jointing on a router table

[fred henkin]

I am trying to joint some curly maple using a router table. I am using a 1/4" straight bit and have an older craftsman router. It seems to be cutting rough and at times is hard to push the wood thru, even though I am going slow. This is my first attempt at jointing like this. Am I using the right type of bit? Can my router be losing power? Any other ideas or is this just the way it is.

[Gene Howe]

A 1/2" solid carbide down spiral will give you better results. Set the out feed fence and bit to take of no more than 1/16.
good dust collection will help, too.

[Mats Bengtsson]

A 1/2" solid carbide down spiral will give you better results. Set the out feed fence and bit to take of no more than 1/16.
good dust collection will help, too.

I have such 1/2 inch shaft, on a Festool 1400. It performed lot worse than expected. There will be pressure on the bit. And the bit is not fastened on two sides. After buying a Hammer A31 (which works well), I have a thought on the settings:

Create a difference on the infeed and outfeed fences (infeed a little more behind the bit than outfeed is). See to that outfeed is a little bit behind the bit. That combination will be more like a jointer than only changing the infeed table to be behind the bit, and will give better results.

--- Mats ---

[Gene Howe]

Mats is correct about the settings.
Sorry my post wasn't as clear as it could/should have been.
The out feed needs to be dead even with the cutting edge. The in feed set to take no more than a 1/16th cut.
I've had no problem with this set up in jointing 3/4 material. Any thicker might prove problematic.
A spiral bit is best. At least, a bit with a slight cant to the edge, like this one, would be better than a straight bit.

[Bill White]

Why not just use a glue line rip blade on the table saw? Much easier and safer too.
Bill

[Myk Rian]

I would use an upcut bit. That would force the stock and sawdust down, into the table.
Upcut and downcut bits work opposite in a table.

[glenn bradley]

I do this (rarely) with 1/2" or 3/8" up cut which, of course, becomes a downcut in the router table. Milwaukee 5625 router and plastic shums to offset the outfeed portion of the router table fance. Works like a dream.

[Tom Esh]

Mats is correct about the settings.
...The in feed set to take no more than a 1/16th cut...

I'd start with 1/32. Easier to feed & control, especially if the bit is sub-optimal, and often as not 1/32 will be enough.

[Gene Howe]

Re: up cut vs down cut spirals.
My table has excellent dust collection above the table, within the fence. So, I have no problems with a town cut spiral. An up cut pulls too much into the router motor. JMO.

[Eric Gustafson]

I'd start with 1/32. Easier to feed & control, especially if the bit is sub-optimal, and often as not 1/32 will be enough.

+1 on 1/32 cut. Before I got my jointer I jointed with the router table and the Incra router fence. It has split faces and it was easy todial in 1/32 offset on the outfeed. The bit I used was a straight cut 3/4" router bit. It worked perfect.

[HANK METZ]

What really counts here is tip speed, a 1/4" diameter bit ain't gonna do it for you, you need to go as large a diameter bit as you can. Another variable is router shaft speed, 24k R.P.M.'s for up to 1" bit, 18k for 1- 2". You may find the following video helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=978crYGetYE
It's been done before with great success, you just have to get all the elements right so keep trying.