Router direction for groove using template

[Tony Sade]

i'm cutting a "grease groove" in a cutting board using a cove bit and a template/guide. Does direction matter, and if so, which way?

Thanks,

[Dave Gaul]

Assuming you are using the router held in hand....

It depends on the orientation of the template.
If you are routing on the inside of a template, you want to run clockwise looking down on the router.
If you are routing on the outside of a template, you want to run counter-clockwise looking down on the router.

You want the direction of the stock to go against the cut of the bit, to prevent kick-out. If the stock was to go in the same direction as the rotation of the bit, the force of the bit would want to "launch" the stock in that same direction (and when using a template, the router would want to move away from the template). This is why we feed our stock into table saw blades into the turn of the blade, rather than with the turn.

Hope that helps!

[glenn bradley]

+1 Template in the center of the surface to be routed, routing around the outer edge of the template, route counter clockwise.