Thread: Help! Router burns?

It's usually caused by going too slow!

Try and move the router a bit quicker. If it's still burning, then try doing it in sections and allow the bit to cool for a second or two in between passes.

Oh really! It's just such a scary machine to use.... I try to be very careful. Thankyou so much silentC.... I'll just build up a bit more courage and attempt the blue gum one's.
Thanks again.

What silentC said.

Go faster or go shallower (make 3 passes) or pause between cuts (best).
The deal is that if you go hard/& deep,
you can cook the temper out of the very fine edge of the router bit.
That softens the steel and the bit dulls XXX-quickly.
The rest of the bit may look fine but the 1-2mm that really matters have gone into orbit.

Oooo.....ok. Thanks Brian...will take all this into account. Now I know a bit more about the way it all works I can be careful of the pitfalls. Just one question.... if the wood is harder and denser does that mean the bit would get hotter quicker???

I can only imagine that it would as there's more work to do.
Like wood carving in really hard woods = go shallow, take less in each chip or shaving.

OK.... the next one's I'm doing are blue gum. Just cleaned them up on the belt sander and had to change belts to a lower grit as the one I was using was hardly scrapping the surface....so the blue gum is pretty hard. Thanks Brian.... I'll see how it goes with the router....

WOW! Thank you so much silentC and RV.....it worked a treat!!! Went in gung ho in sections and it worked beautifully! It's nice to have you fellas around when I get stuck! Really appreciate it.

Glad it worked out. Looking forward to seeing the photos of the finished carvings

Yes, a really sharp bit, and very shallow passes is the way to go with a router !