Dovetail by router problem cropping up...

[dbhost]

climb cutting and backerboards are the way to go - IMHO.

Just to clear up my own ignorance. What is climb cutting?

[Black wallnut]

Just to clear up my own ignorance. What is climb cutting?

Cutting in the direction of the spin of the bit. So assuming workpiece is behind your router you feed left to right.

One must use caution while doing this as a light touch of the bit without a rather firm grasp of the router can yank the router out of your hands.

[RayintheUK]

Cutting in the direction of the spin of the bit. So assuming workpiece is behind your router you feed left to right.

I'd also add that because you're cutting in the direction of rotation, things can get out of hand very easily and very swiftly. Please practice on some scrap fist and get a good grip on the router, in case you become over aggressive with the cut. At worst, you could damage your jig if you're not careful.

I'm trying not to be a scaremonger here, but this is not a technique to be taken lightly - simply because the cuts must be taken lightly!

Ray

[poolhound]

Just to clear up my own ignorance. What is climb cutting?

As the OPS have mentioned this is when you cut from right to left (when facing the board) with the rotation of the bit. You have to maintain good control of the router as it will tend to pull away from you.

Check out this link and do note things reverse depending wether you are using the router handheld or in a table i.e feed direction.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/clmbcuttng.html

[poolhound]

Cutting in the direction of the spin of the bit. So assuming workpiece is behind your router you feed left to right.

One must use caution while doing this as a light touch of the bit without a rather firm grasp of the router can yank the router out of your hands.

Mark - shouldnt that be right to left assuming you are routing free hand?

I always think of a doughnut. The normal direction of cut means I am moving the router anti-clockwise when on the outside and clockwise on the inside. Both mean I am moving from L to R with respect to the workpiece edge. Climb cutting reverses the direction.

When on the router table normal cuts are fed from Right to left and climb cuts from Left to right.

Confused - you will be

[dbhost]

Okay, I have the pins cut by using the technique we talked about here. Laser beam sharp except for where I didn't see an apparently loose knot. Simply go slower, and go in on the left, then right, then full depth, nibble away any left behind.

HOWEVER, the tails are a different story all together. The bearing rides pretty snug in the fingers of the template, and as soon as the cutter gets behind the surface of the wood, it blows little bits of it out...

No worries about using scrap or good wood for this. I am using scrap for practice so that I don't have this happen, at least near as much, on expensive wood...

I may have to try to use a sacrificial board to make this work right...