Cutting Tools

The industry standard

Annular cutters are the industry standard for hole-making in heavy duty applications. More precise than twist drills, these cutters can increase your cutting speed by up to 3 three times over conventional methods, and leave a reamed quality, burr free hole.

High-speed steel (HSS)

These are the most popular Cu drills or annular cutters in the market. The biggest advantage of an HSS core drill is its ability to re-sharpen. Unlike TCT core drills, HSS core drills are re-sharpened and used with good efficiency until a desirable length is remaining. HSS core drills have a longer service life, high heat resistance, and drilling can be done without the use of excessive force.

Standard

The HSS Standard core drills are made from M2 steel, most widely used in western countries due to its cost and resharpening advantage. The Standard HSS core drills are used to drill Mild and Structural steel, Aluminium, Stainless steel of lower BHN., etc.

Cobalt

The HSS Cobalt are core drills made from M42 Steel. These core drills are harder than the Standard HSS core drills which give better performance to drill harder material. A high percentage of Cobalt in HSS makes it faster, stronger and durable, making it effective on materials like Structural Steel, Stainless Steel, Cast iron, etc.

Hard coating

The HSS core drills with Hard Coating are core drills with generally a Tin Coating on it. Gaining popularity over the Standard HSS core drills, these core drills are more resistant to heat and have a longer tool life. These are typically used on Structural steel, Stainless steel, etc.

Tungsten carbide tipped (TCT)

Tungsten carbide tipped (TCT) core drills have tungsten carbide on their tips, making them suitable for cutting through tougher materials. TCT core drills are more expensive than HSS core drills but are faster and more efficient making larger holes. Tip breakage is more likely with TCT core drills than with HSS core bits, and TCT bits may not be resharpened.

Standard

A Standard TCT core drill has tungsten carbide tips. These are popularly used on magnetic core drilling machines for materials like railway tracks, structural steel, stainless steel, cast iron, etc.

Hard Coating

Hard Coating TCT core drills are more resistant to heat, hold a longer tool life and are even used for the removal of chips just like HSS core drills. The biggest advantage of the Hard Coated core drills is they are excellent for cutting larger diameters on hard material. These core drills are popularly used to drill materials like corroded or weathered materials, structural and stainless steel.

Annular Cutter information

Router bits appear in an endless variety of shapes and sizes, and if you’re brand new to working with a router, sorting through the terminology can be a little daunting. Understanding the basics on routers is the best first step to helping you choose the best router bits for the job and get the most out of their use.

Common Types of Router Bits and Cutters

High Speed Steel (HSS) Cutters (M2)

High Speed Steel is the standard material used to manufacture annular cutters. Unless otherwise specified on the order, cutters are packaged as HSS.

Titanium Nitride (TINI) Cutters

TINI coatings improve took life by increasing surface hardness of the tool and providing greater lubricity. TINI coated cutters are generally used in applications where the material being cut is difficult to machine, or when extended tool life is desired.

Titanium Carbonitride (TICN) Cutters

TICN coated cutters are practical when drilling highly abrasive or gummy materials such as brass or aluminum alloys. 

M42 Cobalt Steel Cutters

Cobalt cutters are effective when drilling material with inconsistent composition. They are also valuable when increased feed rates are necessary and extending tool life between sharpening is desirable.

Carbide Cutters

Carbide tipped cutters are ideal when cutting materials that are difficult to machine. They are also designed for drilling at higher RPM rates when increased hole making production is desired. 

Molding Router Bits

These router bits are designed to architectural molding profiles, which usually make them larger than other common edge forming router bits. These bits may have multiple basic edge forming profiles combined into a single router bit. Due to the added size of these bits, they are most safely used in a router table.

Stile & Rail Bits

These bits are used in frame and panel construction, primarily in building frame members for cabinet and passage doors. The bits offer a decorative cut as well as a panel slot for the edge of a door frame. They also create a corresponding cut into the end of the material where the frame’s “Rail” or horizontal member meets the edge of the frame’s “stile” or verticle member. These bits are typically available as either a pair of matched bits or as a single bit which can cut both the necessary components.

Raised Panel Bits

These bits are commonly used alongside the Stile & Rail bits to create a profiled edge on a door panel. The edge fits into the corresponding slot in the frame’s stile and rail. Raised panel bits are offered in both horizontal and vertical sets. Vertical sets are considered by many to be the safest to operate due to their reduced radius, whereas horizontal sets have a muche larger radius. The horizontal bits are necessary for panels with curved edges, such as arched top or “cathedral” cabinet doors.

Joinery Bits

Specialized joinery bits can come in a variety of sets, including dovetail, drawer lock, finger joint, and lock miter bits. Each of the bits can be used to produce their own specialized type of precision joint. One combination example for these bits would be the dovetail bit and the dovetail jig which would be used to quickly and accurately produce dovetail joints for drawer boxes and other box-making projects.