Freud

Freud saw blades and router bits are for woodworkers cutting boards, working sheet goods and shaping edges and joints. You can match the cutter to the job, with ripping and crosscutting blades alongside straight, spiral and edge-treatment bits. That matters when you’re repeating the same cut through a stack of parts.

Freud is a woodworking cutting-tool manufacturer that started in northeastern Italy’s furniture-manufacturing region in 1962. It’s been part of the Bosch group since 2009. Its range includes saw blades, router bits, shaper cutters, and drilling and boring tools.

Match the saw blade to the cut

For boards headed into a glue-up, start with Freud’s Glue Line Ripping range. For repeated ripping, a dedicated rip blade is the sensible choice. Check your fence alignment and keep the stock moving steadily when you’re trying to get mating edges straight.

Freud’s laser-cut anti-vibration vents are designed to stabilize blades and reduce chatter. Burning also calls for a look at pitch buildup, alignment and feed. A blade that dwells in the cut keeps rubbing the same wood.

Freud offers general-purpose and combination blades for mixed cutting work. Its crosscutting blades cover cuts across the grain, while its plywood, laminate and melamine category addresses sheet materials. For repeated cuts through veneered panels, select a blade for that material.

Choose router bits around the work

Freud offers straight and spiral bits for routing work, edge-treatment bits for shaping profiles, and router-bit sets. A set suits you when its cutters match several jobs you’ve got planned. For a run of identical grooves, choose the individual bit that fits the groove.

For a smooth routed surface, the 3/4-inch double-flute straight bit has a specific feature behind it: hook and shear angles designed for a smooth finish in hardwood, softwood, plywood and composites. That’s a practical reason to choose it for a groove or edge where the surface matters.

That bit also has relieved tips for plunge cuts and is designed for CNC, handheld and table-mounted routers. Build deep grooves in successive passes so you’re clearing chips as you go.

Freud also offers specialized cutter geometry for rail-and-stile doors. With door joinery or an edge profile, make a sample in scrap of the same thickness before routing the finished parts.

Check cutting width, shank and speed

The straight bits below have different cutting widths, but both require a 1/2-inch collet. The common mistake is reading the cutting diameter as the shank size. Check your router’s collet before choosing either bit.

For a groove made to the bit’s width, the cutting diameter sets the groove width. Match it to the actual piece going into the joint, especially with plywood. Both bits have a maximum speed of 24,000 RPM; keep the router setting within that limit.

Straight-bit specifications

Specification	1/2-inch straight bit	3/4-inch straight bit
Model	12-118	12-156
Design	Double-flute straight bit with Eclipse Grind	Double-flute straight bit with Eclipse Grind
Cutting diameter	1/2 inch	3/4 inch
Shank diameter	1/2 inch	1/2 inch
Cutters	2	2
Carbide height	1-1/4 inches	1-1/2 inches
Overall length	2-7/8 inches	3 inches
Carbide	Freud TiCo Hi-Density Carbide	Freud TiCo Hi-Density Carbide
Maximum speed	24,000 RPM	24,000 RPM

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Freud router bits good?

Yes, they’re a sound choice when you match the cutter to the work. Freud makes its TiCo carbide in-house and formulates blends for specific cutting applications. That’s a useful detail because the cutting material matters alongside the bit’s shape.

Which Freud saw blade should I use?

Choose by the cut you make most. Freud offers dedicated ripping and crosscutting blades, plus general-purpose and combination blades for mixed work. For plywood, laminate or melamine, choose from the category made for those materials; a clean edge saves work that sanding can’t always fix.

Is a Freud router bit set worth it?

A Freud router bit set makes sense when you’ll use several of the included profiles. Judge it by the cutters that match your planned work, rather than the total piece count. Check the shank sizes against your router’s collet, too.

Can you plunge-cut with a Freud straight router bit?

The 3/4-inch Freud double-flute straight bit described on this page has relieved tips that allow plunge cuts. That lets you start a groove within the face of a workpiece instead of entering from an edge. Check that feature on the particular bit you’re choosing, since a straight profile alone doesn’t establish plunge-cutting capability.