Routing thick end grain at the table

[Val]

In my previous post where I suggested you might jig up and use a belt sander I was trying to gently hint that using a router, inverted or hand held, was probably not a good idea.

I'll update my recommendation to say explicitly that trying to pattern cut those tiddly little bits of wood on a router table is a technique highly likely to lead to injury. My recommendation is, don't even think about it (not even with your new and yet to be delivered router bit) and find a safer way. I've suggested one, Adam has suggested another, and there may have been one or two alternative safer suggestions made that I don't recall without scrolling back through all the answers.

So, in case you missed what I said earlier: just don't do it. Slainte.

In my previous post I answered on the merit of possibility (i.e. you said that the top bearing would’ve prevented the cut, which is not necessarily true), not on the merit of safety.
However, I take your (and other people’s) advice of experienced woodworker very seriously, and that’s why I’ll make a jig for the belt sander to finish this little piece

 

[Sgian Dubh]

In my previous post I answered on the merit of possibility (i.e. you said that the top bearing would’ve prevented the cut, which is not necessarily true), not on the merit of safety.

I think you're mistaking me for someone else. I didn't say that. Slainte.

 

[Val]

I think you're mistaking me for someone else. I didn't say that. Slainte.

True! Apologies, you quoted my message and I thought it was you, but instead it was @Sporky McGuffin and @Doug71
Cheers!

 

[the great waldo]

Hi Val
I would really be happy for you to be able to count to 10 with both hands. I would deffinitely not use a router especially like that on a table router. We tried to do something similar with a mini electric guitar 40mm about 30 years ago, the cutter grabbed the end grain and threw the guitar with some force into my mates reproductive organs (he didn't do any reproducing for a couple of weeks) I did warn him before hand about the dangers involved. I would possibly risk it with a hand router(still iffy) If your not making hundreds just trim as much of with the bandsaw and clean up with a sander.
Cheers
Andrew

 

[the great waldo]

That’s actually what I was wondering while trying to route it: how am I supposed to do a thick bass or guitar body on a template?
I think at this point I will give it a go clamping it on an f clamp and if it doesn’t work I will try the sled and custom template on the belt sander I’ll keep you posted
Thanks everyone

On a guitar you mount the template above the guitar and use a hand router and alter the cut dirrections as appropriate and use very fine cuts and a heavy router or use a pin router (hard to find these days.
Cheers
Andrew

 

[Setch]

I know lots of guitar folks use tables to route solid bodies, bit I tried it a couple of times and then said ""**** no".
If a hand held router kicks, you have both hands on the router handles, well away from the cutter.

If a table kicks, it can dissapear the work piece in an instant, leaving precisely nothing between your fragile pinkys and that big honking cutter - no thanks!

With that much endgrain I'd be sanding every time.

 

[Oaktree11]

I have been pattern routing some curved staves recently from 18mm birch ply. They are about 300mm long and 25mm wide. I found no way to do this safely on my router table. I have compound spiral cutters etc but you can never predict when it will grab, and trust me grab it will, especially towards the ends.
The easiest and safest way I found was to screw the pattern to a piece of 4 x 2 clamp it in the vice and stick the workpiece onto it. Then use my small Katsu router with a bearing guided spiral cutter. Really smooth, always controllable and not a hint of grabbing or kicking. I can post some pics if anyone is interested. Good luck. John

 

[Val]

As I promised I’m now posting the pictures of the finished result:

Spoiler: pictures

To finish it I sanded the box with the belt sander just a tiny smidge over the template, then with a different profiler cutter, and while holding the piece with a big f clamp, I finished it at the router table.
I then sanded it to 240 grit, oiled it with danish oil, waited 24h and then sanded it at 400 grit and oiled it again yesterday.

thanks everyone for your help with this!

I am happy about the result (first attempt at this kind of work), but I’ve noticed that on the bottom a crack has developed. It disappeared after the first oiling, but it has reappeared and stayed after the second oiling

Spoiler: Between oiling

Spoiler: After second oiling

I’ve also noticed that the box was “brighter” before second sanding and oiling, but maybe it needs more time to cure/dry.

Should I do anything about the crack? Will it disappear again?