Festool Plunge Router I - Manual (Page 16)

Pre-cutting Dovetails and Keyways
Dovetail and keyway cutters are inherently weak
because the upper shank of the bit is smaller than
the cutting edges. If the stress on the bit is too
great, the cutting tip can break. To reduce the
stress on the cutter, it is common practice to
plough out the majority of the material with a
straight bit. The depth of the straight bit should be
slightly shallower than the depth of the final bit so
the bottom of the profile remains square.
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 (refer to the image on page
17). The following items may cause chatter:
►
Too fast of a feed rate for the router RPM.
►
Trying to take too much material in a single pass.
►
Chatter is more noticeable with smaller diameter router bits.
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