Cristo
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2019
I purchased the same bit including bearings and straight (three flutes): Whiteside model #RFTD5200 and #RU5200T.They are for medium and heavy work like (typically found at) Carpentry and some heavier furniture making. It is psychologically comfortable to use a such heavy duty bit as you will feel it is very improbable it breaks even at difficult situations. You can feel the bit is very solid.After a couple of months I did not have a chance to use it in a real job but I made a pair of very successful tests routing some slots in very hard wood (ipe) and I am convinced it will not frustrate me when at actual use. Recommended.
fordop87
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2018
Very nice bit made with great quality. I'm only giving it a 4 star because I like a two flute bit more than a three flute. The three flutes cut a little slower, yet cleaner, than a two flute. They also "grab" more. I used this bit to mortise 2.25" mortises for a gate in white oak. I had to cut shallow passes or else it got too scary! The bit does what it's supposed to, but I was probably using it for the wrong application.
B. Beran
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2017
Very impressive route bit. Whiteside is known for quality router bits, this one is no different....in fact I'd say it's above all expectations. Buy it, it will save you a lot of time, money, and headaches.
Daniel Smith
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2017
I purchased this VERY NICE 1/2" bit in 12/2015, it has performed exceptionally well, in many different species from Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Bubinga, Zebrawood, EVEN twisted grain Rustic Knotty Hickory- every project I use this bit on, comes out with almost "NO" strands of grain hanging in the cut, I have been building "Heirloom Quality" Custom Woodwork for 35+ years and when I can find a well cutting router bit such as this, I "baby" it- never "Hog" into any cuts, keep it clean and sharp- the fact that it has "3" flutes is partially why it out performs all other 1/2" bits, the "secret" behind this is a very tight microstructure of carbide AND proper "Heat Treatment"- when hardening and tempering a very complex matrix that lends to the ability for this bit to stay sharp- it requires a very lengthy time and proper internal tension relief (I worked as a Metalsmith for 3 years) and the shop that has the ability to perform the processes (and the "Person" to Q.A. the processes) is VERY costly, I will be buying more of this type of bit as soon as I can find a good price (this is a very good price) I would like some different sizes, I have $5,000.00 invested in my Router Table (not including the bits, the JessEm hold downs) - if you take care of good equipment, it will last for generations- Thanks Amazon for the reviews, the folks who take time to write them, and to "Whiteside" for such a wonderful bit- Happy Wood Shavings !
Christine Marsceill
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2014
The diameter was as close as I could measure with digital calipers to .500 inches as specified.The cuts in veneered plywood are clean and without chips both across and with the grain. The bottom of the cut was flat and smooth.The bit exceeded my expectations and needs in all parameters.This is an UPDATE- I have used this bit several times since first reviewed and felt compelled to add to it's praises.This bit has exceeded my expectations with every use. It is the sharpest bit I own (be careful - I cut myself installing it ) . It leaves a smooth flat bottom and clean edges - even in plywood. It melts away material when cleaning out a pocket and leaves feathery thin chips like a well tuned and sharpened hand plane.
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