Regardless of shank diameter, the quality of materials and manufacturing remained constant, making all of the Porter Cable bits solid performers.Īll of the Porter Cable router bits we tried ran very smoothly throughout the allowable RPM range. Even woodworkers who normally use ½"-diameter shanks find some profiles available on ¼"-diameter shanks very useful, especially on smaller projects. It should also be noted that ¼"-shanked router bits remain a top seller in the overall router bit market. The concentration on ¼"-shanks was in part due to availability at the time of this review as the new Porter Cable bits were just beginning to ship to stores. Our testing focused primarily on ¼"-shanked Porter Cable bits, though one ½"-shanked forming bit was also evaluated. While the shafts look almost stubby, when installed with the Pozi-Stop tm shoulder against the collet, the bit is firmly and safely retained. The Porter Cable engineers had already thought of this and shortened the shaft on Pozi-Stop tm bits enough to remove that possibility. When I first heard of the Pozi-Stop tm concept I was a bit concerned that it could cause stuck-bit problems since it appears to require installing the bit with the shaft fully inserted into the collet, something that can easily cause the bit to seize in the collet. Pozi-Stop tm is primarily built into larger cutters and sets that cut interlocking profiles. (Bottom) Notice the shorter shaft on the Pozi-Stop tm bit that prevents it from bottoming out in the collet. (Top) The Pozi-Stop tm extended body that butts against the collet is new thinking from Porter Cable. Porter Cable apparently was more concerned with attaining a long-lasting finish than the increased cost of its application. The attractive burgundy color is actually a powder coating that is widely used on automotive wheels and motorcycles because of its durability and good looks. All shafts are centerless ground on CNC equipment and checked to insure accuracy within 0.0005"! This level of precision virtually eliminates runout and another possible source of vibration. While the end user is most concerned with whether the shaft is ¼" or ½", Porter Cable looks far closer. The body and cutters are also very concentric, drastically reducing the chances of vibration.Įven the most complex cutter shape can be sharpened to a fine edge with highly consistent finish. This level of machining allows the production of even complicated profiles with extreme but consistent accuracy. To insure consistent quality, Porter Cable uses super accurate machining centers and CNC (computer numerically controlled) multi-axis grinders throughout the manufacturing process. The bearings on bits so equipped are very good quality, sealed and smooth turning. The finish on machined and coated surfaces is smooth and consistent with no sign of "good enough" tooling marks. The new Porter Cable router bits look well-made with very clean machining and sharpening. The result is a line of quality router bits that you can find in stock at many local home centers and woodworking shops. When a large corporation such as Porter Cable decides to market a new product, they bring a huge amount of design, manufacturing and distribution horsepower to the table. Making router bits is nothing new to Porter Cable, but their new line incorporates new features that increase quality and function. Porter Cable recently debuted their new line of router bits featuring a deep burgundy color applied to the body. Porter Cable Router Bits New offerings from an old friend Look for the familiar red and white packaging at your favorite woodworking or home improvement store.
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