Which Whiteside Compression Flush Trim Router Bit?

[Ben Rivel]

With bearings above and below you are limited to workpieces that fit between the bearings. With only one bearing you can do part of a piece with a template, then use the newly cut surface as your template to finish the rest in a second pass. I have one of the two bearing styles you show and ran into this issue in one situation.

Good point. So perhaps I should be instead be looking at one of their single bearing options for the Ultimate bit:

Whiteside Ultimate Flush Trim Bit UDFT9112 (LINK)
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Whiteside Ultimate Pattern Bit UDP9112 (LINK)
417VcMfu0pL._SY355_.jpg

Which would be better for use in a router table? Having the bearing on the top so that once the work piece is flipped over the bearing could reference off the already trimmed part? So the flush trim bit? But if youre going to be flipping it anyway Im not seeing how having a bearing on both top and bottom would make a difference.

What to do what to do...

whiteside-ultimate-trimd.jpg

[Matt Schroeder]

I'm not sure flipping with one bit is going to work. My goal was to rout the shape on 1.5" thick curved legs for a kitchen table. I made a 3/8" plywood template (it's what I had available, and thinner wasn't going to let me do it in one pass anyway), used the pattern bit in a hand held router with the router on top of the template, and then removed the template to finish the job. I had the two bearing style that I used for other projects, but bought the pattern bit when I needed it for this. I have used them both on other projects since. They are great bits. I always make sure to cut really close to my final line so the bit isn't working too hard; control in the hand held router has never been an issue.

[Len Rosenberg]

Have the same question as Ben posted, and came across this thread. A comment and a question. First, it appears from the photo in the Whiteside catalog that the lower bearing on the two bearing bit is held on with a stop collar and is removable. If that is the case, then you are not limited by the space between the two bearings. Second, I have not been able to find any info about compression bits leaving a ridge at the transition point. Can anyone who has used the Whiteside Utimate Trim Bit let us know if it leaves a ridge? If so, how significant is it?

Thanks,

Len