Whiteside Ultimate Flush Trim UDC 9112 Combo Bit Rocks!

[Todd Stock]

Just a quick shout out for those trimming headstock or neck shafts with bottom or top bearing flush trim bits...the relatively new Whiteside UDC (Up/Down Combination piloted and flush trimming) compression bit with bearings at top and bottom is the best I've seen for this work. While either bearing can be removed for use as either a top or bottom bearing bit, I leave both bearings installed and change elevation to guide on either or both for the task. Unlike straight or low skew angle bits, the UDC will not grab or catch, due to the feed limiters built into the design, so using the bit eliminates some prep time associated with trimming the excess stock on the peg head. Nice, clean cut and just a light sanding with 320 to clean up for fill or finish.

Not cheap, at about $135 from discounters (look around) or about $150 from Woodcraft, but it's the answer for folks that are tired of close pre trimming and sacrificial backers for profiling peg heads.

Look, Ma...no feed post!

Completed rout...light sanding with 320 and ready to fill/finish.

[Jason Rodgers]

Show me this with a maple neck! Will it do endgrain with no burns? For that I would gladly pay $150.

[Todd Stock]

Will do...got some scrap.

[David King]

Jason, burning in maple is an issue of the cutter being dull and the operator being too slow pushing the part through. The two often go together. Moving slowly dulls the cutter faster and a dull cutter slows the part down further. A cutter cleaner/lube can help a LOT but knowing your tools and not being timid when it comes to operations where time is a factor are the major issue. Practice makes perfect.

[Barry Daniels]

Getting a burn free cut on the end grain of hard maple is pretty easy assuming you have a good quality router with a half inch diameter collet and a sharp bit with a skew cut.

[Todd Stock]

Had some scrap left from a bench...all rock maple (eastern sugar maple) with a little figure...just grabbed a headstock template and stuck it on...no pre-trim on the 3/4" thick stock. Still need to use good technique for nibbling off the excess, and a pivot pin for the less confident is a good idea. Not bad on sugar maple.


FWIW, trim close to the pattern (1-8" or closer), and you'll get decent feed speed. Realistically, tooling is disposable...if a $135 bit saves me 10 minutes of trim work on a headstock cut, it's paid for itself over 15-18 guitars; I use these spirals until they give me something less than perfectly crisp cuts (usually 3-5 years worth of dedicated finish-grade trim work), then they get demoted to molds and jig duty, trimming glue-encrusted ply.

[Jason Rodgers]

Jason, burning in maple is an issue of the cutter being dull and the operator being too slow pushing the part through. The two often go together. Moving slowly dulls the cutter faster and a dull cutter slows the part down further. A cutter cleaner/lube can help a LOT but knowing your tools and not being timid when it comes to operations where time is a factor are the major issue. Practice makes perfect.

Cutter dull- check.
Operator too slow- check.

[Jason Rodgers]

Had some scrap left from a bench...all rock maple (eastern sugar maple) with a little figure...just grabbed a headstock template and stuck it on...no pre-trim on the 3/4" thick stock. Still need to use good technique for nibbling off the excess, and a pivot pin for the less confident is a good idea. Not bad on sugar maple.


FWIW, trim close to the pattern (1-8" or closer), and you'll get decent feed speed. Realistically, tooling is disposable...if a $135 bit saves me 10 minutes of trim work on a headstock cut, it's paid for itself over 15-18 guitars; I use these spirals until they give me something less than perfectly crisp cuts (usually 3-5 years worth of dedicated finish-grade trim work), then they get demoted to molds and jig duty, trimming glue-encrusted ply.

Thanks for the demo! Yes, I need to upgrade my 1/2" shank pattern bit. As for technique, I am getting better at the waste nibbling, and trying quicker final passes, but those tight curves under the headstock ears are tough. Nasty place for a burn.

[David King]

Having a powerful vacuum under the table mounted router has helped me reduce the burn. All that air coming through keeps the cutter a little cooler.

[Todd Stock]

When I recently upgraded from my 20 year old shopmade table to the phenolic Woodpecker table and fence system, I salvaged the wood M&T stand and the enclosure...def makes a difference to have the 6" drop split to two 4" for table and fence dust collection and cooling. One thing that becomes apparent with high airflow and a good seal around the router is that the bearing and brushes def last longer. I had been going thru a 690 top bearing and brush set every 4-5 years until I enclosed the tool and got 500-600 CFM thru the box...have not swapped a set of brushes or had a bearing go in the last 15 years.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I will also verify that good dust removal (insert air movement) is a positive factor in good routing.
Keeps the dust from clogging and keeps the tool cooler.
I recently put a 4 inch dust port in my table and can say it makes a difference.

[Dave Weir]

I've been using the bits with two bushings and also adding a second template, on the other side of the work. I call it a spacer and it is the same thickness as the real template, but slightly undersized. I cut the four downhill parts of the body with the top bearing riding on the real template, then flip it over and cut the other four sections with the real template on the bottom bearing.
For the Ipe and Cumaru and other really hard necks I got some 1/4" wide masking tape and put about 5 layers on the template for the heel and headstock. I peel off one layer after each pass, so I'm only cutting .005". Haveing the spacer on one side saves a bit of time of re-setting the height after each half pass.

Are the Whiteside bits sharpen-able? I guess I'm really cheap. I'll sharpen a $9.00 Grizzley bit until it's a nub. But that deep spiral seems like it would cut a lot cleaner...

[David King]

I've not had much luck with sharpened bits. I'll have the ends reground at $5 ea but leave the diameter alone. If you are consistently making 3/16" deep passes for plunge routs then the sides above that area should stay pretty sharp and you can just shorten the bit by that much.
A complete sharpening costs about $12 while a new whiteside 1/4" bit is $15 and it lasts many times longer than the resharpened bit.

[Todd Stock]

For ipe, I finally went to insert tooling...only thing that holds up...anigre is close to that abrasive as well. other than those commonly-used woods in my shop, the Whiteside bits seem to last a long, long time in normal use...the 1/2" bearing top 2" CL bit that I use for molds and forms has seen thousands of LF of ply and at least that much hardwood, etc. I will likely retire it this year (purchased in 2007!). I am unaware of anyone that will resharpen unitary spiral bits...

[Gordon Bellerose]

I bought this bit for myself, for Christmas this year.
I haven't used it yet, as it is a Christmas present from my wife. I found it for 130 US at Carbide Processors.
With the exchange and shipping it worked out to 204 Canadian.
That is A LOT of money for a bit. Hope it works as well as advertised.

[Chuck Tweedy]

i bought this bit - put it in my router table, and thought the place was going to blow up.
took it to work, and put it into the collet of a uber-high-precision Haas mill. there was more than 0.012" runout at the top bearing by a good dial gauge
i sent it back and got a carbide tipped bandsaw blade in exchange. still using the bandsaw blade.
i suspect QC problems at whiteside

[Todd Stock]

Would be the first Whiteside I've seen with QC issues in something like 40 years - think I am still running the first bits I ever got from those guys. You ask for a replacement? Pretty sure they would want to see the bit.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I finally used this bit, and was quite pleased with the result. Thank goodness, I paid dearly in Canadian Dollars.
I used it to shape 2 different necks, one maple, and one wenge. NO burning and nice smooth cuts.

[Todd Stock]

Gordon:

Please to hear that! Since posting, put a few hundred more LF of plywood/glued lumber through the bit...still cutting as cleanly/with as little effort as new. I feel your pain re: the currency situation - free trade appears to be anything but for US/CAN...

Todd

[Jason Rodgers]

I have an opportunity to upgrade my router and I specifically want something that can drive this big Whiteside bit. In one Amazon review of the bit, a user said it did not work well in the typical, light-duty hobby router (like the entry-level PC kit I have). Should I go for a 3hp model, or would a 2hp router be sufficient? I'm hoping this bit can be my main template-guided shaper for electric guitar bodies and necks, and I don't want to be disappointed by pairing it with an underpowered router.