When the router bit manufacturers refers to a spiral-cut router bit as
up-cut or down-cut, are they consistently speaking with reference to the
router base? Or are they assuming a router-table orientation as opposed to a
hand-held router?

The ambiguity being, of course, that a router bit that cuts away from the
router is down-cut when the router is being hand-held, and up-cut if the
router is mounted under a router table.

Tom

On 2/16/14, 12:54 PM, Tdacon wrote:
When the router bit manufacturers refers to a spiral-cut router bit
as up-cut or down-cut, are they consistently speaking with reference
to the router base? Or are they assuming a router-table orientation
as opposed to a hand-held router?

The ambiguity being, of course, that a router bit that cuts away from
the router is down-cut when the router is being hand-held, and
up-cut if the router is mounted under a router table.

Tom

It's in the handheld position.
Think of when you're looking at the router and reading the brand name.
The letters in DeWalt, Porter Cable, etc can be read in the handheld
position.
That's the position relevant to up and down cutting bits.

http://cdn1.thewoodwhisperer.com/wp-...piral-bits.jpg



--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On Sun, 16 Feb 2014 10:54:20 -0800, "Tdacon"
wrote:

When the router bit manufacturers refers to a spiral-cut router bit as
up-cut or down-cut, are they consistently speaking with reference to the
router base? Or are they assuming a router-table orientation as opposed to a
hand-held router?

The ambiguity being, of course, that a router bit that cuts away from the
router is down-cut when the router is being hand-held, and up-cut if the
router is mounted under a router table.

Tom

It seems to me that they are speaking with reference to the base,
otherwise there would be no reason to have 2 different types of
spiral-cut router bits, and up and a down.

But, being a person with a cattle ranch and only occasionally a wood
butcher, what the heck do I know about anything other than the
gynecology of cows?

Jim

On 2/16/2014 12:54 PM, Tdacon wrote:
When the router bit manufacturers refers to a spiral-cut router bit as
up-cut or down-cut, are they consistently speaking with reference to the
router base? Or are they assuming a router-table orientation as opposed
to a hand-held router?

The "consistency", and what you need to keep in mind for which to use in
a particular situation -- including direction of feed, handheld or table
use, and whether you want to minimize tear out on the bottom or top --
is in the fact that:

_An up-cut bit pulls the work toward the router, a down-cut bit pushes
the work away from the router_.

There are some general rules that are convenient (up-cut in
table/down-cut in handheld), but these are not hard and fast depending
on the task ... mostly to do with tear out and direction of travel.

Keeping the first above in mind and you can generally figure out from
the task, and how the task will be accomplished (handheld/router table),
which one to use.

--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://www.google.com/+eWoodShop
https://plus.google.com/+KarlCaillouet/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On 2/16/2014 12:54 PM, Tdacon wrote:
When the router bit manufacturers refers to a spiral-cut router bit as
up-cut or down-cut, are they consistently speaking with reference to the
router base? Or are they assuming a router-table orientation as opposed
to a hand-held router?

The ambiguity being, of course, that a router bit that cuts away from
the router is down-cut when the router is being hand-held, and up-cut if
the router is mounted under a router table.

Tom



Regardless of the orientation of the router, hand held or table mounted,
Up cut is pulling the debris up/out of the hole it cut.
down cut pushes the debris down/into the hole it cut.

On 2/16/2014 1:54 PM, Tdacon wrote:
When the router bit manufacturers refers to a spiral-cut router bit as
up-cut or down-cut, are they consistently speaking with reference to the
router base? Or are they assuming a router-table orientation as opposed
to a hand-held router?

The ambiguity being, of course, that a router bit that cuts away from
the router is down-cut when the router is being hand-held, and up-cut if
the router is mounted under a router table.

Tom
Upcut is cutting toward the router
Downcut is away from the router.

Upcut mostly for deep mortise cuts.
Downcut mostly for shallow cuts to prevent splintering.


--
Jeff