Festool Plunge OF 2200 EB - Manual (Page 17)

Tips for Successful Routing
Chipping and Tearout
One of the most common problems woodworkers will encounter
when using a router is chipping and tearout of the workpiece.
The following tips can reduce the occurrence of chipping and
tearout.
►
Take shallower passes to reach your final depth. With a
shallow pass, the router bit teeth will be cutting parallel with
the grain instead of arching through the grain.
►
Examine the woodgrain before routing. If possible, orient the
workpiece so the grain doesn't fracture. To identify the grain
orientation, examine the edge grain, not the surface grain.
Use the following tips:
►
If the grain orientation is not in the right direction, turn
the board over. (Rotating the board to the opposite edge
does not change the orientation. You must flip the board
over.)
►
For tight-grained woods where the grain orientation is not
obvious, look for pre-existing signs, such as small
splinters at the corners. You can also use a knife to
cleave the grain.
►
For open pore woods such as oak, examine the
capillaries on the edge of the wood. Orient the
board so the router is moving away from the
capillary entrance holes.
Chatter
Router bit chatter is the presence of small curves, or
scallops, in the routed profile. The following items may
cause chatter:
►
Too fast of a feed rate for the router RPM.
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Trying to take too much material in a single pass.
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Climb-cutting.
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The smaller the diameter of the router bit, the more
prominent or noticeable the chatter will be.
If chatter is present in the routed profile, making a low-
speed cleanup pass typically removes the marks.
Supplemental User’s Manual 17