How to hone and sharpen Trend router bits

Can you sharpen a Trend router cutter?     

Yes. Unless the individual instructions for a specific cutter state otherwise, a router cutter can be re-sharpened once it becomes blunt. Whether you sharpen the bit yourself or have it sent out to a sharpener is entirely your choice. Regularly honing, with diamond stones, the edges of your router cutters should help to maintain their sharpness.

Some people advise against sharpening router bits yourself as it’s easy to ruin the bit if you’re not careful. However, sending bits out to be professionally sharpened can be expensive. Trend have a range of diamond sharpening stones and accessories which will help you keep your router bits sharper for longer. Or, we supply a complete sharpener's kit with a booklet of instructions and DVD to help you get it right each time.  For more information see: Sharpening stones   

How to tell when a Trend router cutter needs sharpening

If a cutter is actually blunt or chipped it may need to be professionally sharpened. You should look at the cutter’s cutting performance and ease of use to judge if it just needs honing or sharpening. Dull cutting edges will be more difficult to move through materials, even softwoods, and will burn the surface of the material rather than slicing it. A cutter that leaves a rough finish when it usually leaves a smooth one is likely to be blunt.   

If your router cutter is displaying these characteristics, it is probably time to think about resharpening. The more you use your cutter, the sooner it will become blunt. Once you suspect a cutter is blunt, you should stop using it. If you never want to be without a sharp cutter, you could buy two of each and always keep one sharp. If one becomes blunt when you are nearing the end of a project, you can reach for your back-up to leave a clean final finish. 

How to hone a Trend router cutter    

Regularly honing a cutter will keep the cutting edge nice and sharp. You need a hand-held diamond stone, which is a file coated with a very fine diamond grit. They're usually rated according to how coarse the grit is. The lower the number, the more coarse the grit is. You'll probably want to use a 300 grit stone for slightly blunted cutters, and a 600 for touch ups,  or you must select the correct coarseness of stone for the material the cutter is made from.    

Do not sharpen the outer face of the cutting edge, only the flat edges should be sharpened. The outside edge of a router cutter is angled to a specific degree. Sharpening this edge will alter its shape and diameter and will subsequently affect how it cuts. You should only file the larger, inside edge. It's also advisable you use a suitable lapping fluid with your diamond stone to help with the sharpening action. Complete sharpeners kits contain everything you need to hone your cutters.   

Hold the stone in one hand and the router cutter in the other, and rest the larger face of the cutting edge flat against the surface of the sharpening stone. Push the router cutter backwards and forwards across the face of the stone, applying very little downward pressure. Do 5 to 10 strokes on one cutting edge before turning the cutter over and filing the other side. You must do the same amount of strokes on either side or the cutter will be out of balance.    

You should always handle router cutters with care, but this is particularly important when they have just been sharpened. Sharp edges will be even more susceptible to chipping and breakages. To determine if the cutter is sharp enough, you can hold it under a natural light or a bright spotlight and look for any flecks of light along the cutting edges which might indicate imperfections. If the cutter looks sharp, test it out. You will be able to tell straight away if it’s sharp enough.     

WONKEE DONKEE top tip

Apply a light coating of lapping fluid to the surface of the sharpener before using it to help prevent it becoming clogged with debris. Dry diamond sharpeners can be easily cleaned with a cleaning block.