The Ogee bit has a unique S-shape that gives edging and molding steep curves when routed.
When it comes to edge profiles, few are more attractive than the ogee. Ogee bits come in a huge range of shapes and sizes, but all are based on some form of the basic “S” shape. This S-curve can be shallow or deep, narrow or extremely wide. A plain ogee bit is a simple S-curve, but it still lends an elegant profile to workpieces. A Roman ogee bit creates a profile that has a steeper curve to the S-shape, and adds a 90-degree cutting edge at the bottom of the curve that creates a bead at one end of the profile. The shape of the profile can get quite intricate, with any combination of notches and grooves as part of the curve.
As with cove bits, ogees are often combined with other bit profiles when creating molding. Ogee bits with extremely wide diameters are often used to create profiles on tables and, not surprisingly, are sometimes called table edge bits. For safety, these large-diameter bits should always be used in a router table setup, and preferably with a variable-speed router so the rotational speed can be lowered a bit. The cutting edges of wide bits travel very, very fast; lowering the speed increases safety and reduces burning — multiple passes are recommended.
