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-   -   Can I use a router on oak? (https://www.diybanter.com/woodworking/69751-can-i-use-router-oak.html)

ississauga September 23rd 04 08:45 AM

Can I use a router on oak?
 
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?

Red Neckerson September 23rd 04 11:36 AM

Check your local laws and see what they say. I know here in West Virginny
it's against the law!

They have some DUMB laws, though. I can't even use a router on my sister
legally.....



Red Neckerson September 23rd 04 11:36 AM

Check your local laws and see what they say. I know here in West Virginny
it's against the law!

They have some DUMB laws, though. I can't even use a router on my sister
legally.....



Edwin Pawlowski September 23rd 04 11:42 AM


"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


I have an oak desk and the router sits on top of it. So far, it has not
burned it at all. Where the router connects to the computer there is plenty
of space for ventilation. If you mount the router on the stairs, be sure
the is out of the way so no one trips on it.



Edwin Pawlowski September 23rd 04 11:42 AM


"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


I have an oak desk and the router sits on top of it. So far, it has not
burned it at all. Where the router connects to the computer there is plenty
of space for ventilation. If you mount the router on the stairs, be sure
the is out of the way so no one trips on it.



[email protected] September 23rd 04 11:59 AM

I was making some dog dish stands with oak tops. I had no problems. Use standard
practices and keep the router moving

Frank

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


I have an oak desk and the router sits on top of it. So far, it has not
burned it at all. Where the router connects to the computer there is plenty
of space for ventilation. If you mount the router on the stairs, be sure
the is out of the way so no one trips on it.



[email protected] September 23rd 04 11:59 AM

I was making some dog dish stands with oak tops. I had no problems. Use standard
practices and keep the router moving

Frank

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


I have an oak desk and the router sits on top of it. So far, it has not
burned it at all. Where the router connects to the computer there is plenty
of space for ventilation. If you mount the router on the stairs, be sure
the is out of the way so no one trips on it.



tcg September 23rd 04 01:58 PM


"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
| I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| there a trick to rounding without burning?

Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.



tcg September 23rd 04 01:58 PM


"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
| I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| there a trick to rounding without burning?

Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.



Andy Dingley September 23rd 04 01:59 PM

On 23 Sep 2004 00:45:49 -0700, (ississauga)
wrote:

I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work?


Should do.

Oak routs fine. Some is a bit hard and splintery, so watch out for
splitting on end grain and use a spelch plate (bit of scrap clamped to
the end of the cut).

If it's burning, turn the speed down and the feed rate up.


Andy Dingley September 23rd 04 01:59 PM

On 23 Sep 2004 00:45:49 -0700, (ississauga)
wrote:

I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work?


Should do.

Oak routs fine. Some is a bit hard and splintery, so watch out for
splitting on end grain and use a spelch plate (bit of scrap clamped to
the end of the cut).

If it's burning, turn the speed down and the feed rate up.


Doug Miller September 23rd 04 02:18 PM

In article , (ississauga) wrote:
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


No "trick" really, just good routing practices:
1) Keep your cut depth shallow. Don't try to take off too much wood in one
pass. Remember that, with a roundover bit like you'll be using, as you lower
the bit, each pass takes off a lot more wood than the previous pass. So for
your first pass, you might be able to lower the bit as much as 1/8" -- but for
the second and third passes, no more than 1/16", and for subsequent passes,
you should probably limit it to 1/32".
2) Keep the router moving fairly quickly. If you move it too slowly, the wood
will burn.


--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.



Doug Miller September 23rd 04 02:18 PM

In article , (ississauga) wrote:
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


No "trick" really, just good routing practices:
1) Keep your cut depth shallow. Don't try to take off too much wood in one
pass. Remember that, with a roundover bit like you'll be using, as you lower
the bit, each pass takes off a lot more wood than the previous pass. So for
your first pass, you might be able to lower the bit as much as 1/8" -- but for
the second and third passes, no more than 1/16", and for subsequent passes,
you should probably limit it to 1/32".
2) Keep the router moving fairly quickly. If you move it too slowly, the wood
will burn.


--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.



GerryG September 23rd 04 03:19 PM

Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that? Of
course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is more
difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at one
point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth of
cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's your
point on carbide?
GerryG

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:58:43 GMT, "tcg" wrote:


"ississauga" wrote in message
. com...
| I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| there a trick to rounding without burning?

Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.


GerryG September 23rd 04 03:19 PM

Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that? Of
course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is more
difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at one
point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth of
cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's your
point on carbide?
GerryG

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:58:43 GMT, "tcg" wrote:


"ississauga" wrote in message
. com...
| I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| there a trick to rounding without burning?

Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.


tcg September 23rd 04 03:51 PM


"GerryG" wrote in message
...
| Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?
Of
| course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is
more
| difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at
one
| point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
| switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
| burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth
of
| cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's
your
| point on carbide?
| GerryG
|
| On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:58:43 GMT, "tcg" wrote:
|
|
| "ississauga" wrote in message
| . com...
| | I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| | router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| | tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| | People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| | there a trick to rounding without burning?
|
| Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.

As you said "although it (carbide) will hold an edge longer". Experience has
shown me that HSS may be as sharp as carbide, but one doesn't rout hardwood
long before the bit is dull and you're burning your stock. To me, with all
other things be equal, the longevity of a carbide edge makes it my choice
for router bits. Carbide tipped saw blades have almost completely replaced
un-tipped saw blades as the blades of choice in almost all saws today for
the same reason.



tcg September 23rd 04 03:51 PM


"GerryG" wrote in message
...
| Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?
Of
| course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is
more
| difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at
one
| point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
| switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
| burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth
of
| cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's
your
| point on carbide?
| GerryG
|
| On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:58:43 GMT, "tcg" wrote:
|
|
| "ississauga" wrote in message
| . com...
| | I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| | router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| | tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| | People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| | there a trick to rounding without burning?
|
| Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.

As you said "although it (carbide) will hold an edge longer". Experience has
shown me that HSS may be as sharp as carbide, but one doesn't rout hardwood
long before the bit is dull and you're burning your stock. To me, with all
other things be equal, the longevity of a carbide edge makes it my choice
for router bits. Carbide tipped saw blades have almost completely replaced
un-tipped saw blades as the blades of choice in almost all saws today for
the same reason.



Bob G. September 23rd 04 04:38 PM

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 10:36:45 GMT, "Red Neckerson"
wrote:

Check your local laws and see what they say. I know here in West Virginny
it's against the law!

They have some DUMB laws, though. I can't even use a router on my sister
legally.....

====================
Lol.... I though all houses in the Mountain Moma State were old cars..
or trucks.,.. and I never saw one that needed steps INSIDE... lol

BUT if your sister is also your wife...(we are talking about West
Virginia ) is using a router on her still illegal... ???

Being Serious ... West Virginia is a very pretty State,..

Bob Griffiths
Maryland Boy ...but only 12 miles from the State lines of both
Virginia and West Virginia...

..

Bob G. September 23rd 04 04:38 PM

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 10:36:45 GMT, "Red Neckerson"
wrote:

Check your local laws and see what they say. I know here in West Virginny
it's against the law!

They have some DUMB laws, though. I can't even use a router on my sister
legally.....

====================
Lol.... I though all houses in the Mountain Moma State were old cars..
or trucks.,.. and I never saw one that needed steps INSIDE... lol

BUT if your sister is also your wife...(we are talking about West
Virginia ) is using a router on her still illegal... ???

Being Serious ... West Virginia is a very pretty State,..

Bob Griffiths
Maryland Boy ...but only 12 miles from the State lines of both
Virginia and West Virginia...

..

George September 23rd 04 05:13 PM

Of course, there are some who clean the carbide and touch up the faces with
600 diamond file prior to routing, and sometimes during long runs. Process
is exactly the same as your HSS.


"GerryG" wrote in message
...
Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?

Of
course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is

more
difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at

one
point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth

of
cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's

your
point on carbide?




George September 23rd 04 05:13 PM

Of course, there are some who clean the carbide and touch up the faces with
600 diamond file prior to routing, and sometimes during long runs. Process
is exactly the same as your HSS.


"GerryG" wrote in message
...
Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?

Of
course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is

more
difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at

one
point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth

of
cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's

your
point on carbide?




[email protected] September 23rd 04 05:22 PM

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 13:18:17 GMT, (Doug Miller)
wrote:

In article ,
(ississauga) wrote:
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


No "trick" really, just good routing practices:
1) Keep your cut depth shallow. Don't try to take off too much wood in one
pass. Remember that, with a roundover bit like you'll be using, as you lower
the bit, each pass takes off a lot more wood than the previous pass. So for
your first pass, you might be able to lower the bit as much as 1/8" -- but for
the second and third passes, no more than 1/16", and for subsequent passes,
you should probably limit it to 1/32".
2) Keep the router moving fairly quickly. If you move it too slowly, the wood
will burn.




look he

http://www.patwarner.com/

[email protected] September 23rd 04 05:22 PM

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 13:18:17 GMT, (Doug Miller)
wrote:

In article ,
(ississauga) wrote:
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


No "trick" really, just good routing practices:
1) Keep your cut depth shallow. Don't try to take off too much wood in one
pass. Remember that, with a roundover bit like you'll be using, as you lower
the bit, each pass takes off a lot more wood than the previous pass. So for
your first pass, you might be able to lower the bit as much as 1/8" -- but for
the second and third passes, no more than 1/16", and for subsequent passes,
you should probably limit it to 1/32".
2) Keep the router moving fairly quickly. If you move it too slowly, the wood
will burn.




look he

http://www.patwarner.com/

GerryG September 23rd 04 09:09 PM

Exactly the same? I'm not talking about a 600 grit touch up here. You may also
get chip-outs in carbide, which can't be fixed. I've taken old and badly
burned HSS bit and fixed them good as new. And yes, I have touched up carbide,
and most of my bits are carbide. I've even ground specific profiles on HSS.
GerryG

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:13:53 -0400, "George" george@least wrote:

Of course, there are some who clean the carbide and touch up the faces with
600 diamond file prior to routing, and sometimes during long runs. Process
is exactly the same as your HSS.


"GerryG" wrote in message
.. .
Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?

Of
course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is

more
difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at

one
point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth

of
cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's

your
point on carbide?



GerryG September 23rd 04 09:09 PM

Exactly the same? I'm not talking about a 600 grit touch up here. You may also
get chip-outs in carbide, which can't be fixed. I've taken old and badly
burned HSS bit and fixed them good as new. And yes, I have touched up carbide,
and most of my bits are carbide. I've even ground specific profiles on HSS.
GerryG

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:13:53 -0400, "George" george@least wrote:

Of course, there are some who clean the carbide and touch up the faces with
600 diamond file prior to routing, and sometimes during long runs. Process
is exactly the same as your HSS.


"GerryG" wrote in message
.. .
Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?

Of
course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is

more
difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at

one
point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth

of
cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's

your
point on carbide?



George September 23rd 04 09:35 PM

But, of course, I was. Which Is why I said it. It works, which is why I do
it.


"GerryG" wrote in message
...
Exactly the same? I'm not talking about a 600 grit touch up here. You may

also
get chip-outs in carbide, which can't be fixed. I've taken old and badly
burned HSS bit and fixed them good as new. And yes, I have touched up

carbide,
and most of my bits are carbide. I've even ground specific profiles on

HSS.
GerryG




George September 23rd 04 09:35 PM

But, of course, I was. Which Is why I said it. It works, which is why I do
it.


"GerryG" wrote in message
...
Exactly the same? I'm not talking about a 600 grit touch up here. You may

also
get chip-outs in carbide, which can't be fixed. I've taken old and badly
burned HSS bit and fixed them good as new. And yes, I have touched up

carbide,
and most of my bits are carbide. I've even ground specific profiles on

HSS.
GerryG




GerryG September 23rd 04 10:27 PM

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 14:51:57 GMT, "tcg" wrote:


"GerryG" wrote in message
.. .
| Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?
Of
| course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is
more
| difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at
one
| point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
| switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
| burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth
of
| cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's
your
| point on carbide?
| GerryG
|
| On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:58:43 GMT, "tcg" wrote:
|
|
| "ississauga" wrote in message
| . com...
| | I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| | router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| | tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| | People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| | there a trick to rounding without burning?
|
| Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.

As you said "although it (carbide) will hold an edge longer". Experience has
shown me that HSS may be as sharp as carbide, but one doesn't rout hardwood
long before the bit is dull and you're burning your stock. To me, with all
other things be equal, the longevity of a carbide edge makes it my choice
for router bits. Carbide tipped saw blades have almost completely replaced
un-tipped saw blades as the blades of choice in almost all saws today for
the same reason.

Firstly, I suggest that there are no rules that always apply. One obvious
variable is the amount of routing you intend to do. In general, I've heard it
said that carbide lasts about 5x HSS. On the other hand, I can route hardwood
for several projects with HSS before it begins to get dull, which is a bit
different than what you've seen. I've got a few HSS bits that I use to hog out
MDF and particleboard, which also more quickly dulls carbide, but these same
bits have been used for maybe twenty years now. There are also cheaper carbide
bits that will tend to chip out much sooner, and they also have a place for
some projects where they're maybe 1/4 the cost but get the job done. For saw
blades, if you mean circular saws, I won't argue that one since sharpening a
HSS saw blade takes quite awhile. Overall, most of my router bits are of a
quality carbide, but the others have a use as well.
GerryG

GerryG September 23rd 04 10:27 PM

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 14:51:57 GMT, "tcg" wrote:


"GerryG" wrote in message
.. .
| Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?
Of
| course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is
more
| difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at
one
| point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
| switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
| burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth
of
| cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's
your
| point on carbide?
| GerryG
|
| On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:58:43 GMT, "tcg" wrote:
|
|
| "ississauga" wrote in message
| . com...
| | I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| | router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| | tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| | People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| | there a trick to rounding without burning?
|
| Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.

As you said "although it (carbide) will hold an edge longer". Experience has
shown me that HSS may be as sharp as carbide, but one doesn't rout hardwood
long before the bit is dull and you're burning your stock. To me, with all
other things be equal, the longevity of a carbide edge makes it my choice
for router bits. Carbide tipped saw blades have almost completely replaced
un-tipped saw blades as the blades of choice in almost all saws today for
the same reason.

Firstly, I suggest that there are no rules that always apply. One obvious
variable is the amount of routing you intend to do. In general, I've heard it
said that carbide lasts about 5x HSS. On the other hand, I can route hardwood
for several projects with HSS before it begins to get dull, which is a bit
different than what you've seen. I've got a few HSS bits that I use to hog out
MDF and particleboard, which also more quickly dulls carbide, but these same
bits have been used for maybe twenty years now. There are also cheaper carbide
bits that will tend to chip out much sooner, and they also have a place for
some projects where they're maybe 1/4 the cost but get the job done. For saw
blades, if you mean circular saws, I won't argue that one since sharpening a
HSS saw blade takes quite awhile. Overall, most of my router bits are of a
quality carbide, but the others have a use as well.
GerryG

Phisherman September 24th 04 12:46 AM

On 23 Sep 2004 00:45:49 -0700, (ississauga)
wrote:

I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


The proper speed and feed rate will minimize burning to oak. Having a
sharp bit with a good DC suction to remove the chips helps. Take
1/16" on the final pass and avoid holding the router still while
against the wood. Cherry is much more sensitive to burning than any
kind of oak.


Phisherman September 24th 04 12:46 AM

On 23 Sep 2004 00:45:49 -0700, (ississauga)
wrote:

I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


The proper speed and feed rate will minimize burning to oak. Having a
sharp bit with a good DC suction to remove the chips helps. Take
1/16" on the final pass and avoid holding the router still while
against the wood. Cherry is much more sensitive to burning than any
kind of oak.


Daniel Sexton September 24th 04 02:45 AM

I used a router on an oak once - I wasn't able to cut it down at all, one
heck of a big oak. I coverid it in gasoline just to soften the wood up and
then started the router back up and damn if it didn't burn it. I stay away
from oaks with my router now. I only use it on small poplars and an
occasional sycamore.


wrote in message
...
I was making some dog dish stands with oak tops. I had no problems. Use

standard
practices and keep the router moving

Frank

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


I have an oak desk and the router sits on top of it. So far, it has not
burned it at all. Where the router connects to the computer there is

plenty
of space for ventilation. If you mount the router on the stairs, be

sure
the is out of the way so no one trips on it.





Daniel Sexton September 24th 04 02:45 AM

I used a router on an oak once - I wasn't able to cut it down at all, one
heck of a big oak. I coverid it in gasoline just to soften the wood up and
then started the router back up and damn if it didn't burn it. I stay away
from oaks with my router now. I only use it on small poplars and an
occasional sycamore.


wrote in message
...
I was making some dog dish stands with oak tops. I had no problems. Use

standard
practices and keep the router moving

Frank

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
there a trick to rounding without burning?


I have an oak desk and the router sits on top of it. So far, it has not
burned it at all. Where the router connects to the computer there is

plenty
of space for ventilation. If you mount the router on the stairs, be

sure
the is out of the way so no one trips on it.





StevenP September 24th 04 12:37 PM

Where abouts Bob? I grew up in Montgomery county, but now live in Harpers
Ferry.

Steve P.

"Bob G." wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 10:36:45 GMT, "Red Neckerson"
wrote:

Check your local laws and see what they say. I know here in West Virginny
it's against the law!

They have some DUMB laws, though. I can't even use a router on my sister
legally.....

====================
Lol.... I though all houses in the Mountain Moma State were old cars..
or trucks.,.. and I never saw one that needed steps INSIDE... lol

BUT if your sister is also your wife...(we are talking about West
Virginia ) is using a router on her still illegal... ???

Being Serious ... West Virginia is a very pretty State,..

Bob Griffiths
Maryland Boy ...but only 12 miles from the State lines of both
Virginia and West Virginia...

.




StevenP September 24th 04 12:37 PM

Where abouts Bob? I grew up in Montgomery county, but now live in Harpers
Ferry.

Steve P.

"Bob G." wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 10:36:45 GMT, "Red Neckerson"
wrote:

Check your local laws and see what they say. I know here in West Virginny
it's against the law!

They have some DUMB laws, though. I can't even use a router on my sister
legally.....

====================
Lol.... I though all houses in the Mountain Moma State were old cars..
or trucks.,.. and I never saw one that needed steps INSIDE... lol

BUT if your sister is also your wife...(we are talking about West
Virginia ) is using a router on her still illegal... ???

Being Serious ... West Virginia is a very pretty State,..

Bob Griffiths
Maryland Boy ...but only 12 miles from the State lines of both
Virginia and West Virginia...

.




Hoyt Weathers September 24th 04 04:27 PM

GerryG wrote:

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 14:51:57 GMT, "tcg" wrote:


"GerryG" wrote in message
.. .
| Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?
Of
| course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is
more
| difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at
one
| point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
| switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
| burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth
of
| cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's
your
| point on carbide?
| GerryG
|
| On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:58:43 GMT, "tcg" wrote:
|
|
| "ississauga" wrote in message
| . com...
| | I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| | router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| | tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| | People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| | there a trick to rounding without burning?
|
| Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.

As you said "although it (carbide) will hold an edge longer". Experience has
shown me that HSS may be as sharp as carbide, but one doesn't rout hardwood
long before the bit is dull and you're burning your stock. To me, with all
other things be equal, the longevity of a carbide edge makes it my choice
for router bits. Carbide tipped saw blades have almost completely replaced
un-tipped saw blades as the blades of choice in almost all saws today for
the same reason.

Firstly, I suggest that there are no rules that always apply. One obvious
variable is the amount of routing you intend to do. In general, I've heard it
said that carbide lasts about 5x HSS. On the other hand, I can route hardwood
for several projects with HSS before it begins to get dull, which is a bit
different than what you've seen. I've got a few HSS bits that I use to hog out
MDF and particleboard, which also more quickly dulls carbide, but these same
bits have been used for maybe twenty years now. There are also cheaper carbide
bits that will tend to chip out much sooner, and they also have a place for
some projects where they're maybe 1/4 the cost but get the job done. For saw
blades, if you mean circular saws, I won't argue that one since sharpening a
HSS saw blade takes quite awhile. Overall, most of my router bits are of a
quality carbide, but the others have a use as well.
GerryG


I suggest that the original poster subscribe to the rec.woodworking newsgroup and
post the question there. Those guys have oodles of experience with routers on almost
any type of wood. For a newbie, they will try to help out.



Hoyt Weathers September 24th 04 04:27 PM

GerryG wrote:

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 14:51:57 GMT, "tcg" wrote:


"GerryG" wrote in message
.. .
| Carbide is needed to prevent burning? Would you care to elaborate on that?
Of
| course you realize that, although it will hold an edge longer, carbide is
more
| difficult to sharpen, and HSS bits will often take a better edge. That at
one
| point, having trouble with some burning on a particular piece of cherry, I
| switched from carbide to a freshly sharpened HSS bit and eliminated the
| burning. And you know that the combination of speed, feed rate and depth
of
| cut will have the greatest influence on burning. So, given that, what's
your
| point on carbide?
| GerryG
|
| On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 12:58:43 GMT, "tcg" wrote:
|
|
| "ississauga" wrote in message
| . com...
| | I want to buy the premade oak stair treads (steps) and use a half inch
| | router to smooth the edges, will this work? The front part of the
| | tread is already rounded but my customer wants the sides rounded too.
| | People told me the router will burn the wood because oak is hard, is
| | there a trick to rounding without burning?
|
| Use a carbide tipped router bit or you probably will burn your stock.

As you said "although it (carbide) will hold an edge longer". Experience has
shown me that HSS may be as sharp as carbide, but one doesn't rout hardwood
long before the bit is dull and you're burning your stock. To me, with all
other things be equal, the longevity of a carbide edge makes it my choice
for router bits. Carbide tipped saw blades have almost completely replaced
un-tipped saw blades as the blades of choice in almost all saws today for
the same reason.

Firstly, I suggest that there are no rules that always apply. One obvious
variable is the amount of routing you intend to do. In general, I've heard it
said that carbide lasts about 5x HSS. On the other hand, I can route hardwood
for several projects with HSS before it begins to get dull, which is a bit
different than what you've seen. I've got a few HSS bits that I use to hog out
MDF and particleboard, which also more quickly dulls carbide, but these same
bits have been used for maybe twenty years now. There are also cheaper carbide
bits that will tend to chip out much sooner, and they also have a place for
some projects where they're maybe 1/4 the cost but get the job done. For saw
blades, if you mean circular saws, I won't argue that one since sharpening a
HSS saw blade takes quite awhile. Overall, most of my router bits are of a
quality carbide, but the others have a use as well.
GerryG


I suggest that the original poster subscribe to the rec.woodworking newsgroup and
post the question there. Those guys have oodles of experience with routers on almost
any type of wood. For a newbie, they will try to help out.



Lewis September 24th 04 07:52 PM

Hi,
You didn't ask, but rounding over the end grain on the sides of stair
treads is not the "normal" way to get bullnose sides. At least around
here, a side trim piece is added, mitered at the front. That way you
don't have any end grain showing.
Lewis

Lewis September 24th 04 07:52 PM

Hi,
You didn't ask, but rounding over the end grain on the sides of stair
treads is not the "normal" way to get bullnose sides. At least around
here, a side trim piece is added, mitered at the front. That way you
don't have any end grain showing.
Lewis

mark September 25th 04 03:04 AM

good point.

"Lewis" wrote in message
om...
Hi,
You didn't ask, but rounding over the end grain on the sides of stair
treads is not the "normal" way to get bullnose sides. At least around
here, a side trim piece is added, mitered at the front. That way you
don't have any end grain showing.
Lewis





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