Thread: Help with Routing using templates

For that thickness, you may be taking too large a bite in a single pass. If so, you can reduce the bite (and increase the number of passes) by applying several or many strips of masking tape to the template. Remove strips for successive passes until you reach the template.

It also sounds like you may be feeding the work from left to right, which produces a climbing cut and can launch the workpiece into the next county. Feed the work from right to left, and use push blocks or similar.

It's also beneficial to make the arches slightly longer than final dimensions, to ease the start and end of the routing, and then cut to final shape.

Cheers,
Joe

When is the workpiece being grabbed and then thrown by the router? mid way through the cut, or just as you enter?

It is very common to have the router bit grab the timber upon entry because many people, myself included, freehand the entry. I get away with it almost always, but I start the cut while cutting down the grain and moving forwards. The use of a "starting pin" is highly recommended as this will give you some support of your workpiece as you enter, though the router can still grab the timber and whip it across the room even while using a starting pin.

If it is grabbing the timber mid way through the cut, then I suspect you are climb cutting. You need arms like the Hulk to hold a workpiece while climb cutting without burning the workpiece.

If you can get yourself a flush trim bit with a bearing both top and bottom, you can cut with the grain on both sides of the arch simply by cutting half way with the template above the workpiece and using the upper bearing and then flipping the workpiece and template over and using the lower bearing. You can do the same thing with just a top bearing flush trim bit, but you will need to physically relocate the template from top of workpiece to the bottom and make sure to keep it in the right spot, a royal pita.

Originally Posted by joe greiner

For that thickness, you may be taking too large a bite in a single pass. If so, you can reduce the bite (and increase the number of passes) by applying several or many strips of masking tape to the template. Remove strips for successive passes until you reach the template.

It also sounds like you may be feeding the work from left to right, which produces a climbing cut and can launch the workpiece into the next county. Feed the work from right to left, and use push blocks or similar.

It's also beneficial to make the arches slightly longer than final dimensions, to ease the start and end of the routing, and then cut to final shape.

Cheers,
Joe

Thanks Joe, definately right to left feed.

I suspect your comments about me taking to large a bit are right however the thought of moving the template multiple times sounds fraught with risk.

Originally Posted by Kuffy

When is the workpiece being grabbed and then thrown by the router? mid way through the cut, or just as you enter?

It is very common to have the router bit grab the timber upon entry because many people, myself included, freehand the entry. I get away with it almost always, but I start the cut while cutting down the grain and moving forwards. The use of a "starting pin" is highly recommended as this will give you some support of your workpiece as you enter, though the router can still grab the timber and whip it across the room even while using a starting pin.

If it is grabbing the timber mid way through the cut, then I suspect you are climb cutting. You need arms like the Hulk to hold a workpiece while climb cutting without burning the workpiece.

If you can get yourself a flush trim bit with a bearing both top and bottom, you can cut with the grain on both sides of the arch simply by cutting half way with the template above the workpiece and using the upper bearing and then flipping the workpiece and template over and using the lower bearing. You can do the same thing with just a top bearing flush trim bit, but you will need to physically relocate the template from top of workpiece to the bottom and make sure to keep it in the right spot, a royal pita.

thanks Kuffy,

The issue happens at entry and also after a couple of seconds in. I have never used the pin before but watched a video that indicated that it may reduce the issue. I will give this a go when the weather improves

What side of the bit are you routing with - the front or the back? The job being trimmed should be between you and the bit. If the job is behind the bit, you are climb routing. DAMHIK

45mm thick material is a large surface to be cut in one process this is a typical job that can be produced with the router in the plunge mode routing small cuts and producing a template where Template guides can be used

Template Tom

Originally Posted by Lappa

What side of the bit are you routing with - the front or the back? The job being trimmed should be between you and the bit. If the job is behind the bit, you are climb routing. DAMHIK

Always the front

Originally Posted by Template Tom

45mm thick material is a large surface to be cut in one process this is a typical job that can be produced with the router in the plunge mode routing small cuts and producing a template where Template guides can be used

Template Tom

I thought that may be the case. Unfortunately I dont have an alternate setup

Instead of trying to do this with a flush trimming bit use a template guide bush fitted to the router. You can then us an ordinary cutter and make the cut in several passes. I find that any cuts deeper than 5mm in hardwood with a 1/2" bit are risky as hell. What model of router are you using; the bigger and heavier it is the better it will resist being pulled away from you.

Originally Posted by Damienol

Thanks Joe, definately right to left feed.

I suspect your comments about me taking to large a bit are right however the thought of moving the template multiple times sounds fraught with risk.

It seems I didn't explain it well. The template stays attached to the workpiece. The added strips of tape, pressing against the bearing, holds the workpiece farther away from the bit which thus takes smaller bites.

https://youtu.be/VRBTei_RBts?t=7m51s

This is a video of mine where I am doing exactly as I described earlier. I started the video at the point where I am rough cutting the parts on the bandsaw just before cleaning them up using the router table. I am using the starting pin. You can see that I have the template above the workpiece for 2 edges, and then below the workpiece for the other two edges which is allowing me to cut down the grain always. You even see me change the bit height so that the appropriate bearing (above or below) aligns with the template, though you should turn the router off when changing the height. Mine was still spinning because I'm lazy.

Thanks WWF, worked it out using a couple of tips above.

in the end the starting pin and hulk strength did the trick 😊

can you post a picture of the arches?

IMG_4225.jpg

Originally Posted by ian

can you post a picture of the arches?