How to use and what type of surfacing bit

Hello. I had a question about surfacing bits. As I’m sure most of us we get our wood at the big box stores. I do my best to try and get the straight ones but by the time you get them home and sit in your garage for a couple days they end up bending or warping whatever. Is there a surfacing bit that works well and if so, what type

C3D sells the McFly. It is a carbide insert bit that is compatible with the BitSetter. I have a 1" 3 flute Whiteside 6210 and the center is hollow so it is not compatible with the BitSetter. I rarely use the fly bit for anything but surfacing my spoilboard and I remove the BitSetter so I dont accidentally hit it when surfacing it is not an issue for me.

There are a lot of fly bits on the market. I think the carbide insert ones are likely the best bang for your buck. On my Whiteside when it finally wears out I have to replace the whole bit. On the carbide insert ones you just turn the carbide inserts up to 4 times and then simply buy new carbide inserts. Even though the carbide insert bits are a bit higher than carbide fly bits in the long run I think you get a better return on investment.

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I don’t buy any of my wood at the big box store :slight_smile: That stuff is processed so quick it’s rough and wet and warps as you have noticed. Check your local facebook, people usually are selling tons of kiln dried lumber, and with a cheap lunchbox planer you are off the races.

I surface my spoilboard or large slabs with a surfacing bit, i had a 1-1/8" and now have a 2" (but i have a 80mm spindle). I have the same bitsetter issue with my 2" bit which i’m working on a solution for because it’s annoying.

If you are doing a lot of surfacing the carbide bits are the way to go, but they are more expensive. Otherwise the HSS/Carbide tipped once last awhile and then you can replace.

Hope that helps.

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I like @cnackers seldom ever buy big box lumber. It is very expensive and limited selection. At Lowes the lumber is stacked vertically in a slanted manner. Many people sort through and leave the lumber leaning and it tends to warp or bend.

Look for a lumber supplier near you. Cabinet Shop suppliers are around and carry 2S and 4S lumber and will usually sell to anyone. I have a place called Deno’s in Shreveport LA and another office in Tyler Texas. When I lived in Houston there was Clarks Hardwood and Houston Hardwood. If you have a Rockler or Woodcraft they carry lumber as well and usually have a good selection of species. They wont be as cheap as a hardwood lumber supplier but they have it in the store and you can pick your own.

If there is a cabinet shop nearby stop in and ask them where they get their lumber. They might even give/sell you scraps. Scraps in a cabinet shop is a storage problem and many times they throw away good lumber you can use for small projects.

Look up how to calculate board feet. That is how lumber suppliers sell wood. They measure the length, width and thickness and calculate each board in board feet.

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Thank you. I will be purchasing the McFly