HFT Solid Brass Router Inlay Kit (99552)

Just received the product - fits porter cable router base, nice long bit shaft and a centering bit. All looks great - will update after using a bit.

There are several Youtube videos on this type of tool, and I suggest you watch them before trying this kit. It does work if you are very, very careful and "drive" very slowly. The bit breaks or bends easily, and following a template (you make) can be challenging.The enclosed "instructions" are virtually worthless and require a magnifying glass to read. Fortunately, Amazon sells magnifying glasses!Look at the picture of the guide bushing. The diameter of the bushing must be less than the narrowest choke-point in your template or the bushing will not be able to follow the template completely. Also, the template must not have "sides" which come too close to each other or there will be little or no material left when you route-out the insert. This may not be clear to you so you will have to practice a few times to gain the insight required to be successful. I have found that this kit works best with large, flowing templates with no "points" or sharp "turns."

Have made several inlays with this kit. Some of them very tight fitting, some not depending upon my attention to detail. This kit allows me to cut smaller template radii than another more expensive inlay kit that I have. The bit did wear out sooner than I expected, but the price of this kit is lower than most of the single 1/8" down-spiral bits on the market. Replaced with a higher quality down-spiral bit and am still very satisfied with my purchase of this kit. This is my go-to inlay kit among the others that I have. I just have to be careful not to misplace the collar used when cutting the recesses.

UPDATE 3/9/2019: I purchased a Whiteside 1/8” downcut carbide router bit and it worked perfectly with the guide bushing. The butterfly inlay is perfect. Dust no longer clogs the cut. No burning. I reduced the rating to one star as the price of this set plus the new bit is more than the Whiteside version of the same thing. Avoid this product and go with Whiteside quality as the start.—————-The guide bushing and centering pin are great for cutting wooden inlays from templates. It fits my Festool router perfectly with no slop and the alignment was perfect. The brass bushing is well made and perfectly finished. The guide bearing snapped in place firmly and stayed in place. Very nice design and it functioned very well.The 1/8” carbide downcut spiral bit is another story. While it appeared new and unused, it was dull right out of the package. I cut about a one inch path into red oak at a depth of 1/8” as a test and the bit burned the wood and smoked. It became clear that it wasn’t sharp enough even for this extremely shallow pass. The router speed was set properly and the rate of cut was slow. Downcut bits push the debris from the cut to the bottom providing a good clean cut at the surface. This bit did neither. To put is bluntly, the bit is worthless.I’ve been woodworking for many years but this was my first time using making inlays, so I discussed my problem with two professional woodworkers (who do this for a living). They looked at the cut and decided the bit was very poor. Carbide bits shouldn’t burn the wood and leave a very poor edge. They suggested I purchase a new Whiteside brand bit.The quality of the bit is very poor and you should plan on replacing it immediately. A good quality Whiteside bit costs about $20-25. So now I’m out an additional $20 to make things work. I could have purchased a Whiteside brand bit, centering pin, and guide bushing for $50 and would have been assured of true quality.I do not suggest buying this item unless you plan to buy a new bit or have a good quality one already.

Fit my router well and worked like a charm. First time attempting

Okay for the price

Works good. Straight bit is kinda cheap but works.

Don't waste money on this piece of junk. If you need an inlay kit like this, go high end.The centering pin and collar don't work well together. Things appear to line up until you switch to the bit and it is noticably misaligned.This bit is rubbish. It is dull and gets worse, quickly. I set up a butterfly jig that I have used many times with Whiteside bits. I used very dry clear pine to run the sample at 1/8" deep with dust control. Two seconds into the run I could feel the bit fighting the cut. By the time I finished one pass the bit was burning the edges. On my second pass, 1/16" deeper than the first, the bit broke. At this point I cut the bung from its home board to inspect the edges.All six lines on the butterfly were nasty. The end grain cuts had tear out and the rest were pretty rough but salvageable.This set is not worth any amount of money and a beginner woodworker could get pretty discouraged with its use. If you don't have a big budget, save up some loot to by a better kit.