Description
Towards the late 17th century, Great Britain was a growing world power and trading nation. This led to an economic boom and there were more people in Britain that could afford opulent homes and furniture. The notable makers of the time, such as Garret Johnson and Grinling Gibbons, sacrificed strength for style, incorporating curved classical rounded shapes into the moldings of furniture. These profiles evolved from the classical Greek and Roman shapes as used by famous architects and designers Christopher Wren (designer of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London) and William Kent to name a few.
This unique 11Pc. Architectural Profile Router Bit Set was designed to emulate the more popular profiles found on 17th century British furniture. The moldings of this period were originally created by hand using scratch stocks or molding planes but now they can be created using the router.
The idea for this 11-Pc. router bit set is to enable restorers and producers of fine furniture to make authentic moldings loyal to those found on traditional furniture.
Included in set 00-175:
| Item | Shank | Profile | Large Diam. | Carbide Height | |
| 17-505 | 1/2″ | A | Base Molding Bit | 2-5/8″ | 7/8″ |
| 17-510 | 1/2″ | B | Ogee & Bead Bit | 1-1/16″ | 1-1/8″ |
| 17-515 | 1/2″ | C | Double Ogee Bit | 1-1/4″ | 1-1/16″ |
| 17-520 | 1/2″ | D | Thumbnail Bit | 1″ | 1/2″ |
| 17-525 | 1/2″ | E | Small Molding Bit | 1-1/8″ | 5/8″ |
| 17-530 | 1/2″ | F | Waist Molding Bit | 2-1/8″ | 1-1/8″ |
| 17-535 | 1/2″ | G | Ogee Panel Molding Bit | 1-7/16″ | 1-1/8″ |
| 17-540 | 1/2″ | H | Single Ogee Bit | 1-1/4″ | 3/4″ |
| 17-545 | 1/2″ | I | Double-D Bit | 2-5/8″ | 7/8″ |
| 17-550 | 1/2″ | J | Surbase Molding Bit | 2-1/4″ | 1-5/16″ |
| 17-555 | 1/2″ | K | Big Ogee Bit | 2-7/8″ | 1-1/8″ |
Router Bit Suggested RPM & Safety Guidelines
17th-Century Router Bits
This exclusive, one-of-a-kind router bit set takes its inspiration from William & Mary, Queen Ann, and Georgian furniture. Certainly some of the most iconic furniture ever made came from these periods and remain relevant today. Bits are available individually or in our exclusive 11-Piece Profile Set (Item 00-175).
Lots of woodworkers ask if there are any router bit sets they should add to their collection once they have the basic roundover, cove, chamfer, and straight bits covered. If you like to build furniture and boxes in classic 17th-Century styles I would recommend the Infinity 17th-Century Router Bit Collection. This 11-piece router bit set includes profiles taken directly from antiques from some of the most iconic periods of British furniture.
If you’re like me, the term “17th-century furniture” doesn’t conjure up any specific images in my mind. If you break down this time frame into design periods this router bit set takes its inspiration from William & Mary, Queen Ann, and Georgian furniture. Certainly, some of the most iconic furniture ever made came from these periods and remain relevant today.
These router bits replicate old molding profiles and, as such, are perfectly suited for standalone use. However, with a little creativity, you can stack profiles to create complex molding profiles, as shown above.
These eleven profiles make it very easy to add these classic details to both large and small furniture alike. Everything from large ogee details for the crown and skirt on large chests of drawers, thin drawer division bars with double bead details, or even a final touch to the base of a jewelry box, this set will open up a world of possibilities for your woodworking projects. We’ve shown the bits and the profiles they create below.
Available individually, or in our money-saving set pictured above, feel free to put your creativity to work to recreate, or create amazing moldings.
