Routing issue

[ironhat]

This piece of 1.5" thick cherry is to be routed from the right angle closest to the bit along the end grain and around to the edge grain . As you can see, my first two attempts at feeding into the end grain had the bit grabbing abruptly and chipping it out. I have enough deth left to cut these away. How should I go about this? Start on the edge grain and back my way slowly into this end grain? Use my small parts holder (just go it on sale at Rocklers but haven't used it)?

TIA,
Chiz

[cbrown]

Looks like you need to set things up to take smaller bites on the initial passes. You could move the fence around the bit so it holds the workpiece farther away than the bearing radius and move it back a little for each pass, or gradually raise the bit to full height, or start with a smaller diameter radius bit. If you're just taking a tiny amount of material away each pass, you can safely do a climb cut on the end grain on the final passes which will give a smoother result.

Chris

[ironhat]

A big problem, Chris, is that I don't have a ZCI or even a more narrow throat plate for the router fence. I was trying to take it very slow and shallow as it was. I may place this and a large, flat piece of equal thickness on a routing mat and hold the router. I've never experienced problems with end grain when moving the router over the stock. Does anyone see an issue doing it that way?

[LCHIEN]

Man, where's your router pivot pin? That's absolutely what you need.

Controls the feed of freehand items into the bit.

Oak park calls it a safety guide pin and here describes how its to be used.

http://www.routerworkshop.com/safetypin01.html

other people make and sell these, If i recall where I'll post,
Very simple, just a tepped post and a hole in the router table top.

[gwyneth]

A big problem, Chris, is that I don't have a ZCI or even a more narrow throat plate for the router fence. I was trying to take it very slow and shallow as it was. I may place this and a large, flat piece of equal thickness on a routing mat and hold the router. I've never experienced problems with end grain when moving the router over the stock. Does anyone see an issue doing it that way?

I'd avoid the routing mat, myself, especially with that bit.

You can make the table much more friendly. Clamp two pieces of plywood or MDF to the fence and close them in on the bit. (I've got a stock of 3/8" ash plywood that is fantastic for stuff like this).

I can't tell from the picture whether that's a clear insert or a huge gap around the bit. If the latter, you can tape a piece of cardboard, if necessary, under the top. I have also heard of people looking around the house to find plastic jar tops that were the same sized circle, then cut a hole for the bit, and temporarily fix it on.
Use the small parts holder.

[gwyneth]

Very simple, just a tepped post and a hole in the router table top.

It looks as if there is one, between the arrows and the bit.

Hartville sells the pins for three bucks.

Bill Hylton suggests cutting the top off a bolt--the kind with a long unthreaded shaft.

[LCHIEN]

It looks as if there is one, between the arrows and the bit.

Hartville sells the pins for three bucks.

Bill Hylton suggests cutting the top off a bolt--the kind with a long unthreaded shaft.

The hole may be there but he probably doesn't know what its for. He needs that pin. Exactly what its for. Backs up the workpiece firmly so it won't chatter and jump while you hand feed it to the bit. The you can feed it into the bit with no such problems as he shows.

[gwyneth]

The hole may be there but he probably doesn't know what its for.

I was wondering if you (or somebody besides me) thought the hole between the arrows and the bit was in fact for the pin: my point was that he wouldn't have to drill the table.

Besides that hole, which is at 6 o'clock, there appears to be a threaded hole at 3 o'clock.

A pin may have come with the table or insert...if you had any hardware left, it might be worth looking at the little plastic bag.

[LCHIEN]

I was wondering if you (or somebody besides me) thought the hole between the arrows and the bit was in fact for the pin: my point was that he wouldn't have to drill the table.

This seems to be the router lift/plate Chiz has. Actually it has a hole for a guide/starting pin, to the left of the bit, not under the bit. Don't really see the hole in Chiz's photo, maybe the workpiece hides it. Unless his is different, it looks like there's a hole. In fact, the Woodpecker page says that the router lift comes with a solid brass starting pin (yet another name) so Chiz already has one.
The hole you mention is for the "lift wrench" for making coarse adjustments (actually locks the lift). The crank handle is for making fine adjuetments when the lift wrench is locked. You'll note the photo shows a router guide pin installed to the right of the insert just outside the red insert ring.




Link to full description page for this lift.

http://www.woodpeck.com/quickliftalum.html

I have a Woodpecker "plain" table (no lift). I drilled a hole for a starter pin at around 4:30 (if you consder 12:00 to be straight above the bit). I think that works better than the position shown. Maybe as far around as 6:00 would be OK.

[ironhat]

Wow, this got a lot of traffic while we went out for a pizza. Yea, I have the pin for the threaded hole - came with the lift. I have never use one so I never gave it a thought. I'll bet I'll be practicing on some of my cutoffs. Does using the pin take care of the the bit edge grabbing at the 90* corner as well? Can I use the pin and the fence, along with addition to the fence per Chris' suggestion? I'll look at the possibility of using a smaller ring - it came with 3 or 4. Routing is a whole new world to me. I've been reaing the Hylton-Matlack book piecemeal so I'd better do my research there as well. No sense losing a knuckle and ruining a good project - LOL (sort of).

[LCHIEN]

Wow, this got a lot of traffic while we went out for a pizza. Yea, I have the pin for the threaded hole - came with the lift. I have never use one so I never gave it a thought. I'll bet I'll be practicing on some of my cutoffs. Does using the pin take care of the the bit edge grabbing at the 90* corner as well? Can I use the pin and the fence, along with addition to the fence per Chris' suggestion? I'll look at the possibility of using a smaller ring - it came with 3 or 4. Routing is a whole new world to me. I've been reaing the Hylton-Matlack book piecemeal so I'd better do my research there as well. No sense losing a knuckle and ruining a good project - LOL (sort of).

No, absolutely don't use a fence with the starting pin. Look at the Router Workshop/Oak part link I gave you earlier. That should explain how.
The key is that you use the pin as a backup so that the router does not grab the end of your workpiece and you lose control. Once you have started the piece and are moving down the side you can come completely away from the pin, which is why you need to have the rest of the table open (no fence!). Yes it takes care of any corners, rounded or square, see the link.

here it is again:

http://www.routerworkshop.com/safetypin01.html

[LCHIEN]

Alternate way

For those of you reading this and not having a pin, there's an alternate way that is used. That is to clamp a pointed stick to the router table so that the tip of the stick is positioned in the same place as the pin, you then use the point in the same way you use the pin.

If you want to have a starting pin but don't want to pay $3 for a pin and $5 for shipping and wait five days, you can easily make one - a stepped post. Take a .5" dowel and drill a centered hole in it 1/4" dia. Push a 1/4" dowel pin into it. Cut it so its 3/4" to 1" long on the .5" part and 1/2 to 3/4" long on the .25" dia part. Drill a 1/4" dia. hole in your plate just outside the insert tring and around 3:00, 4:30, or 6:00 relative to the bit, depending upon your preference.

[cbrown]

Would there be a problem raising the bit slowly through the table--say 1/16 per pass--and using the bearing?

Chris

[ironhat]

Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll get on it tomorrow afternoon.

[LCHIEN]

Would there be a problem raising the bit slowly through the table--say 1/16 per pass--and using the bearing?

Chris

I would not do it that way. Usually the height is very critical for like roundover bits, you want to set one height and use it for all pieces and not be resetting it. I've made lots of roundovers this way:
The bearing limits the cut, you can feed faster and not so hard and take a little off per pass if you don't want to cut too deep, that's usually what I do. With the bearing precisily controlling the limit of travel by gudiing along a firmly attached finished edge, its easy to make light, multiple passes without worrying about keeping perfectly to a fence or making a less than straight cut. just do it over and over until you don't hear that bzzzz sound of wood being cut. then you know it will be smooth and even and never burned.