Routing Advice Please

[tinfoil]

Help! In trying to rout a smooth arch in 35mm thick beech I had a little snatch (no damage done) and now I've lost my bottle. I'm using a top bearing cutter running against a 12mm mdf template which is screwed to the top of the beech. The beech has been jigsawed so that it is about 3mm bigger than the template in order not to leave too much for the cutter to do. The cutter is a half-inch shank mounted in a Triton under a table running at a low speed. I'm very attached to my fingers but the 35mm of exposed cutter now has me worried. How would you approach this? Any advice very gratefully recieved................

 

[Chems]

Brilliant thread with pictures for what you need here:

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/top- ... 39764.html


You really want a top and bottom bearing guided bit, and make sure you've removed all the material you can before flush trimming.

 

[harryc]

Although a PITA its much safer to use rubber pads to guide your workpeice.

Harry

 

[jasonB]

And fit a lead in pin to the table, full speed also

Jason

 

[Chris Knight]

Also, unless you are experienced with the "feel" of this operation and in any case for that matter, it's better to leave less than 3mm to rout away. I usually aim for 1mm overhang on average, accepting that there will often be bits with more overhang than this in a more complicated profile, (or where the radius is smaller than the blade I bothered to use can handle!).

 

[Graeme]

It is a shock when your work peace gets snatched like that, but I found that once I got the feel of what is going on, that being more positive with your movements creates less opportunity for the snatch.

I would make the top of you guide extend slightly beyond the edge of the material so that you start with the bearing on the guide. This will mean that you may get less snatch. I would also go for full speed.

The other thing you could do to get use to fell of it is to try some thinner waste stock and build up to the real thing.

Good luck

 

[tinfoil]

Thanks for the advice guys. That's given me a lot to ponder..........

I'll leave it till the weekend then try again.

 

[jimi43]

Thanks for the advice guys. That's given me a lot to ponder..........

I'll leave it till the weekend then try again.

Don't be frightened of your router but respect it can catch you out if you do things the wrong way. In any operation, query it first...here there and everywhere and then take the advice given. That should be safe enough. Also I agree...take fine passes...3mm is quite a lot to cope with...lots of purchase there for the blade to get its teeth into!

I would personally clamp the wood and move the router in this case, but that's just me but a lead in pin definitely helps if you want to use a table.

Jim

 

[xy mosian]

Don't try to take all the excess off in one go. Take gentle cuts.

xy

 

[tinfoil]

Well, after absorbing all the very useful advice I went ahead and attached the arch to a simple sled that I had knocked together some time ago (it was made so that I could clamp drawer sides vertically when using a corner lock cutter against the fence on the router table). The sled gave me the confidence to ease the workpiece into the top-bearing cutter (at full speed this time). My hands felt safe behing the 18mm mdf and it all went well.

Thanks again for the help everyone.

PS I note that there is a current thread about sleds...........