Can someone tell me what bit I should be using for my router to cut out
wood shapes from 3/4" hard maple? I am tacking a template on the top
of the 3/4" maple and then following the edge of the template with the
router bit....on a router table. The bit I have been using is causing
the wood to really jump and it's just not working.

Thank you!

II

On 15 Apr 2006 07:44:29 -0700, wrote:
Can someone tell me what bit I should be using for my router to cut out
wood shapes from 3/4" hard maple? I am tacking a template on the top
of the 3/4" maple and then following the edge of the template with the
router bit....on a router table. The bit I have been using is causing
the wood to really jump and it's just not working.

Try an upcut spiral flush trim bit. "Upcut" means it will tend to pull the
work toward the router, in this case down against the table. A flush trim bit
has a bearing at the end of the bit, exactly what you need when the template
is on top of the work. Be sure to set the cutting height so only the bearing
is touching the template.

Also, you should try not to take off more than about 1/16 of an inch this way.
A rough cut on a band saw, or with a jig saw, should be made to remove most of
the material before going to the router table.

--
Art

(in
) said:

| Can someone tell me what bit I should be using for my router to cut
| out wood shapes from 3/4" hard maple? I am tacking a template on
| the top of the 3/4" maple and then following the edge of the
| template with the router bit....on a router table. The bit I have
| been using is causing the wood to really jump and it's just not
| working.

The "jumping" may indicate that the bit isn't adequately sharp.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto

wrote in message
oups.com...
Can someone tell me what bit I should be using for my router to cut out
wood shapes from 3/4" hard maple? I am tacking a template on the top
of the 3/4" maple and then following the edge of the template with the
router bit....on a router table. The bit I have been using is causing
the wood to really jump and it's just not working.

Thank you!

II

What the others have said (especially cutting 1/16" or less to the
template) also make sure the RPMS are set as high as a appropiate for the
bit you're using. To low will casue grabbing of the work

wrote in message
oups.com...
Can someone tell me what bit I should be using for my router to cut out
wood shapes from 3/4" hard maple? I am tacking a template on the top
of the 3/4" maple and then following the edge of the template with the
router bit....on a router table. The bit I have been using is causing
the wood to really jump and it's just not working.

Thank you!

II

I am not sure how you are referencing off of the template on the router
table. Are you using a guide bushing and straight bit?

I would not do it this way. I would trace the template onto the maple then
using a bandsaw or a jig saw (or by hand) cut out the shape staying a 1/16"
off the line. Then attach the template using carpet tape and then use a
Flush Trim bit to finish off the shape.


--
Stoutman
http://www.garagewoodworks.com
(Featuring a NEW look)

wrote in message
oups.com...
Can someone tell me what bit I should be using for my router to cut out
wood shapes from 3/4" hard maple? I am tacking a template on the top
of the 3/4" maple and then following the edge of the template with the
router bit....on a router table. The bit I have been using is causing
the wood to really jump and it's just not working.

Thank you!

II

You would probably better off cutting the rough shape close to the template
and then use the template and a flush cutting bit to fine tune the cut.

Morris Dovey wrote:
(in
) said:

| Can someone tell me what bit I should be using for my router to cut
| out wood shapes from 3/4" hard maple? I am tacking a template on
| the top of the 3/4" maple and then following the edge of the
| template with the router bit....on a router table. The bit I have
| been using is causing the wood to really jump and it's just not
| working.

The "jumping" may indicate that the bit isn't adequately sharp.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto



Other possibilities:

1) Router is not powerful enough
2) Trying to take off too much material in a single pass
3) Router is cheap one with plastic motor housing - not rigid enough

Or a combination of these.

Maple is very hard stuff, so you've got to take it slow, and don't try
to take too much wood off in a single pass - the 1/16" suggested by
another poster is about right.

--Steve

Steve (in ) said:

| Morris Dovey wrote:
||
|| The "jumping" may indicate that the bit isn't adequately sharp.
|
| Other possibilities:
|
| 1) Router is not powerful enough
| 2) Trying to take off too much material in a single pass
| 3) Router is cheap one with plastic motor housing - not rigid
| enough
|
| Or a combination of these.
|
| Maple is very hard stuff, so you've got to take it slow, and don't
| try to take too much wood off in a single pass - the 1/16"
| suggested by another poster is about right.

I fairly routinely make 1/2" deep passes feeding at 1-1/2"/sec
(90"/min) with a two-flute up-spiral bit spinning at 18,000 RPM. On
occasion, I've made profiling cuts a full inch deep with a straight
bit. If the bits are sharp, hard maple cuts beautifully.

The sharper the bit, the easier it is to control the router - at any
depth of cut. If the router is underpowered, it forces a slower feed
by removing stock in front of the bit more slowly and could lead to
overheating (and dulling) the bit. This hasn't ever been a problem for
me (my least powerful router is a PC690); and I doubt it's the OP's
problem because he'd have been able to hear his router bogging down.

Cheap router? Maybe - but I'd consider the bit sharpness to be the
most probable culprit.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto

wrote in message
oups.com...
Can someone tell me what bit I should be using for my router to cut out
wood shapes from 3/4" hard maple? I am tacking a template on the top
of the 3/4" maple and then following the edge of the template with the
router bit....on a router table. The bit I have been using is causing
the wood to really jump and it's just not working.

Thank you!

II


How much woodworking experience do you have?

Are you roughing out the shape before using the template, or are you trying
to use the template like a cookie cutter on rolled out dough?

I have very little woodworking experience guys (about 3 years) and ALL
of it is with fishing lures. I have cut out a couple thousands lures
on a band saw and rounded off the edges of each lure with a router. I
am using a variable speed Craftsman Router that I bought from Sears for
about 150 dollars.

The last time I tried to cut the lures out with the router I was
trying to cut straight into the wood stock without removing any extra
wood. The bit cut but it was far from smooth, large chunks of wood were
flying, not a smooth cut at all, it was spooky! Here is a picture of
the bit I was trying to use...is this the right bit?

http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c4...=routerbit.jpg

thanks again!

II

wrote in message

The last time I tried to cut the lures out with the router I was
trying to cut straight into the wood stock without removing any extra
wood. The bit cut but it was far from smooth, large chunks of wood were
flying, not a smooth cut at all, it was spooky! Here is a picture of
the bit I was trying to use...is this the right bit?


http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c4...=routerbit.jpg

That router bit is for trimming or cutting thin stock from a template. I
don't know how thick the wood was that you are using for your lures, but
that bit is not designed for heavy stock removal. If big chunks of wood are
flying, then you're trying to cut too much at once. At the worst you're
looking at breaking the carbide and seriously injuring yourself. At the very
least, it's highly likely you'll damage the bit an make it unusable.

Don't feed the wood into the bit so heavily. Ideally, you'd use a heavier
bit to cut away most of the waste and then use a finer bit like the one you
have to trim the wood to final size.

"Upscale" wrote in message
...
wrote in message

The last time I tried to cut the lures out with the router I was
trying to cut straight into the wood stock without removing any extra
wood. The bit cut but it was far from smooth, large chunks of wood were
flying, not a smooth cut at all, it was spooky! Here is a picture of
the bit I was trying to use...is this the right bit?


http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c4...=routerbit.jpg

That router bit is for trimming or cutting thin stock from a template. I
don't know how thick the wood was that you are using for your lures, but
that bit is not designed for heavy stock removal. If big chunks of wood
are
flying, then you're trying to cut too much at once. At the worst you're
looking at breaking the carbide and seriously injuring yourself. At the
very
least, it's highly likely you'll damage the bit an make it unusable.

Don't feed the wood into the bit so heavily. Ideally, you'd use a heavier
bit to cut away most of the waste and then use a finer bit like the one
you
have to trim the wood to final size.


Sounds like good advice

So is this the bit I should be using then?

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops.../bt_solid.html

thx again

That would help but is not really a solution. A router is not a saw. It was
originally conceived as a trimmer and is best used as such. Remove most of
the stock with a saw, then finish with a router.
wrote in message
ups.com...
So is this the bit I should be using then?


http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops.../bt_solid.html

thx again

On 15 Apr 2006 19:09:37 -0700, wrote:
So is this the bit I should be using then?

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops.../bt_solid.html

#7399 on that page.

--
Art

Thank you.

either not fast enough rpm's or too much excess stock. Probably latter.
Feed it slow. Expect burn marks in maple even under ideal circumstances.
Also, a sanded surface will dull a cutter almost immediately because of
embedded abrasive particles.