Freud 12-128: 1/2" (Dia.) Double Flute Straight Bit (Eclipse Grind) Red

Freud makes great router bits and this one is no exception. Works great and is very sharp.

The first thing that impresses you about this bit, is the size. It is really large. The cutters are huge and as such, require more care than usual, especially if you are using it in a hand held router.I've been using the bit in a 2 1/4 HP router, with a D handle installed. I jointed and squared 2 large boards 8ft x 12" x 3", hand held. I butted the router base against long straight edges and took cuts of about 1/16" to 1/8". The bit performed flawlessly, giving me very smooth edges on the boards, which were laminated 3/4" cabinet grade plywood (3) with a 3/4" layer of solid red oak. Of course, the 2 1/2" cutting length wasn't long enough to do the whole board. After making about a 2 1/4" cut with this bit, I turned the boards over and used a 1/2" trim bit, bearing on the bottom, to finish off the cuts. The job turned out great, only requiring light passes with a smoothing plane to finish off the job. I'm very pleased with the speed and ease that this bit jointed and squared these large pieces. Nothing else in my shop worked as well or as quickly.Now to the bad part. I got a little careless on the second board, while cutting one of the 8ft sides. I didn't keep the router dead flat on the surface and dipped into the cut. In a split second, that long cutter took a big bite out of the side and then climbed up and out of the cut, twisting me to the left. Fortunately, the D handle base is a very secure base, that allows you to have a very good hold on the router, so nothing happened other than scaring me half to death. But, if someone had been standing close to me on the left, the router would have been in their face in an instant. I've been using routers for over 30 years and never had a router do that to me before. Of course, I usually use a router table when possible, which is the sensible thing to do with such large bits.I've got other projects planned, where I'll be using this bit and router configuration again as a hand held jointer. But, the next time, I'll make and install a much larger router base plate that will keep the router flat on the work surface. That should make things idiot proof....

Freud bits are designed and precision machined in Italy - and they really are works of art. They plunge quickly, clear chips effortlessly and run through hardwood with ease. I'm sure there are other fine bits out there, but for the value and at this price, I believe it's no contest. If you're cutting dados, planing or jointing, you will be thrilled with these bits.Pros:• Sharp and removes chips fast• Designed for quick plunges• Delivers crisp clean edges• Hardened steel stays sharp longer than competition• 1/2" shanks nearly eliminate chatterCons:• Expensive - but worth every penny• They are nearly impossible to remove from the packagingTips To Remove From Packaging:• Wear Gloves! I mean it - these are as sharp as an ER scalpel.• Firmly grasp the flat (non-sharp) sides and "wiggle" the bit back and forth while pulling upward• Do not use pliers, channel locks or your vise. You will scratch the heck out of your beautiful bit• When storing in the packaging, only insert about 1/4" to make it simple to remove in the future!Usage Tip:• To avoid 'burning' the wood when using the larger diameter bits, keep your router speed in the medium range or about 16,000rpm

When I first opened the box from Amazon, the bit had escaped from its thin plastic packaging and I'm guessing it had been tossed around inside the box during shipping. Amazon gets a score of zero for their packaging on this one, and Freud certainly could do a better job on their part of the packaging. Other manufacturers actually ship their its in plastic or wooden boxes. Amazingly, the bit seemed fine.You can't use it to make plunge cuts because the cutters don't extend all the way to the center. I'm sure that's obvious to someone with experience than I had before I bought this bit, but it wasn't clear to me until I tried to make my first plunge cut and couldn't get it to cut any deeper than about 1/16". But I suppose most people would use a drill press and Forstner bit to make this size plunge cut anyway.I mostly use this bit to cut clean circles after using my jigsaw to cut within about 1/8" of the line. The bit should also work well with a jig to flatten boards, as long as you don't need to plunge-cut. I haven't used it yet for that.What I like:* very sharp* heavy-duty* seems very high-qualityWhat I don't like:* Freud's packaging sucks* can't do plunge cuts* a smaller diameter bit would have served me just as well (but that was my mistake)Given what I know now, I absolutely did not need this router bit. I might even go so far as to say it proves the "buy the biggest bit you can afford" rule-of-thumb wrong.Although I didn't really need it, it's still a good bit. But in general I would recommend against buying this bit unless you already own several dozen 1/2" shank router bits (including straight and spiral/compression bits) and not one of them is suitable for the job.

Been using this for edging 2X12 lumber to make counter tops. Works very well, which I expect from Freud products.

Freud products are where i look 1st and foremost..this router bit is no exception..clean- accurate- dependable

Cuts like a hot knife thru butter.....well worth the money

Works as expected.

If you want a 12mm diameter cutter then Freud 12-530 is the correct part number. Freud cutters are excellent quality, this is just to warn others of the wrong listing.

As described...solid bit, well made and sharp. Cuts as it should

La herramienta tiene buenos acabados, mostrando que es una herramienta de calidad, la marca no defrauda. Es garantía.

Not the right part number for this tool. This is a 10mm, not 12.

Product was fine. I hope it stands up as well as the 7/8 family member that cut through a huge amount of dry oak before giving up.