KEENTECH Router Bits, 45-Degree Lock Miter Router Bit for Joinery, Industrial Grade Cutting Tools for Woodworking (1/2 Inch Shank x 2-3/4 Inch Diameter x 1-1/4 Inch Depth, KT03054408)

Sturdy precision piece of equipment.

Works well and creates clean locking channels. Going slow and steady should get you a clean cut. Stands up to other bits going for twice this price elsewhere.

This is a bit that only gets used occasionally, and it's a little fussy to set up, but once it's set up it makes some nice joints that are strong. I like that you can make a box with veneered plywood and it will end up with a finished look, no edging required. Having the locking fins adds glue area and strength, and is also self aligning. Using a router table is almost a requirement, although you can get by with a straight edge and clamps. This bit seems to be made well, and is very sharp (as you'd hope).

I have several Keentech bits and have been pleased with their performance. They are sharp and cut through the material well, and are usually a good price for the bit. Definitely look up some youtube tutorials before trying this particular bit though.

I have purchased several Keentech products before and find them typically to be a great value for a mid-quality tool. This bit is no exception. Some might point to nearly $40 as an expensive bit. A comparable premium bit in this size would be in the range of $80 to $110. Consider the savings a gift to you, crazy American, from President Xi. Xiè xiè.The bit you choose should be partially based on the thickness of the stock. This is one of the smallest I have seen. I want to use it for 9 to 12 mm thick small boxes. Some lock miter bits accommodate a really wide range of sizes. For example, Whiteside makes one that can be use for 1/2 inch to 1-1/4 (wow) but it almost all miter and very little lock for most of this range. Oh, yeah. and it is $145.I got the small Keentech bit. It has much more lock (the zig-sag part) to miter (the 45 degree part). The lock part is about 3/16 inches wide. If you want 1/16 inch of miter on each side then the thinnest stock you can effectively work with is 5/16. If you want 1/8 inches on each side of the lock then you need stock at least 7/16 thick. The maximum thickness is 1/2 inch--you just run out of bit. This is not a huge range. For me, it is right on target. These thin widths of the miter part would certainly benefit from additional support during routing by two sided taping a board for the horizontal and vertical cuts.One of the things I like about Keentech's product descriptions are that they provide detailed dimensions. Most manufacturers make you guess. This makes it really easy to understand how their bit will work and what it will and won't do. It also aids in setup.From the photo you can see that with very little setup effort it produced a good joint.I expect to use this bit a lot making it an excellent investment.

Hello there,This router bit is awesome. I have used it on figured walnut, white oak, hard maple and spalted tamarind so far and it has produced a great joint! My use has been with a router table only, so keep that in mind.Lock Miters have a large cutting surface, so this bit will work better with more powerful routers and a good solid feed rate. NOT a beginner bit! No complaints at all about this bit.

I’ve owned and used the large CMT lock miter bit (Model: 855.503) for many years. That CMT bit can accommodate stock thicknesses down to around 3/4”. This 7/8”-inch-depth Keentech bit takes me down to around 1/2" thick material. So far, I’ve only made 3 cuts with the Keentech. All the cuts were clean and precise. The joints fit together perfectly, just like cuts made by the CMT.Back in the day, I used to set up the CMT bit by making many trial cuts. The process took a long time and was a big pain. I stopped using the trial-and-error method after reading an article in Fine Woodworking, where the author described a setup technique using a height gauge. I’ve been using his technique ever since. Setup on this Keentech bit only took 2 trial cuts. If you’re not familiar with the technique, search “Fine Woodworking Dial In Setups with a Height Gauge.” Last I looked, you can still download the article in PDF format from FW. The article is from page 18 of Issue 218.Overall, I think this is a good quality lock miter bit for a reasonable price. At the time of this review, the CMT equivalent costs over 50% more on Amazon.

Sharp carbide bit and makes a good joint for joining wood