You’ve got a router and it started leaving rougher cuts? It’s probably time to clean and sharpen your bit.
First things first. You need a solid diamond paddle sharpener. I recommend the DMT brand. You also need both coarse and fine grit. This little sharpener has a side that is coarse and another that is fine.
Once you notice your router bit doesn’t work as it used to, don’t just throw it away. Actually there’s a huge chance that the bit is just dirty.
Start with a good clean. Take a rag and clean the bit using good old WD-40.
Cleaning will help a bit, but a bit should be sharpened every few months anyway. A router bit can be usually re -sharpened four or five times during its lifetime.
Take your diamond paddle sharpener and put it in water for a second. You should never sharpen your tools dry.
Start with doing three to five sharpening passes on the coarse side, followed by five to seven passes on the fine side. Repeat for each blade accordingly.
Once you’re finished, clean the bit with WD-40 again. Your bit should be like new.
This blog How to sharpen router bits helps me a lot with my woodworking projects.