router table trouble

[Brandon Speaks]

I guys, I have very little router experience and am using a router table for the first time. It is a bosch table and router. I am trying to make a simple trivet but cutting 3/8 inch grooves in a piece of maple. My attempt was with a 3/8 straight cut bit cutting 3/8 inches deep.

The cuts are seeming to have way to much trouble. It is building enough pressure to move the fence (even though it is tightened down pretty hard), or just jam up.

Clearly I am doing something wrong, my first thought is maybe I need to use an up or down cut bit instead, but before running out to buy a new one I figured I would check here.

[Derek Cohen]

How deep are you cutting? I would take a few small, incremental bites rather than do it all in one hit.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Cutler]

I guys, I have very little router experience and am using a router table for the first time. It is a bosch table and router. I am trying to make a simple trivet but cutting 3/8 inch grooves in a piece of maple. My attempt was with a 3/8 straight cut bit cutting 3/8 inches deep.

Are you trying to cut this in one pass? If so that is to much. Trying making three passes, each progressively 1/8" deeper. if still too much, you'll have to take shallower passes. The rule of thumb for a router bit is 1/2 the depth of the diameter of the bit, max! and that will take a powerful router at times to accomplish it.

The cuts are seeming to have way to much trouble. It is building enough pressure to move the fence (even though it is tightened down pretty hard), or just jam up.
What type of bit are you using? A two wing straight bit, with flush cutters on the bottom, should do it.

Clearly I am doing something wrong, my first thought is maybe I need to use an up or down cut bit instead, but before running out to buy a new one I figured I would check here.

You can try that, but I think that shallower passes, with the bit I referred to, should do it.

How are you accomplishing dust removal? You need to remove the waste, or the router has to work just that much harder.

[Steve Demuth]

I guys, I have very little router experience and am using a router table for the first time. It is a bosch table and router. I am trying to make a simple trivet but cutting 3/8 inch grooves in a piece of maple. My attempt was with a 3/8 straight cut bit cutting 3/8 inches deep.

The cuts are seeming to have way to much trouble. It is building enough pressure to move the fence (even though it is tightened down pretty hard), or just jam up.

Clearly I am doing something wrong, my first thought is maybe I need to use an up or down cut bit instead, but before running out to buy a new one I figured I would check here.

I agree with the others that you're taking too big a cut, but I also wonder if you've got a setup problem. It takes a lot to jam a router feed. Could you perhaps send a couple pics of your setup with wood positioned to to feed (nothing running, of course)?

[glenn bradley]

You are doing the right thing; when things don't behave or feel right, stop and figure out what is wrong.

Some of this is already covered but, let's sum up:

• General rule of thumb for medium powered routers with sharp 1/2" shank bits is about a square 1/4" of material removal per pass.
  
  • This would mean for your 3/8" wide bit you would take 1/8" of depth per pass.
  • Remove less material with 1/4" shank bits or lower powered router motors.
  
  
• Although these sound like captured cuts you still feed left to right.
• Captured cuts cause spoil build-up in the cut so good dust extraction is important.
• Push block(s) for material control allow a greater surface area of pressure/control.
  
  • This can minimize chatter, loss of feed control and get you cleaner results.

Any cutter removes a specific amount of material per pass of each cutter or tooth. On a router-cut this happens very quickly but, you can still over-drive your headlights. If the cutter is sharp, the amount of material being removed per pass is within the router's capability, your feed rate is good and you have control of the material things should move along smooth and easy. There is always some operation where the quality of the tool, your setup for the operation or the cutter show themselves to be over taxed. Never force a tool to do more than it is capable of, that path leads to damage for the tool or the operator.

These may be similar to what you are shooting for. the unfinished trivet is cut with a 2-1/4 HP router with a plunge router and plunge style bit. The finished trivets are grooved on the router table using a sled and a 1/2" round nose bit.

Cuttboard and Trivet (4).jpg . Scrap Trivet (11).jpg

Both these methods require a nice sharp bit, a few practice runs to determine the proper feed rate; fast enough to avoid burning but, not so fast as to yield a rough cut.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Glenn: Since he is using a router table, if he pushes the wood left to right, he would be climb cutting, yes?

[Brandon Speaks]

It seems I was cutting to much and it is working a bit better with shallower cuts. I have been cutting right to left though, should I be cutting left to right?

[Robert LaPlaca]

It seems I was cutting to much and it is working a bit better with shallower cuts. I have been cutting right to left though, should I be cutting left to right?

Moving left to right on a router table against a fence yields a climb cut. Climb cut have a place, with an inexperienced operator, I would say it’s best to avoid any climb cuts, until one gets more experienced at the router table.

As other posters have stated, shallower cuts yield a better finish and are easier on the operator, machine and the tooling