Radian Difference

Sublime Finish

Most router cutters are designed to meet a compromise between quality of cut and feed rate, ours are not. Three & Four flute bits provide an exceptionally smooth finish and are an excellent choice for use on materials that would normally chip easily when machined using single or double flute cutters. The Radiantools bits give a far superior result when machining hard materials like Maple or Oak including across any end grain.

A circular cutter can never produce a perfectly flat surface but we think our cutters are pretty close. A machined piece of timber has ripples and the closer the ripples, the flatter the surface. The size of each ripple depends on the feed rate, cutter RPM and number of cuts per rotation (or how many blades there are). More blades means more cuts and therefore a flatter surface.

Extreme Lifetime

Radiantools cutters are designed, not only to give a supreme finish but to last a very long time. They will outlast any comparable single, dual or tri flute cutter. For each revolution the cutting stress is spread over a much larger total cutting surface. This means that Radian four flute cutters will last significantly longer making our cutters excellent value for money.

Tungsten Carbide

The quality of a router bit is broadly based on the grade and quality of the carbide used in the cutting faces. Not all carbide is the same, and it is often where the difference lies between two identical looking but differently priced tools.

Carbide is generally graded by an ISO grading system, ranging from K100 to K01. The lower the number, the harder the carbide and the higher the number, the tougher the carbide. This means that K01 would hold a sharp edge much longer than K40 but it would be far more brittle with an increased chance of fracturing.

All Radiantools router bits use K10 Tungsten Carbide. This is the highest grade of carbide that can be practically used in fine woodworking tools and is the most desirable balance between holding a sharp edge and being resistant to chipping. K20 and above is significantly cheaper but does not give the performance Radiantools require. K5 and below is mainly suitable for CNC driven operation where feed rate and degree of cut have to be carefully controlled.

We don't believe in compromise so our 2mm thick, K10 micrograin tungsten carbide blades are wide enough to reach the body of the tool. This allows more contact area for brazing and allows more surface area for heat to be dissipated. We are so proud of the engineering of this tool that we have opted to leave the body un-painted. The quality of the brazed join is on show. It is not hidden behind a coating.

Grinding

Its no good getting the best Tungsten Carbide if it is not machined perfectly. The grinding process of putting a sharp edge on the tool is very important. All Radian cutters are ground with radial relief where practical. Radial relief grinding is a curved grind which results in more carbide mass behind the cutting edge. This means reduced chatter, less burning, a stronger blade and the overall diameter of the cutter will remain as close to the original as possible as the tool is resharpened.

Quality Control

Radian offers tools designed for quality of cut, efficiency and longevity. Compliance with our own specification is guaranteed by strict quality control used throughout the manufacturing process. The quality control system assures us accurate dimensions, concentricity, correct cutting angles, quality of grinding and quality of induction brazing. Our router bits have an anti-kickback design according to safety requirements.

Value