I was asked a few days ago what my favorite "forgotten" router bit is. I had to think about that for a while. My answer was actually a pair of router bits. The Triple Flute 02-600 and Triple Bead 02-606 router bits. This pair of router bits is also available as a 2 piece set (02-607). These router bits are great for adding decorative details to all sorts of projects. You can use the entire cutting edge of the bit or just a part of it to create unique profiles, making this pair of router bits quite versatile. Here are a couple of different uses for these bits that can really spice up your next project whether it's a simple box, elaborate writing desk, or an elegant dining table.
You get the most benefit from the triple bead and flute router bits if you purchase the set. Because they're a matched pair, they create a seamless joint. Technically they could be used as a cope-and stick-profile for cabinet doors.
This brings me to one of my favorite uses for these bits. They create a beautiful detail to a project like the inside of a blanket chest or tool chest lid. Run beads along the inside edges of a frame and use the flute bit to create a cope profile to put all the pieces together (photos above). This will add a lot of glue surface to the joints and create a really nice appearance over a standard miter.
Following this same trend, the triple bead router bit makes an excellent drawer divider detail. And I love the triple flute as a molding inset around the top of a chest of drawers.
If you plan to make a dining table the triple bead can hold its own against a figured veneer top. Don't forget these profiles can be used on a project like a humidor or blanket chest to create an almost airtight joint between the box and lid that will be as visually impressive as it is functional.
One last thing to remember about these two bits is that you don't have to use the entire profile. By adjusting the height of the router bit you can also create a single- or double-flute or bead detail.
If you think of a fancy writing desk with letter slots and an ink well, a singe bead is a very common detail you can add to all kinds of projects both big and small. The next time you want to add an extra layer of detail to your project, grab a triple flute or triple bead router bit and see what you can come up with.
