router Bits

[Bud in PA]

has anyone attempted to grind a half octagon router bit? If so how difficult would it be with only hand tools.

[xx54]

all you need is a 90% V grove router bit. you will need to clean up the bottom flat with a 1/4'' straight bit. hope this helps Rod.

[Hungry Horse]

 Yep, I used an old spade bit. Use the muzzle of the barrel you want to inlet as a pattern. Cut it to the pattern, grind and hone the cutting edges, and shorten the shank. Oh, and take small cuts until you get the channel deep enough.

Hungry Horse

[Bud in PA]

thanks all

[Bob Roller]

Speedbor drill  available at hardware stores  can be altered and I have done several.As Hungry Horse said.Use the muzzle of the gun as a pattern.
Bob Roller

[Scota4570]

I have reground dado profile router bits to octagon.  I made them to be undersized for the profile.  I run them in a milling machine.  I know some use a router to rough out barrel channels.  That can go badly in an instant so I use my old milling machine.  . 

[Hungry Horse]

 The trick to keeping things from going badly is to clamp your stock in a Shopmate Style clamping work bench. Then make a simple track for your router to run in out of angle iron that is short enough to let your router pass over its rails. Then simply clamp the rails to your Workmate bench, line everything up and start making passes. I usually do about four passes. I’ve never had it go badly, and never spent a fortune on a big old machine I might use twice a year.

Hungry Horse

[Scota4570]

Sound like a good plan with the router.


My milling machine is a very old Index brand. It is not as big as the Bridgeport machines you commonly encounter.   It has no modern features.  It cost me very little.  I use it on a weekly basis.  I use it a lot for making sights and cutting dovetails.  Once I got it and learned to use it, the possibilities for what I could make increased dramatically.  The quality of my work also became orders or magnitude better.