Finding a Router bit used commonly in RV Construction

At HD it's called roto zip. It's used for drywall but would probably work on vinyl/plastics. The bit is like a drill but the end has a smooth area instead of the normal shape of a drill bit. When using on drywall the smooth area lets the bit slide along the edge of plastic electrical boxes without cutting the plastic.

I believe the bit is 1/8 inch diameter. It's the only way to go when working with drywall.

Bit

What you Could use is called a pattern bit. It will have the bearing on the top of the bit to follow a pattern or other object you are cutting the opening to. Some will have pointed plunge type ends others flat ends depending on if you are through cutting or not. They are made for thinner/lighter cuts.

These work OK for a few light duty cutouts but for thick material in one pass I prefer to use a heavy plunge bit with a templete guide attached to the router. We plunge hands holds in 3/4 poplar this way. It takes a powerful router to do this. We use 4hp 240v units in the prodution shop.

There are plunge tip bits with the bearing on the bottom to follow a rear templete but they are hard to find and the bearing usually seases up from heat and debris real quickly.

JoeChiOhki wrote:
There's a type of router bit, its used regularly in RV construction for cutting out Windows and vents in panel/plywood/etc... when RV's are constructed.

Usually a full sheet is installed on a wall, once its glue has set, a router is plunged in to cut out the wood over the window or other opening.

What kind of router bit is that? What is that normally called?

From when I watched them do it years ago, it seemed to have a roller or something of some kind on it to keep it from cutting into the framing when they removed the wood for the openings.

The specific bit you are asking about is actually called a "plunge" bit. It is used in CNC machines and free handed routers along with a collar/guide attached to the router base. Or it can be used w/o the collar by clamping a template down to the material and the solid portion of the shaft just follows the template. The bit has no bearing on the end of it, only a sharp end which allows it to be "plunged" into the material you wish to cut. I used it all the time for cutting out sink holes in laminate and corian countertops.

Some of the other bits mentioned by others are a little different in the design and have roller bearings or solid shafts at the end which allow the bit to follow an edge... like trimming laminate countertop edges. These trim bits can be used as a plunge bit if a hole is first drilled so the router bit can be dropped into the hole. But depending on what you are trying to accomplish the bearing on the end of the bit may get in your way.

Phil

It's called a trimming bit, use all the time when laminating counter tops. HD, Lowes, all have them.

I thought it was just a standard cutting bit, sorta like a standard drill bit?? have them for my Dremel tool also. look in the dremel tool bit section at lowes/home depot.
bumpy

I know it's common for use with sheet rock in a dremel. The last 1/4" of the bit is smooth so can be used as a guide on any hard surface. I imagine the same bit could be used in a router with an adapter for the shank size. Lowes sells them Roto Zip brand part number GP8.

If you want to pre-dill a hole in the center of the cutout so the bearing can go into the void and be used as a guide, there is also a guide bit for the router. The bit is commonly used for trimming formica counter tops. Again, available at Lowes. They call them trimming bits. Two part numbers I found at Lowes are 63621 and 28843.