Roundover bit
A bearing rides the edge while the cutter rounds over the corner. Sizes are given as a radius — 1/8", 1/4", 3/8" and so on.
Great for: softening tabletops, shelves, kids' furniture, cutting boards and sign blanks
Router bits, explained
Router bits for palm routers: what each one does.
A compact router is only as useful as the bit in it. Here are 19 bit types every 1/4"-shank palm router can use — what shape each cuts, in plain English, and which crafts they shine in.
Shank size1/4" for every router we compare
Start withRoundover, flush-trim, straight
Golden ruleLight passes, feed left to right
MaterialsWood, plywood, MDF, laminate
Edges · Trimming & copying · Grooves & joinery · Lettering & carving · Accessories · For wood carvers
Before you buy bits
- Match the shank. Every router on our compact routers page takes 1/4" shank bits. Don't buy 1/2" shank sets for a palm router.
- Mind the diameter. Palm routers have a size limit. Ryobi's manual lists a 1-1/2" maximum overall bit diameter for its PBLRR01 with the base fitted. Big panel-raising bits belong in a full-size router. source ↗
- Bigger bit, lower speed. Use higher speeds for small bits and lower speeds for large ones (Ryobi manual) — another reason a wide speed range helps.
- Carbide-tipped vs solid carbide vs HSS. Carbide-tipped bits are the everyday choice; solid carbide is usual for small spiral bits; high-speed steel is cheaper but dulls sooner.
- Bearings are part of the bit. Keep them clean and spinning freely — a seized bearing burns the edge.
Shaping edges
Chamfer bit
Cuts a clean 45° bevel on the edge instead of a curve. Set it deeper for a wider bevel.
Great for: a crisp, modern edge on boxes, frames and plaques; easing sharp edges fast
Cove bit
The opposite of a roundover — scoops a concave quarter-circle out of the edge.
Great for: picture frames, shelf edges, and making a shadow line under a tabletop
Roman ogee bit
Cuts a classic S-shaped curve (a cove flowing into a roundover).
Great for: traditional tabletops, frames, plaques and sign borders with a 'furniture' look
Beading bit
A roundover with a small step (a fillet) that leaves a neat decorative bead along the edge.
Great for: trim, box lids and frame edges where you want a fine shadow line
Trimming & copying shapes
Flush-trim bit (bottom bearing)
The bearing sits at the tip and rides a surface below; the cutter trims whatever overhangs it perfectly flush.
Great for: laminate and veneer edges, edge banding, copying a template fixed underneath
Pattern bit (top bearing)
Same idea with the bearing above the cutter, so the template sits on top of the work.
Great for: making identical shapes: cutting boards, sign blanks, ornaments, coasters
Combination flush-trim (top & bottom bearings)
Two bearings, so you can flip the work instead of re-fixing the template.
Great for: awkward grain on pattern work — rout 'downhill' from either side
Grooves, rabbets & joinery
Straight bit
Cuts flat-bottomed grooves and slots straight down. Use it with an edge guide for grooves parallel to an edge.
Great for: dados for shelves, slots, clearing waste and flat backgrounds behind raised lettering
Spiral up-cut bit
A straight bit with spiral flutes that lift chips up and out of the cut.
Great for: cleaner mortises and slots — the chips don't pack into the groove
Spiral down-cut bit
Spiral flutes that push chips down, leaving a crisp top edge.
Great for: inlay pockets, veneered plywood and any groove where the top edge must stay clean
Rabbet bit (with bearing set)
Cuts an L-shaped step along an edge; swapping bearings changes the width.
Great for: box bottoms, cabinet backs, and frames that hold glass or an etched-glass panel
Dovetail bit
Angled sides cut a wedge-shaped groove that locks parts together.
Great for: dovetail joints with a jig, sliding dovetails, and hanging cleats
Slot cutter
A small horizontal cutter that cuts a narrow slot into the edge of a board.
Great for: splines, hidden hanging slots, and grooves for panels
Keyhole bit
Plunges in and then slides to cut a keyhole-shaped slot.
Great for: hanging signs and plaques flush on a screw head
Lettering, carving & decoration
V-groove bit
A pointed bit that cuts a V-shaped groove; deeper cuts get wider.
Great for: carved-look sign lettering, chip-carving-style lines, faux plank lines and borders
Core box (round-nose) bit
Cuts a round-bottomed channel, like a scoop.
Great for: fluting, juice grooves on cutting boards and soft carved channels
Bowl / tray bit
Flat bottom with rounded corners — clears a shallow pocket with a smooth, curved wall.
Great for: serving trays, ring dishes, catch-alls and recessed panels in carvings
Inlay kit (guide bushing + 1/8" down-cut bit)
A bushing and collar let one setup rout both the pocket and a matching inlay piece.
Great for: contrasting-wood inlays in boxes, signs and cutting boards
Router accessories worth having
Starter bit set, 1/4" shank
Most palm-router sets bundle straight, flush-trim, roundover, chamfer, cove, rabbet, V-groove and dovetail profiles. Fewer, better bits beat a 50-piece bag you'll never use.
Great for: your first year of routing
Template guide bushings
Rings that fit the router base and follow a template. The Milwaukee 2723's template sub-base takes 1-1/4" bushings.
Great for: inlay, sign letters and repeat shapes
Plunge base for your router
Lets you lower the spinning bit into the middle of a board. Milwaukee and Makita sell plunge bases for their compact routers.
Great for: lettering, mortises and inlay pockets
Edge guide / circle jig
Keeps grooves parallel to an edge or swings the router around a pivot for perfect circles.
Great for: round signs, clock faces, tabletops
Sign-making letter templates
Letter and number templates you follow with a guide bushing.
Great for: house numbers, family-name signs, plaques
Bit storage case
Keeps carbide edges from banging together and dulling.
Great for: anyone past their fifth bit
For wood carvers and sign makers
A palm router does the boring part of carving so your hands can do the fun part. Rough out a tray or relief background with a bowl/tray or straight bit, rout the lettering of a sign with a V-groove bit and a template, then switch to a rotary tool with carving burrs for the details a router can't reach. Framing an etched-glass panel? A rabbet bit cuts the step the glass sits in.
Router bits are made for wood, wood products and plastics. For metal and glass, use a rotary tool — see our rotary bits & attachments guide.
Safety, from the manual: clamp the work, let the router reach full speed before touching the wood, feed left to right along an edge (no "climb cutting"), and take passes no deeper than 1/8 in. (Ryobi's guidance). Battery out before every bit change. source ↗
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