Router Technique Question?

[Steven in Iowa]

It seems like in order to go the correct direction for the cutter, instead of a climb cut, the router is facing backwards.  Or should I say, if you hold the 1400 so the front is facing you, you're pulling on the handle instead of pushing it in order to cut correctly.  Am I nuts or am I correct?

 

[semenza]

Hi,

    For what type of set  up? Running a bearing bit around the edge of something?

Seth

 

[Frank-Jan]

I don't really understand the problem. Is there a reason why you can't come from the other side and push? If you're using a parallel- guide you can slide it in from the other side of the router, just set it up so, that the router pulls the guide to the workpiece.

 

[Steven in Iowa]

Say for instance that you're putting a radius on a 1 x 6 board.  You clamp it to the bench, then to edge route it, you should go from left to right.  That will dictate that you would either have to hold the router from the backside (handle on left), or have the handle on the right side and pull it along the board.

 

[Frank-Jan]

Instead of holding the handle to the left, you could hold it towards yourself and push forward.  (Right hand on handle, left hand pushing the base down to the workpiece) To prevent tilting of the base a wide auxiliary base is helpfull.

 

[Dan Clermont]

I always have the handle in my right hand when free hand routing and pull the router from left to right. The handle on the OF 1400 gives me good control in this situation.

Dan Clermont

 

[The Dude]

I always have the handle in my right hand when free hand routing and pull the router from left to right. The handle on the OF 1400 gives me good control in this situation.

Dan Clermont

I concur with Doctor Clermont!  However, my "pops" is a lefty, and of course does that same move with the router spun around with the handle in the left hand.  I think you need to do what feels most comfortable. 

As is with any woodworking question, there is a paradigm or standard method of work, and of course everything after that is up to the woodworker to find out.  As long as you are not climb feeding (although I must admit that I do it sometimes), you are practicing safe routing.

 

[woodshopdemos]

I am going to state the same as Dan but I look at it a bit different. I want my left hand on the plunge lock knob and I want that away from me seated on the workpiece. That is the hand that will be doing most of the firmly down pressure and I don't want the router to have a chance to rock. When router goes around the object, the hand always stays on the knob and the router my be steered with the other hand on the pistol grip but my left hand is always pressing down on the know.

 

[Steven in Iowa]

Okay I'm not nuts (well maybe a little) I have been using the pistol grip in my right hand and pulling, but mainly when it is on the guide.  Otherwise I do as most and have the knob over the workpiece for control and steer with the pistol grip.

I just wanted to confirm that most were usiing it the same way.  It's comfortable that way, just seems odd looking at the back when it's on the guide and having to look around to the front of it to make any adjustments.

 

[dirtydeeds]

nobody seems to have answered the original question fully

router direction depends on the circumstances

the standard cutting direction for a router on an internal cut is clockwise

for an external cut it is anti clockwise. you always start the cut on the short side (for example on a cabinet door) you cut anti clockwise from the top left hand corner so each time the cutter rounds the corner the spelch or breakout is removed

climbing cuts are never recommended by router manufacturers because it involves some risk and company lawyers are risk adverse

however

if you are cutting a rebate (english) with a router cutter it is better to climb cut first then complete with the standard cutting diection. the standard direction can cause massive breakout and damage the work very rapidly

you HAVE to use both hands to control the router when climb cutting and your work piece MUST be clamped, this is one time when the lawyers are correct, there is some risk in the technique

 

[Jerry Work]

One of the great benefits from guided rail routing is that the guide rail will hold the router from either in-thrust or out-thrust loads caused by the rotation of the cutter as it enters the wood.  As a result, if you are using the router on a guide rail, direction of cut does not matter.  If you are using it free hand or with an edge guide or with a bearing guided bit best practice says to follow dirtydees advice.  The amount of wood you are removing will dictate a lot about direction as well.  If you are doing a light score cut you can safely move the router with a bearing guided bit or an edge guide either way.  If you are hogging out a bunch of wood in one pass then only cut in the direction that the bit will pull the bit or the edge guide into the work piece.  As dirtydeeds points how, however, that can produce massive tear out as the blade exits the uncut edge of the work piece ahead of the router. 

Just don't underestimate the strength of the thrust load a heavy cut can produce so be sure, be sure, be sure you work piece is very well clamped down to something solid so it can't move.  A bit an inch or two in diameter turning at around 20 grand can produce a lot of leverage if it hits something hard in the wood like a knot or grain change.  As the bit diameter goes up, so does the leverage.  That is why I never like to hand feed my shaper no matter how well guarded. 

I sometimes use a 4" diameter 5" high segmented carbide shaper bit with a bearing for template work.  The templates always have large cam type clamps to hold the work piece and two secure hand holds with deflector guards.  Even so, I once had a piece of black walnut I was pattern routing for a table leg catch on something in the wood.  It ripped the work piece off of the template, pulled the template (and me) in towards that rotating mass so quickly that I didn't even know what was happening until it was all over.  The template was shattered and the work piece looked like a bomb exploded near by.  All I could see in the work piece that could have caused this trauma was a slight grain change that put some falling grain in line with the cut at a point where the template curved inward and the fact that there was a bit more than 1/8" of wood projecting over the edge of the template.

Since that episode I now always use a smaller bearing guided bit to cut a follower edge an inch or so high on the work piece clamped to the template.  Then I use the follower edge resting on the bearing to cut the rest of the profile instead of the bearing resting on the template.  That way, if the work piece does catch, it will be pulled off the template and into the bearing which will help keep it under control.  I do the same thing when pattern routing, make a light cut with the work piece clamped to the template, then reset the cutter bearing to follow on that light cut surface to finish the rest of the edge.  Hope this helps.

Jerry

 

[semenza]

Hi,

      I thought a few pics might be helpful to support what has been said. Note that no actual cutting is going on here so the bit is a little high / out of location in relation to the wood.  Also note that the wrist bands would not be present if any work was being done.
Sorry the pics are a little fuzzy.  Oh, I am right handed.

        The first two show approx position I like when using a bearing bit. The handle more towards perpendicular than parallel to the work piece. In these shots I would be pushing from left to right. Holding down with a little more force on the inner side than the outer to prevent tipping.

        The third pic shows using the handle to pivot the router around a corner with a bearing bit. Again pushing from left to right.

        Pics four and five. On the guide rail. The direction does not matter. But I would be pushing from right to the left in these shots.  It seems to me that pulling the handle might cause a tendency to lift the router up a little.

        Number six shows the edge guide and an internal cut. The direction would not matter. Either way firm pressure will be needed against the edge guide keeping it tight to the work piece to prevent the bit moving off course.

        Pic seven edge guide with edge cut. There is no reason the edge guide can't be set up on the other side of the router. Pushing left to right here. You could go the other way with a very light scoring cut.

         
                       

 

[woodshopdemos]

Seth,
    Nice work.

 

[Steven in Iowa]

Thank you very much for the explanations and pictures.  I guess I have been using the same techniques as most.  I guess maybe I just need more time behind the wheel.  It is a bit different  having the handle versus conventional knobs.  I like the routers a lot, just a bit unusual to me yet.

 

[festoolsem]

nobody seems to have answered the original question fully

router direction depends on the circumstances

the standard cutting direction for a router on an internal cut is clockwise

for an external cut it is anti clockwise. you always start the cut on the short side (for example on a cabinet door) you cut anti clockwise from the top left hand corner so each time the cutter rounds the corner the spelch or breakout is removed

For freehanding dirtydeeds is correct I remember trying to wrap the brain cels why on an inside cut you seem to be going in the opposite direction

climbing cuts are never recommended by router manufacturers because it involves some risk and company lawyers are risk adverse

however

if you are cutting a rebate (english) with a router cutter it is better to climb cut first then complete with the standard cutting diection. the standard direction can cause massive breakout and damage the work very rapidly

you HAVE to use both hands to control the router when climb cutting and your work piece MUST be clamped, this is one time when the lawyers are correct, there is some risk in the technique

 

[semenza]

Hi,

  Welcome Festoolsem .    Was there supposed to be something in the post above besides the quote? 

Seth

 

[dirtydeeds]

festoolsem

the cutter spins in one direction only

so you have to reverse the feed direction when moving from an inside to an outside cut

 

[semenza]

Hi,

   Welcome Festoolsem .    Was there supposed to be something in the post above besides the quote?   

Seth

Hi,

    Ooops, never mind I spotted it in the middle of the quote. :-[

Seth

 

[Steveo48]

Typicall at school we use a router table for a lot of this work (the kiddees can't set a spinning router on a table top or snag their navel on it that way).

I tell my students (it's a router table now) to feed from the right to left on the front side of the cutter.  You want to feed into the direction the cutter is turning.

If you feed it the other direction, it's going to want to throw your board to the right.  If you are using a hand held router, your router will want to "run" down your board ripping the daylights out of everything.

 

[Jerry Work]

This thread is the perfect reminder of just how important guided rail routing is as the guide rail securely holds the router against both in- and out-thrust no matter which way you move the router over the stationary work piece.  All part of what I am now calling, "The Festool Way".

Jerry

Typicall at school we use a router table for a lot of this work (the kiddees can't set a spinning router on a table top or snag their navel on it that way).

I tell my students (it's a router table now) to feed from the right to left on the front side of the cutter.  You want to feed into the direction the cutter is turning.

If you feed it the other direction, it's going to want to throw your board to the right.  If you are using a hand held router, your router will want to "run" down your board ripping the daylights out of everything.