Will routing through epoxy damage carbide router bits?

[Randall J Cox]

I am building two 52" dia octagon 52" picnic tables out of white oak. The 4" wide outside top perimeter pieces will be splined and epoxied where they butt together at 22.5 degrees. I plan to rabbit the top inside of these top pieces to hold the main top table boards. I plan to use a handheld router. My question is - when I cut through the epoxied splines, will the epoxy damage the carbide router bits? (Never worked with epoxy in woodworking before.) Randy

[mark kosse]

No, it'll be fine.

[Paul K. Johnson]

No. Just do what you would normally do. Don't slam the piece into the router bit. Doing that with any material can make the bit shatter.

Edit: If you move too slowly the epoxy might melt onto the bit. Not difficult to clean off though. Try lacquer thinner or acetone first. If that doesn't work you might have to scrape the bit.

[pat warner]

It will, if you if you have 200-300' of it.
It will produce a wear line.
Less so, if it's solid carbide.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

I worry more about breathing it.