Robson Ranch Woodworkers

Router usage 101

• Always wear eye and hearing protection when operating a router, they make significant noise and chips.
• Disconnect the power before changing router bits.
• Inspect router bits carefully prior to installation:
• If it is carbide-tipped, be sure all tips are firmly secured to the bit shank. A loose tip can fly off, causing serious injury.
• If the bit has a bearing pilot, be certain the bearing screw is tight.
• Use the right hand rule to determine the correct direction in which to move the stock or the router.
• Use push blocks when possible to position your hands a safe distance from the bit. When working with a router table set-up, always use a push stick or push block to move the workpiece past the cutter.
• Large-diameter bits are for use only in a router table. Using bits over 1 in. dia. in a handheld router can easily cause you to lose control of the tool.
• Make a series of light cuts. Heavy cuts invite kickback. If necessary, move the fence closer to the bit or switch to a larger guide bearing.
• Never climb-cut. Always feed the hand-held router into the work in the correct direction, against the bit rotation. In router table use, feed the workpiece in the direction that is also against the bit rotation.
• Pay Attention to Grain Direction and try to rout with the grain to avoid tear-out.
• Avoid shaping small stock. Instead, shape a larger piece and reduce it in size afterwards. If you must shape a small piece, build an appropriate jig or secure the work within the jaws of a wooden handscrew clamp.
• Never start the router with the bit in contact with the stock.
• Clamp router bits securely in the chuck. At least 1/2 inch (12 mm) of the shank should be inserted. Don't bottom out the bit in the collet or partially insert the bit. Instead, completely insert the bit, and then back off approximately 1/16 in to avoid transferring the heat generated by the bit directly in to your router's motor armature.
• Make sure the router switch is in the off position before connecting the power.
• Do not make any cuts unless the stock is securely clamped. The router can throw loose stock with great force.
• Have a firm grip on the router before turning it on. Remember, you're holding between 1hp and 3hp of power in your hands. When you turn on the power, the torque of the motor will try to pull the router out of your hands. Be aware of this and be prepared.
• After finishing a cut, wait for the router to completely stop, then lay the router down. The bit should point away from you.

The Right Hand Rule

The simplest method for determining the proper routing direction is something we have with us all the time our right hand.

Take a look at the detail at left, and you can see what we are talking about. Start by making an 'L' with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand so the knuckles face up. Then with your 'L' "in hand," all you need to do is point your thumb toward the edge of the workpiece you'e routing. A quick look at the direction your finger points tells you which way you need to move the router along the workpiece. What' really nice is this method works whether you'e routing the inside (clockwise direction) or outside (counterclockwise) of a workpiece, or if you are using a router table.

As an added bonus, once you have determined the direction to move the router (or piece if using a router table), keep your index finger pointing in that direction and rotate your wrist so that your thumb is now pointing in the direction of the router bit (toward the sky if using a router table or toward the ground if using a hand held router). Now what? Well the direction your other fingers are curling show the direction the bit is rotating.

Grain Direction

Visualize a feather cut by a router. It would be a mess, of course, but the point is that when you rout against the grain, the wood reacts just like a feather. The grain is running right into the bit rotation. The wood's fibers are likely to catch and break apart ahead of the cut, producing tear-out. But when you run the router with the grain, you get a smooth cut

Router feed direction

Normally, you feed a router opposite to rotation direction. This gives you just enough resistance to maintain control and avoid kickback. The hand router is fed along a stationary piece of wood. It points away from you and rotates clockwise. It is shown here pointing down, as if we could see through the machine. In contrast, the table router points up in a fixed position. You maneuver the wood against the bit and slide the board past it. The bit faces up toward you and the way it turns is counterclockwise. Before you even commence routing, put a spare bit up next to the wood to visualize which way it will turn. The spin is harder to see once it gets going. While you are switching back and forth from a hand to a table model, you only need a moment's pause to observe which way it turns.

climb cut is The opposite of normal feed direction is called climb cutting. This technique causes a bit to pull you in the rotation direction. It tends to bounce erratically or walk out. The climb cut method is more suitable for mechanical feed on a shaper. Don't imagine you can muscle in to dampen kickback manually. The force is not with you. Climb cutting a small piece and letting it pull the same way the bit rotates is dangerous. Wide bits should cut in normal feed direction. Restrict use of the climb cut method to light passes by a straight bit on large stabilized pieces.