High Speed Steel (HSS) bits have been around longer but are not as readily available as carbide bits. An HSS router bit is not as expensive but will dull fairly quickly. The HSS router bit is more suited for occasional work while a carbide router bit is meant for greater use, lasting 20 times longer than HSS router bit.

How to Take Care of Router Bits

To keep your router bit set in good shape, you will want to do small amounts of cutting at a time. This not only keeps you away from overheating, but will also extend life of router bit. Always use shortest and widest bit possible for your project. This will again prevent overheating and will also avoid chattering.

Always keep your router bits clean and free from pitch and in good condition to avoid dulling. Remove any pitch and tar from router bit (if not removed, it will cause bit to unevenly bounce on surface). Commercial bit cleaner can be used to remove pitch and tar; however, a scrap piece of wood will usually do trick. This will help keep your router bits in good working order.

The parts of a router bit, types of bits, difference between HSS bits and carbide bits, and proper care of router bits are all important concepts to understand when selecting your own router bit set. This basic knowledge will help you know what you need in a router bit set and how to use it properly.

Kaitlin Carruth is a client account specialist with 10x Marketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For more information about router bits, please visit Tool America

4) Fitting: No, not a “dry” run of putting all parts together to see if they “fit”, also included here to point out another bunch of terms to look-up. …Any pipe part used to join together two sections of pipe, such as elbows, couplings, bushings, bends, wyes, etc.

5) Flow Rate: Wrong…how high water spouts out of tap when handle breaks off and water is still turned on. …Rating in gallons per minute (GPM) or gallons per hour. (GPH)

6) Nipple: Again..this is NOT anatomy …A short length of pipe installed between couplings or other fittings.

7) O-Ring: Has absolutely nothing to do with a Space Shuttle although they serve a slightly similar purpose. …It is a round rubber washer used to create a water tight seal, chiefly around valve stems.

8) Snake; All I could envision here was a real sake put into toilet to “eat” anything in its path on way to septic tank, then screams of next person “using” toilet when snake returns. …A long, highly flexible metal wire or coil used for cleaning drains. Also called plumber's snake.

9) Stillson Wrench: Not a hat that looks like a pipe wrench. …It is a large L shaped pipe wrench. It has jaws that are adjustable and will tighten as pressure on handle is increased. It is also known as a pipe wrench.

10) Teflon Tape: Not a how to video of plumbing projects involving plastics. …A fluorocarbon polymer with non-sticking properties used to wrap pipe threads to seal a joint.

11) Yoke: This is not a funny story by a Swedish plumber. …Usually a brass casting that holds both hot and cold valves and mixing chamber for water.

If you have a plumbing problem and are not sure about how plumbing works, this is not a time to experiment. Take it from personal experience, disasters you can create are not worth need to say “humph who needs a plumber..I can fix this!” Do yourself a BIG favor and consult a plumber. If it is a small job that you can confidently fix yourself I have but one piece of advice to give…shut off water first!!!!!!!

...and that is about it except for these final words that my late father always said:

A good flush beats a full house every time.