I got a couple good deals on some Amana and Onsrud router bits a while back. Now I'm in the market for some ball nose bits 1/4" and 1/8" but I can't find a similar deal in those brands. So what economy (not cheap) brand bits would you recommend I look at?
I purchased these two years ago and they worked great for me 3d carving spruce or Douglas fir.. (2x4) 1/8 ball end amazon link
The Shark Bits are nice. My most recent problem was sourcing 1/8" ball nose end mills that are on the straight shank that are long enough for larger 3D carves. I love the tapered ones, but they do not work when carving down inside of a pocket that is straight up and down. Not thinking, I started a large 3D carve and when I got to the finishing pass, I realized I had a brain fart a few months ago when I ordered a 3mm 2 flute extra long (100mm) ball nose from China. I went to start my finishing pass and realized that the 3mm was way to loose for my 1/8 inch collet which led me to order an Amana 1/4 to 3mm collet reducer -- which has been delayed due to weather. So with that new High Z mod for doing larger projects, maybe OpenBuilds should look into some endmills in the 75mm to 100mm length range. By the way, a Chinese made extra long 3mm end mill is no cheaper than a 1/8" made in America 75mm 1/8" ball nose. Kodiak Cutting Tools had one thankfully.
Thanks for the tip. I did end up ordering some from Kodiak, a standard and extra long ball nose. I'm always willing to pay a small premium for local/domestic manufactures. That being said the prices were still pretty good, and a large selection. Time will tell where they are quality wise longevity wise.
