Comments on: How to Avoid Tear-Out? – Question of the Week http://thewoodwhisperer.com/how-to-avoid-tear-out-question-of-the-week/ Education and entertainment for the modern woodworker. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:37:03 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Mario http://thewoodwhisperer.com/how-to-avoid-tear-out-question-of-the-week/#comment-34587 Mario Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:27:22 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=1501#comment-34587 Hi Don, I do a lot of work with red cedar and aromatic cedar and know where you are. Climb cutting on cedar´s uneven grain will tear it useless. Set your table featherboard, hold your work carefully and do a down climb cut with your router. A single pass 3/8 roundover should not be a problem once you get the feeling for routing this way. Hi Don, I do a lot of work with red cedar and aromatic cedar and know where you are. Climb cutting on cedar´s uneven grain will tear it useless. Set your table featherboard, hold your work carefully and do a down climb cut with your router. A single pass 3/8 roundover should not be a problem once you get the feeling for routing this way.

]]> By: Russ http://thewoodwhisperer.com/how-to-avoid-tear-out-question-of-the-week/#comment-34578 Russ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:57:53 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=1501#comment-34578 Some say that climb cutting is another way to avoid tearout when routing against the grain. I've never been comfortable with that myself except for the smallest of cuts because the bit tends to grab the workpiece and send it flying. Not fun. It's also harder to make sure the workpiece stays in contact with the fence or bearing or whatever you're using as a guide. However, it's an option that works if you can safely manage the difficulties. YMMV. -- Russ Some say that climb cutting is another way to avoid tearout when routing against the grain. I’ve never been comfortable with that myself except for the smallest of cuts because the bit tends to grab the workpiece and send it flying. Not fun. It’s also harder to make sure the workpiece stays in contact with the fence or bearing or whatever you’re using as a guide. However, it’s an option that works if you can safely manage the difficulties. YMMV.

– Russ

]]> By: Vic http://thewoodwhisperer.com/how-to-avoid-tear-out-question-of-the-week/#comment-34502 Vic Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:24:26 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=1501#comment-34502 Here he comes to save the DAAAAY!!! It's Mighty Marc! Marc's suggestion is right on (obviously). Freud has started making 3 blade versions of some of their bits. I have a two inch flush trimmer that works great!! I disagree with Leon's suggestion of slowing the RPM on the router. That would tend to make the tear out worse unless you really slowed the feed rate. Slowing the feed rate itself may be an option. You'd have to experiment to find the point at which the bit starts burning the wood. As with most things, sometimes the best solution is to take your time and do things right, which in this case, is taking multiple passes. Here he comes to save the DAAAAY!!! It’s Mighty Marc!
Marc’s suggestion is right on (obviously). Freud has started making 3 blade versions of some of their bits. I have a two inch flush trimmer that works great!! I disagree with Leon’s suggestion of slowing the RPM on the router. That would tend to make the tear out worse unless you really slowed the feed rate. Slowing the feed rate itself may be an option. You’d have to experiment to find the point at which the bit starts burning the wood. As with most things, sometimes the best solution is to take your time and do things right, which in this case, is taking multiple passes.

]]> By: Leon http://thewoodwhisperer.com/how-to-avoid-tear-out-question-of-the-week/#comment-34483 Leon Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:54:07 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=1501#comment-34483 Oh, I just remember, You can also reduce your router's RPMs Oh, I just remember, You can also reduce your router’s RPMs

]]> By: Leon http://thewoodwhisperer.com/how-to-avoid-tear-out-question-of-the-week/#comment-34469 Leon Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:03:14 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=1501#comment-34469 If you use a rolling rubber hold down clamp you can feed the wood from left to right and therefore avoid tear out. I have used this method succesfully in the past, but I never tried for 40+ pieces only for a ocasional piece. This method demands a lot from the operator, because the wood want to run away from you so you need some king of brake suystem. I happen to have rubber clamps that only rotate in one direccion, but I am sure that there are other brake systems that you could use. Another thing that I use some times is to wax the wood before the cut. I use either wax bars or soap bars for that If you use a rolling rubber hold down clamp you can feed the wood from left to right and therefore avoid tear out. I have used this method succesfully in the past, but I never tried for 40+ pieces only for a ocasional piece. This method demands a lot from the operator, because the wood want to run away from you so you need some king of brake suystem. I happen to have rubber clamps that only rotate in one direccion, but I am sure that there are other brake systems that you could use.
Another thing that I use some times is to wax the wood before the cut. I use either wax bars or soap bars for that

]]> By: Paul-Marcel ST-ONGE http://thewoodwhisperer.com/how-to-avoid-tear-out-question-of-the-week/#comment-34458 Paul-Marcel ST-ONGE Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:17:22 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=1501#comment-34458 Depending on how fast the router passes are, you might switch to a round-over plane. They are pretty cheap at Lee-Valley. I doubt you could give 4 passes as quickly as the router method, but you could instead take almost the entire cut for a single pass with the router then give a last pass with the round-over plane for cleanup. Another less Galoot option would be to pick up a used shaper. While I haven't used one, one big advantage of a shaper vs a router is that they can spin either direction. Depending on how fast the router passes are, you might switch to a round-over plane. They are pretty cheap at Lee-Valley. I doubt you could give 4 passes as quickly as the router method, but you could instead take almost the entire cut for a single pass with the router then give a last pass with the round-over plane for cleanup.

Another less Galoot option would be to pick up a used shaper. While I haven’t used one, one big advantage of a shaper vs a router is that they can spin either direction.

]]>