Replies

1. 
   BruceS | Oct 27, 2008 12:50am | #1

   Climb cutting ??(left to right)   Feeding right to left is the right way to feed.

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   Bruce S. 

    

1. 
   jhrob1 | Oct 27, 2008 01:24am | #2

   No, I was feeding right to left, just as I did when I cut the first groove.

2. 
   hammer1 | Oct 27, 2008 01:42am | #3

   You are moving the fence the wrong way. Since the groove is already cut, you are only cutting on one edge when you move the fence in. This means the router bit is pulling the work. You are cutting with the rotation of the bit, not against the rotation and the bit will grab the work out of your hands. Start with the cut to the right and move the fence back, not in.

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1. 
   jhrob1 | Oct 27, 2008 06:34am | #4

   You may be right, although in the process of experimenting I think I moved the fence both ways and the bit grabbed every time. I'm going to try it again in a couple of days. When you say start with the cut to the right, I assume you mean to feed it right to left. Many thanks.

1. 
   hammer1 | Oct 27, 2008 06:24pm | #5

   Just think about the flutes on the router bit. The left side is coming towards you, the right side is going away from you. Counter-clockwise in a router table. This doesn't matter when the bit is fully engaged but when the groove is larger than the bit and you move the fence, one side or the other of the groove will be engaging the bit, depending on which way you move the fence. If it's the right side, from moving the fence towards the bit, it will pull the work away from you. If it's the left, by moving the fence away from the bit, you will be feeding against the rotation. When I am talking about the right and left sides of the groove, I'm looking at it laying face down on the table, the way you push it into the bit. You make one pass that is the width of the bit, no problem. If this groove isn't wide enough, you move the fence to cut a little more off one side of the groove or the other. This is where the problem starts. We usually feed against the rotation of the bit, essentially right to left on a router table. If you move the fence in closer to the bit, you will be cutting the right side of the groove. This will pull the work out of your hands and may fling it across the room. You can move the fence in that direction, you just have to reverse the way you feed in the work, in this case from left to right. I think it's easier to move the fence away from the bit so you are feeding the same direction as you would on a table saw. To put it simply, if you let go of the work piece and it shoots back at you, you are feeding against the rotation of the bit and that is most often the direction you want to feed. If you let go of the work piece and it shoots away from you, you are feeding with the rotation of the bit. This is called climb cutting. This type of cut is sometimes used when doing work around a circle or when grain is splitting out. You just need extra control of either the work piece or the router. I avoid climbing except in special circumstances. Hope this clarifies what I am trying to say.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   jhrob1 | Oct 27, 2008 09:15pm | #6

   Your explanation is great and I really understand it. It makes perfect sense. I will be going back to the workshop tomorrow and try it again. I'll let you know, but I think you must right. Many thanks for your help.

2. 
   jhrob1 | Oct 30, 2008 12:49am | #7

   Climb cutting is exactly what was happening to my grooves. I don't know why I didn't see this from the beginning, but it just didn't occur to me. A good lesson for me when widening grooves on a router table. I really appreciated your help. Many thanks.