Router Speed for Large Bits

[Gazza]

Hi, I have a Triton Router which has variable speed.
Normally I just leave it on top speed as I have never used anything larger than a 12mm bit in it.

I just brought a Tongue & Groove router set and the tongue bit especially removes a large amount of wood, the instructions say to feed the wood in full depth so I am wondering if I need to slow the router down a bit from top speed.

Should I feed the wood in full depth as that is an awfull lot of wood to be removed in a single pass and what speed should I have the router set at ?

Cheers
Gary

[Pat]

Gary, I am not a router head, but the general for bits is the bigger the bit the slower the speed. I'll leave it for the triton warriors to tell you the exact speed required, but I'd guess the slowest the beastie will go and several passes will be easier on man and machine.

Hunkering down in my darkside suit of armour now:D

[Harry72]

Depends on the type of T&G bit it is, 2 types I know of are
1. Female part is stacked and spaced by a bearing slot cutter, male part is just a single slot cutter.Generaly slot cutting bits(a arbor and cutter) are 6.4mm and can be spaced with shims(adjustable). These bits can come differing cutting tip numbers ie;2 or 3 and 4 cutting tips.
They are a very efficient cutter and are able to do a full depth cut in a single pass with a moderate feed rate, they are a large diameter cutter so must be run at a lower speed... the lowest on a router!

2. Both female and male bits are solid 1 piece, these tend to cut the whole width of the stock and are of a smaller dia than the slot type cutters, but still should be run around 10,000~15,000rpm not full speed. Because these are cutting the full width of the wood with only 2 cutting tips they do require 2 passes or a 3hp+ router(your triton be ok), feed rate will be slow so you'll need to experiment a bit to find out how fast the feed rate will be, to fast will bog the router and too slow will burn the wood.

[Flowboy]

Gazza,

Your Triton manual should give approx speeds/ setting and also approx speeds for various bit sizes. As said previously, the larger diameter the bit, the slower you should go.
Most quality Router Catalogues will give estimates of speeds to run various diameter bits also (e.g. Carbitool or FMT). If you are in doubt about whether to feed full depth or not, either start by bringing the speed down and seeing what happens, or ring the local supplier to confirm this is correct. Also, what is a "large amount" of timber?

Rob

[Gazza]

Gazza, Also, what is a "large amount" of timber?
Rob

My bits are the #2 type as in Harry72's post. This means they cut the full width of the stock.

I ran some pine thru last night taking a full depth cut in a single pass with various feed rates & speed settings on the router but it did not seem to make any difference to the operation at all ! The router and the bits performed fine with nice smooth cuts, etc.

[John Saxton]

2. Both female and male bits are solid 1 piece, these tend to cut the whole width of the stock and are of a smaller dia than the slot type cutters, but still should be run around 10,000~15,000rpm not full speed. Because these are cutting the full width of the wood with only 2 cutting tips they do require 2 passes or a 3hp+ router(your triton be ok), feed rate will be slow so you'll need to experiment a bit to find out how fast the feed rate will be, to fast will bog the router and too slow will burn the wood.

As Harry has stated some factors require serious consideration particularly with the feed rate at those lower speeds,however safety is paramount and dealing with wider diameter bits there should always be hold-downs in place and feather boards to necessitate carrying out the function safely.

I always reckon that if in doubt, increase the amount of passes/runs through the bit thereby keeping any possible burning to a minimum and keeping the risk of spoilage or damage to a minimum.It seems like a lot of stuffing around however you will end up with a clean cut on your timber and reduce the friction thru the bit and therefore reduce burning.

In other words smaller bites less hassles.

Here's a link to a previous post on Router Bit size/Speed.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showpost.php?p=65731&postcount=3


Cheers :)

[Flowboy]

Couldn't agree more John, with you and Harry.

Rob

[Tool-Horder]

Dont concern yourself too much with feed rate. Lets think about it. Assuming your tongue is 6mm X 6mm and assuming you are using 19mm boards, at full cut depth you will be removing an area if 72 sq mm .... same as taking a 6mm deep cut with a 12mm bit.

[rrich]

The short answer is Yes, slow the bit speed down.

The long answer is to run any router bit as slow as possible while still getting a smooth cut.