Home » Router Bit Profiles Glossary

Router Bit Profiles Glossary

This glossary of router bit profiles provides information that you need to know when you purchase, or start woodworking with router tools.

ToolsToday.com Terms	Definition
Abrasive Routers	These routers are designed to cut abrasive materials such as tile and fiberglass. Sometimes configured in diamond pattern.
Aluminum Router Bits	Aluminum router bits are used for cutting aluminum, brass, copper and other nonferrous metals.
Amana Tool	Woodworking tool suppliers and world leaders in the manufacturing of high-quality tungsten carbide woodworking tools.
Anti-kickback	A safety feature designed to prevent the tool from catching the wood too deep and kicking back the material, which can cause bodily harm. Look for tools that are BG-Tested, which is a European certification for tools that comply with their strict safety standards. Anti-Kickback is a safety feature on high quality router bits.
Architectural Bits	See molding router bits.
Ball End Router Bits	Router bits used to cut channels for pipes or cables.
Ball Slot Router Bits	See Ball End Router Bits.
Bead Router Bits	A decorative profile. This bit is often used with a tongue-and- groove joint to hide a gap between boards.
Beading Router Bits	Router bit used for decorative purposes. This bit cuts quarter-round shapes bounded by fillets. It creates a bead like contour in the wood piece.
Bevel Router Bits	See Chamfer Router Bits.
Bowl & Tray Router Bits	These bits are used for routing solid wood serving trays or flat dishes.
Bullnose Router Bits	These bits are used to carve a rounded edge, often used for the front edge on a counter top.
Carbide Router Bits	Router bits composed of an extremely hard metal compound. There are various standards of carbide in different hardnesses used for specific materials. Amana Tool uses specific carbide designed for the specific application.
Carbide Tipped Router Bits	Router bits with cutting edges or blades made of carbide.
Chair Rail	Originally, chair rails were intended to prevent walls from being dented by the backs of chairs. Chair rails are usually measured to equal the height of the tallest chair in the room. Today it is mainly used for decoration purposes and usually range from 28" to 36".
Chamfer Router Bits	Router bits that cut an angle, usually 45 degrees.
Compression Router Bits	These router bits are used when working with veneer, melamine or a similar materials. Using double spirals ensures that both top and bottom edges of the material are properly cut and pulled towards the center.
Core Box Router Bits	Core box bits are used to cut half-round grooves for fluted moldings, columns, millwork, and signs. When used with an edge guide, this bit will also cuts coves.
Corner Round Router Bits	These router bits are used for creating round corners on your woodwork. Used mainly for furniture pieces.
Cove Trim	A trim unit on which one edge has a curved radius. Coves are used to bridge the gap between the bottom of the wall and the floor. A cove may also be used to form an inside corner.
Cove Router Bits	Router bits used to carve details in the cove trim. Cove bits may also be used to detail doors, drawers, posts and columns.
Custom Router Bits	Router bits that are made or fitted according to the needs, preferences or special request of a person.
Door Lip Router Bits	Router bits used to shape pull handles on the fronts of drawers and cabinet doors.
Door Making Router Bits	These bits are used to make and shape doors.
Double Bead Router Bits	These bits create two bead shaped contours in the wood piece. Often used on the edges of shelving or narrow molding strips.
Dovetail Jig	Device which secures the board ends being joined by a dovetail joint.
Dovetail Joints	Technique for creating a strong joint between two pieces of wood. This is done by carving one or more tapered, fan-shaped tenons into one piece of wood which will interlock with a series of mortises carved into the adjoining piece of wood. This technique is commonly used when making drawers and cabinets.
Dovetail Router Bits	These bits are used to carve the tenons and mortises of the dovetail joint.
Edge Router Bits	Edge bits are used to detail the edges of your woodworking piece. Used to soften the corners of tables, cabinets and more.
Fiberglass Router Bits	These router bits are designed to trim laminated fiberglass boards.
Fillets	1. Are flat, square moldings that separate other moldings. 2. Are thin strips in a column between two flutings. 3. Form a concave junction between two adjoined surfaces.
Finger Grip Router Bits	These bits are used to carve drawer pull handles on the front of drawers as well as cabinet doors.
Finger Joint	Technique for joining two pieces of wood. Thin wood fingerlike extensions, are cut into the ends of two pieces of wood. The interlocking pieces then form a joint. When glued together, these extensions form a level surface.
Finger Joint Router Bits	Router bits used to cut the interlocking extensions for the finger joint.
Flooring Router Bits	Flooring bits are used for cutting slots into wood flooring, inlays and medallions.
Flush Trim Router Bits	Flush trim bits are used to carve templates, patterns, joints, and internal cuts.
Fluted Moldings / Fluting	This is a design which is made of adjoining, rounded, outwardly curved, channels that follow in a pattern along the length of the molding.
Fluting Router Bits	Fluting bits carve the fluted molding designs into the molding.
Frame and Panel	Also know as "Stile and Rail". This technique is used to create doors, wainscoting, along with adding decorative features to cabinets, homes and furniture.
Furniture Molding Router Bits	See molding router bits.
Grooving & Engraving	Produce crisp, clean cuts in wood to create detailed patterns, words, seals etc.
Guttering Router Bits	See Cove Router Bits.
Handrail Router Bits	These bits are for detailing handrails.
Holz BG Tested (Anti- Kickback)	The German Woodworking Trade Association established rules for the wood and plastic industries regarding the designing, manufacturing and use of cutting tools.
Intumescent Recessors	These bits are used to inlay intumescent strips. See also Slot Cutting Router Bits.
Joinery	Creating woodworking pieces using an array of joint- making techniques.
Joinery Router Bits	Bits used to carve the connecting, puzzle-like, pieces of the joint-making process.
Keyhole Router Bits	The keyhole router bit is used to cut keyhole shaped slots into plaques, picture frames and other hanging woodworks.
Keyhole Slotter	See Keyhole Router bits.
Kickback	This is when the wood or material being cut jams the blade causing pieces to be thrown back toward the user.
Letter Making Router Bits	Letter making bits are used to create letters for professional signs.
Lonnie Bird	Lonnie Bird is a well-known, professional woodworker and tool designer.
MDF	Medium-density fiberboard. This is a man-made wood product. It is formed by breaking down softwood into wood fibers. The fibers are then combined with wax and a hydrocarbon secretion to form boards.
MDF Router Bits	Router bits that are capable of properly cutting and carving MDF wood boards.
Miniature Router Bits	Miniature bits are used for a variety of small scale woodworking pieces.
Molding or Moulding	1. Forming, making or shaping an object. 2. A strip of wood, plaster or any other material that may be carved and used as a decoration or a finish.
Moldboard	Is wood used for making concrete forms.
Molding Router Bits	These bits are used to create decorative moldings and trim.
Mortise	These are slots, carved into a piece of wood. These slots will interlock with tenons carved into the adjoining piece of wood to form a dovetail joint.
Mortiser	Also known as Mortise Router Bits.
Mortise Router Bits	Mortise bits are used to carve square shaped slots. Typically used for hinges, lock sets and cutting mortises.
Mullion	A thin member forming the dividing units of a door, window, or screen. It is often used for decorative purposes.
Muntin	Wooden or metal strips separating the panes of glass in a sash.
Multi-Form Router Bit	The multi-form router bit is designed to cut a variety of molding patterns, profiles and architectural details.
Ogee Router Bits	Ogee bits are used to carve an S-shaped curve in moldings and decorative designs. It has a convex at the top which smoothly blends into a concave at the bottom.
Ovolo	A plunging version of Roundover router bits or corner round bits.
Panel Pilot Router Bits	This bit is used to create openings in panels, windows, drywall, and doors. Often used to trim materials such as mica, veneer and other laminates.
Paneling	A wall or ceiling finish using pieces of wood or wood- like material.
Plastic Cutting Router Bits	These router bits are specially designed to cut plastic materials.
Plastic Router Bits	See plastic cutting router bits
Plastic Spiral 'O' Flute Router Bits	Plastic Spiral 'O' flute bits are designed to produce smooth cuts in acrylic materials, plastics and wood.
Plunge Form Router Bits	Plunge routers and bits are perfect for deep surface cuts. Ideal for freehand lettering and inlay work.
Plywood Router Bits	These router bits are specially designed for cutting plywood.
Rabbeting Router Bits	These bits are used to carve a step shaped pattern in the wood.
Radius Cutter	Also known as Corner Round Router Bits.
Rebate Cutters/Rebaters	Synonym for Rabbeting Router Bits.
Rail Router Bits	See Stile and Rail Router Bits.
Raised Panel Router Bits	These bits are used with the stile and rail bits to create a profiled edges on door panels. Raised panel bits are available for both horizontal and vertical profiles.
Round Over Router Bits	Round over bits are used to create rounded edges on tables, chairs, cabinets and other furniture and home fixtures.
Rout	To remove excess material. The act of using a router tool.
Router Accessories	An object or device which enhances the usefulness of the router tool.
Router Bit Accessories	An object or device which enhances the usefulness of the router bits.
Router Bit Profiles	Shapes left in the wood after cutting or carving the wood with a specifically shaped router bit.
Router Bit Sets	A number of router bits used together to achieve a specific woodworking task. For example the Wainscot Wall Panel Router Bit Set includes a number of router bits used for Wainscot Wall Paneling.
Router Bits	Pieces that attach to a router tool, mainly used for cutting and carving wood. Router bits come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Router Cutter	Pieces of the router tool which cuts or mills the wood. Synonym for router bit.
Router Lift	This device attaches to your router table. It's function is to lower and raise your router tool in relation to the surface of the router table. Your router's motor clamps to the body of the router lift.
Router Mat	A soft piece of material used to grip the wood. This helps to secure the wood in place while routing.
Router Table	The router sits upside down on the table while the router bit protrudes through a hole on the top. This provides a guide fence ideal for panel & rail as well as stile work.
Router Tools	High speed cutting tools used for shaping and cutting wood.
Signmaking Router Bits	Signmaking bits are used to make professional signs in conjunction with letter making router bits.
Slot Cutting Router Bits	Slot cutting bits are used to cut slots into the wood.
Solid Surface Router Bits	These bits are designed to rout solid surfaces used to make: counter tops, floor tiles, bathroom sinks, toilets, bathtubs, showers, vanity tops etc...
Spiral Router Bits	Spiral bits are designed like a drill and are used to make deep cuts to the surface of your wood piece.
Stairhousing	Joint method.
Stile & Rail	See Frame and Panel.
Stile and Rail Router Bits	These bits are used for constructing panels and frames. Often used for making cabinet frames and passage doors, stile and rail bits also carve decorative profiles and panel slots into the edge of a door frame. The stile and rail bits come as a set of 2, or as a single bit.
Stile Router Bits	See Stile and Rail Router Bits.
Straight Plunge Router Bits	Straight plunge bits are used for routing straight grooves, rabbets, dados, joints, mortises, trimming material or making a general cut.
Straights	Synonym for Straight Plunge Router Bits
Surface Router Bits	These bits are used to cut the top level of a structure.
Table Edge Router Bits	Used to shape the hard edges of table parts. With this bit you will reduce the visual thickness of the table top, with a detailed edge.
Tambour Door	This door is made using slats--thin narrow flat strips of usually wood or metal. These slats roll up and down a vertical track. Tambour doors are usually found in cabinets and entertainment centers.
Tambour Router Bits	Tambour bits are used to create tambour doors.
Template Router Bit	Template bits are designed to make routing along with a woodworking template easy.
Tenon	These are tapered, fan-shaped, teeth like, protrusions carved into a piece of wood. These protrusions will interlock with mortises carved into the adjoining piece of wood to form a dovetail joint.
Tongue-and- Groove Joint	This joint is often used for wood paneling, flooring, parquet and other similar woodworks. The joint is used to fit 2 or more similar objects together edge-to-edge. Each piece has a slot or "groove" cut all along one edge, and a thin, deep ridge or "tongue" shaped on the opposite edge. The then fit together closely.
Tongue-and-Groove Router Bits	These joinery bits are used to create the tongue and groove joint.
Trim Router Bits	These bits are fast turning, used with a handheld trim router. They are ideal for making precise cuts for smaller jobs.
Trim Solid Carbide Router Bits	These bits cut precise, line designs on wooden and laminate-covered surfaces.
Trimmers	These bits are used to trim, cut and shape lippings, timber and plastic laminate edges. See also Flush Trim.
V Groove Router Bits	These bits cut V shaped grooves into the wood. They are also used for miter folds, signmaking and lettering.
V Paneling Router Bits	V Paneling bits are used to create V groove paneling, by cutting 2 separate pieces of wood that form a V design when joined together .
Wainscot	Wainscot is a wood paneling décor that covers the lower 3-4 feet of an interior wall. Can be plain, painted or varnished wood.
Wainscot Wall Panels	Wainscot and paneling add a visually aesthetic wall decor. Paneling is used to cover an entire wall while wainscot stops at the chair rail.
Wainscot Paneling Router Bits	These bits are used to carve decorative designs in your wainscot wall panels.
Weatherseal Profile Router Bits	Weatherseal bits are used to re-groove window and door frames in order to create a slot for insulating inserts.
Window Edge Router Bits	These bits are used for shaping the edges of window frames and ledges.
Window Sash	Is the framework in which the glass panes of a window or door are set.
Window Sash Router Bits	Window sash bits are designed to cut sash window frames and glass door parts. This includes: rails, stiles, mullions and muntins.
Wood Router Bits	Router bits used for cutting, carving and shaping pieces of wood.
Wood Routers	Machines with a revolving vertical spindle and cutter. Used for shaping the surface of wood.
Woodworking	The process of carving, milling, building and creating objects using wood.
Woodworking Router Bits	Woodworking bits are used to shape, trim and cut woodworks such as furniture
Woodworking Templates	These are patterns, or molds in the form of thin boards or plates. Templates are used as a guide for the construction of an object using wood.

Test your knowledge with our router bits quiz

Questions about router bits? Read our FAQ.