Routing Inlay Beginners Question

Yes, keep going in the right direction. Part of the cut will be a climb cut with such a small bit you can get away with it pretty easily.

-- Tom Hintz, www.newwoodworker.com

If you are using an inlay bushing set, Going around a female pattern clockwise will always be into the grain and will hold the router against the pattern. Going counter-clockwise will always be a climb cut and you will have more trouble following the pattern. With these sets cutting the hole is not as critical as cutting the inlay because if the bit wanders from the pattern when you are cutting the hole you are wandering into the waste area that you are taking out anyway. If however you wander from the pattern when cutting the inlay piece, you’ve ruined the inlay piece.

-- Paul M ..............the early bird may get the worm but it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese! http://thecanadianschooloffrenchmarquetry.com/

Elksniffer, normally you route in a clockwise direction when hand routing. The cutter will turning into the workpiece. To clime cut, you would go in a counterclockwise direction. This is a little more dangerous as the cutter is turning in the same direction you are routing, because of this the router is more difficult to control. There are times when a clime cut is desirable because of the grain direction of the wood. pkennedy

-- P Kennedy Crossville, TN