Is you going the right way or is you going the wrong way?
Problem routing inside circular template
I'm trying to route a 6" diameter circle in the middle of a 1" thick piece of cherry, using a template and my router table. I'm using a fairly new Freud bit which is either a flush trim bit or a pattern bit, i.e. has a bearing at top and bottom, and I'm using the top bearing. I used a 6" hole saw to make the template from 1/4" baltic birch plywood (my drill press doesn't have enough power to use the hole saw on the piece of cherry). I then attached the BB to the cherry with double-stick tape and and used a jigsaw to cut a circle as close to the BB as I could (which is about 1/8"). I'm moving the wood counterclockwise on the router table, with the top bearing against the template. Things go OK for a while, but then the bit grabs the wood. On two different attempts (i.e. two different pieces of wood), the bit grabbed the wood and spun it very quickly counterclockwise, taking huge divots out of 1/4 to 3/4 of the circumference. Not sure what I'm doing wrong; I've used templates and flush trim bits several times without a problem, but never on the inside of a circle. Should I decrease the router speed? I don't think I can cut closer to the template with a jigsaw without cutting into the template. Thanks for any advice. Howard
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CLOCKWISE! Into the cutter.
1thumb, I don't think I'm going the wrong way. For any small segment of the circle, I'm moving the wood from right to left, as I usually do on the router table. Howard
OK, now I'm really confused. On Woodcraft's "Understanding Router Feed Direction," it says: When working around the inside edges of a cutout on a router table, feed the workpiece counterclockwise, against the bit's rotation.
(Link is https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/understanding-router-feed-direction#:~:text=Feed%20Direction%20For%20Router%20Tables&text=On%20a%20router%20table%2C%20bits,table%20to%20the%20left%20side.&text=In%20most%20situations%2C%20you%20want,the%20rotation%20of%20the%20bit.)
(Link is https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/understanding-router-feed-direction#:~:text=Feed%20Direction%20For%20Router%20Tables&text=On%20a%20router%20table%2C%20bits,table%20to%20the%20left%20side.&text=In%20most%20situations%2C%20you%20want,the%20rotation%20of%20the%20bit.)
Yes, but they are using a hand router from above, not a table router from below.OK, now I m really confused. On Woodcraft s "Understanding Router Feed Direction," it says: When working around the inside edges of a cutout on a router table, feed the workpiece counterclockwise, against the bit's rotation.
(Link is https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/understanding-router-feed-direction#:~:text=Feed%20Direction%20For%20Router%20Tables&text=On%20a%20router%20table%2C%20bits,table%20to%20the%20left%20side.&text=In%20most%20situations%2C%20you%20want,the%20rotation%20of%20the%20bit.)
- Chameleon
From the top it from left to right (in a circle that would be counterclockwise)
On a table it's from right to left (in a circle that would be clockwise)
I think I got that right…. ;-)
On a table it's from right to left (in a circle that would be clockwise)
I think I got that right…. ;-)
Wow, I feel like an idiot. Woodcraft was actually talking about building a router table. I interpreted what they said as "when you're using a router table and working around the inside edges of a cutout like a circular template …"
Thank you all for clarifying this. At least now I think I can make my project correctly-just need to go buy some more wood! (This is humbling). Howard
Thank you all for clarifying this. At least now I think I can make my project correctly-just need to go buy some more wood! (This is humbling). Howard
With the router upside down in the table, the bit is rotating counterclockwise as you are looking down on it. If you are cutting the inside of the circle androtating the work piece counterclockwise, you are doing a climb cut. I believe you need to reverse direction. However, at some point around the circle, the bit is going to start cutting against the grain. In that area, you may need to do a climb cut for a short distance.
Yes, avoid the climb cuts! If possible you should also try to trim away as much "fat" as possible (1/8" is borderline)
Since you have the proper bit, do all the cuts so that the wood grain is always being cut "downhill". Cut the half of the hole with the template down, lower the bit and cut the other half with the template on top.
Since you have the proper bit, do all the cuts so that the wood grain is always being cut "downhill". Cut the half of the hole with the template down, lower the bit and cut the other half with the template on top.
I think you might have missed the part about his bit having a bearing at each end.Since you have the proper bit, do all the cuts so that the wood grain is always being cut "downhill". Cut the half of the hole with the template down, lower the bit and cut the other half with the template on top.
- splintergroup
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