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Because the bit is piloted, you don't have to use the router table fence. The piloted bit can be used in both handheld and table-mounted routers, of course. If you take this approach, though, you probably should question why you are using a rabbet bit and not a straight bit.) You can only narrow the cut using this approach, but it's valid: it works. (There is a third thing you can do, and that is to circumvent the pilot somehow - using an edge guide or a fence. You can find packages with fewer bearings, and with more bearings. That's seven different cut widths from one bit. Depending on the bearing used, a standard 1/2" rabbet bit will also give you 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", and 7/16" cuts. A number of manufacturers offer bearing sets to complement their rabbet bits. Interchangeable bearings make the rabbet bit versatile. Every bit manufacturer sells separate bearings, and in the case of rabbet bits, they package sets that will give you many different cut widths from one bit. The other thing you can do is to change the pilot bearing.
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This can be a useful approach, since it can change the dimension over which you have control, while preserving the simplicity of setup and operation that pilot bits provide. One is that you can change your angle of attack, as shown in the drawing. To alter the width of the rabbet with such bits, you can do two things. (A lot of bit manufacturers call this the depth of the rabbet.) You insert the bit, adjust the depth setting, and rout.
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The measurement between the bit's cutting edge and its pilot governs what I call the width of the rabbet. It minimizes setup: The only adjustments you can make are the depth of cut and the angle of attack. The first choice for the average rabbeting operation is the rabbet bit, which has a pilot.
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