Glossary of Router Bit Terms

Bead: A small rounded raised profile routed on the edge of a work piece.

Bevel Cut: A cut made at an angle through a piece of work piece.

Biscuit Joint: A type  of glue joint in which an oval-shaped biscuit covered with a water-based glue is placed in slots cut in the edges of wood. The two pieces are clamped together, and the glue causes the biscuit to swell and create a tighter glue joint.

Blind Hole Routing: A method of routing in which the bit does not go all the way through the work piece.

Chamfer: (1)A beveled edge, technically one of 45 degrees. (2) A beveled cut made along the length of the edge of a board.

Cove: A concave profile cut into the edge of the work piece.

Crown Molding: A type of molding typically used as trim as well as to conceal the joint between walls and ceilings.

Dado: (1)A flat bottomed recessed cut made across the grain of a board. (2)A type of groove joint.

Dovetail Joint: A method of jointing wood at the corners through interlocking pins and tails.

Edge guide: A straight edge used to guide a router along a work piece.

Finger Joint: A joint in which a series of fingers, or tenons, are cut into the ends of the two pieces of material to be joined. The fingers mesh together.

Fluting: Concave half round decorative molding profiles.

Groove: A cut made with the grain of a board.

Kerf: In slot cutters, the width of the cutting edge.

Lap Joint: A joint made by placing one piece partly over another and bonding the over-lapped sections. Also called a halving joint.

Lock Miter: A type of joint made by fastening together interlocking parts with ends cut at an angle.

Miter: The process of cutting material for an equal-angle joint. Most miter cuts are made at 45 degrees so that they will form a 90 degree angle when they are put together.

Molding: A decorative profile usually used for trim work, to cover exposed edges or provide decoration.

Mortise: A round or rectangular hole cut into a piece of wood to accept a tenon. Also used to recess hardware such as hinges.

Mortise and Tenon Joint: A joint in which the tenon, or formed shoulder projection, of one board fits into a complementary mortise on another board.

Ogee: A decorative molding profile with a S shape, generally used for edge forming applications.

Piloted Bit: A router bit with a ball bearing above the cutter that keeps the bit a fixed distance from the edge of the material being routed.

Plunge Cut: A cut made in the interior of the work piece that receives another piece to form a joint.

Rabbet: An open ended cut made along the edge of a work piece that receives another piece to form a joint.

Runout: (1)The amount of wobble in a router bit, or how much the bit moves from left to right during use. (2)The splintering and jagged edges left by lesser quality router bits.

Score: To mark with lines or grooves.

Slot Cutter: A cutting tool used to make slots, rabbets, dadoes, lap joints and tongue and groove joints.

T-Molding: A T-shaped molding used to provide decorative or protective edges. T-Molding is inserted into a slot cut in the other piece.

Tongue and Groove: A joint in which the protruding ridge, or tongue, of one piece fits into a matching groove in the other piece.

Veining: The process of patterning with, or as if with, veins.