Delta’s Catalog No. 480 – The Set of 5 Router Bits: Brilliant Innovation or a Relic Best Left on the Shelf?

Introduction

There’s something undeniably charming about flipping through an old Delta catalog and landing on the Catalog No. 480 Set of 5 Router Bits. These bits—crafted for routing and mortising—represent a time when machines were expected to multitask, and when a single drill press or Homecraft combination machine might serve as the entire backbone of a small workshop.

Now that a New Old Stock set has landed in our shop, it gives us the perfect opportunity to step back and ask two questions:

1. What made these bits so special in their day?

2. And should anyone actually use them today?

   
   

Let’s dive in.

The Delta 480 Set: A Snapshot of 1930s–1950s Ingenuity

Delta designed these bits at a time when routers as we know them today were not yet mainstream. Instead, the typical Delta user had:

• A drill press,

• A mortise attachment,

• And a sense of adventure.

The Catalog No. 480 bits were intended to do double duty:light-routing tasks and small mortises. According to the vintage literature:

• Bits were fed into the work in 1/16" to 1/8" passes,

• A ½" shank allowed them to be held in either the mortiser spindle or Delta’s No. 624 specialty spindle,

• And Delta promised smooth bottoms and clean grooves—an impressive feat given the machines of the era.

These bits were not bargain-bin hardware. Delta emphasized that they were “accurately ground” and should not be confused with the “cheap tools” of the time. The set included five sizes: 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", and 1/2", each priced at a whopping 90 cents—a premium tool in its day.

But Should You Use These Bits Today? Let’s Be Honest…

Here’s where nostalgia meets reality.

1. RPM Limitations

Most vintage Delta drill presses top out between 2,500–3,000 RPM (some even slower).Modern router bits—especially straight bits—are designed to run between 18,000–22,000 RPM.

At one-tenth the intended speed, the results will be:

• Burning

• Tear-out

• Chatter

• And dangerously high feed pressure

  
  

2. Side-Loading the Quill

Drill press quills were never designed for significant lateral pressure.While Delta did give users the green light for shallow, careful cuts, it still places unusual strain on:

• Bearings

• The quill

• The spindle taper

• The mortise attachment itself

• Using them aggressively today would be… unkind to your machine.

3. Modern Routers Exist—And They’re Safer

Today’s routers come with:

• Higher horsepower

• Collets designed for gripping cutting tools

• RPM ranges built precisely for routing

• Dust collection ports

• Safety guards and braking systems

• And motors meant to handle lateral cutting forces all day long.

Comparatively, mounting a router bit in a drill press feels a bit like asking your family sedan to tow a 30-foot camper.Can it? Maybe.Should it? Probably not.

So What’s the Verdict?

Use Them?

If we’re talking about actual woodworking, the answer is:No—these bits should not be used in a drill press by modern standards.

Dedicated routers outperform old drill press routing setups in every meaningful category:

• Speed

• Power

• Precision

• Safety

• Tooling compatibility

Using the Delta 480 bits as they were originally intended is best left to museum demonstrations and extremely light “just to say I tried it” experiments—performed with caution and respect for a 70-year-old machine.

Keep Them? Display Them? Celebrate Them?

Absolutely.

These bits represent an important chapter in Delta’s evolution—from the multi-function, do-it-all workshop era to the specialized, purpose-built tools we enjoy today.

A complete or near-complete set is a fantastic addition to any:

• Vintage Delta collection,

• Drill press accessory display,

• Period-correct tool cabinet,

• Or Old Delta Workshop showcase.

They’re a reminder of Delta’s creativity, their commitment to quality, and their willingness to solve problems in clever ways—even with the limitations of the time.

Final Thoughts

Finding New Old Stock Delta router bits feels less like acquiring a tool and more like uncovering a piece of woodworking history. They’re beautifully made, wonderfully nostalgic, and a testament to the inventive spirit of early American home workshops.

Just… maybe don’t chuck them up in your drill press and try to route a dado.Some vintage practices are better enjoyed as stories, artifacts, and display pieces—not as weekend projects.

Cat. No.	Size	Shank Dim.	Lg. of Flute	Code Word
474	1/4"	1/2" × 1 1/2"	1 1/4"	ROUTA
475	5/16"	1/2" × 1 1/2"	1 1/4"	ROUTB
476	3/8"	1/2" × 1 1/2"	1 1/4"	ROUTC
477	7/16"	1/2" × 1 1/2"	1 1/4"	ROUTD
478	1/2"	1/2" × 1 1/2"	1 1/2"	ROUTE