What router bit to use for cutting granite or marble?
When using a router bit for for cutting marble or granite then it is important to choose the right type of router bit.
Woodworking router bits are designed specifically to cut wood. They will burn up pretty rapidly if used for stone cutting. There are over 5,000 carbide grades available and probably about that many different ways to make a router bit.
The different types of router bits are designed for cutting specific types of material. Woodworking router bits are designed to work in a relatively soft material, at least compared to granite or marble, and are designed to cut fibers cleanly.
When choosing a router bit for stone cutting it is important to not only choose a router bit that can make cuts in a very hard stone material, but that is also designed to throw the dust out of the cut. When you make cuts in materials such as marble or stone, then there is a lot of stone dust created. If this is not thrown out of the cut, then you will be cutting through the fine sand made from the initial cuts as well as the very hard stone material.
When you are cutting wood with a wood router bit then you want to choose a router bit designed to sever the wood fibers cleanly so that it makes smooth cuts in the wood. When cutting marble or granite material, having smooth cuts is less important and you do not need a router bit with a very sharp edge. Instead, you would want to use a router bit with a very strong edge to increase your tool life.
If you are going to be cutting marble or granite, I would recommend using an advanced carbide grade like our cermet grade of carbide or look toward using diamond cutting tools like a diamond tipped router bit. You can find advanced carbide grade tools or cermet carbide tools on our website, or can call us for a quote. We offer custom tools built and designed by some of the finest cutting tool engineers in the industry.
Tags: cutting granite, router bit, stone cutting, wood router bit
4 Responses to “What router bit to use for cutting granite or marble?”
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Hello Sir,
I am from Mauritius.I am looking for router bits that can be used in cnc machine to cut marble and granite of 8 mm thick.Can you please suggest me the right bit that you have to use for this purpose.Thanks.
Regards,
Golam.
Dear Abdool Golam Hosunnally,
I don’t have anything that would work well for that application, but I can suggest a few things for you. Your best bet would probably be to use a water jet or a diamond tipped router bit. Keep in mind that if you use the diamond tipped router bit, you need to use it at the correct feed rate or it will burn up.
I want to use a signwriting template have been using on wood to engrave slate using a standard variable speed router….what bits would allow to do that?
Regards,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thank you for contacting us for your engraving application! Unfortunately I do not stock or sell router bits to engrave slate. After checking with our technician at Whiteside, he recommended using a burr to complete the job. Please click here for all of our burr options.
Best Regards,
~Jo