Routing Flutes

[George Bokros]

I am routing by hand and have my fluting jig set up to either push the router away from me or pull it toward me, which is the preferred direction of cut? I know you normally router counter clockwise around the material being routed but in this case I am not routing around the object.

Thanks

[Roger Nair]

Observe the rotation of the bit, you want the fence to pull towards the workpiece from the generated reaction force of the bit.

[George Bokros]

Observe the rotation of the bit, you want the fence to pull towards the workpiece from the generated reaction force of the bit.

The fence runs along both sides of the stock so the bit is pulling toward the fence.

[Matt Day]

Do a test cut and you'll feel which way is best.

[Lee Schierer]

If the bit is the same width as the flute being cut it doesn't matter. You just don't want to stop moving or you risk making a burn mark in your flute that will be hard to get out. Keep moving and turn off the router while you continue to move it. Wait until it stops until you lift it out.

[Leo Graywacz]

I use a single fence on my hand held router. The fence is on the right of the machine and I push away from me. What happens is the rotation of the bit pulls the fence towards the wood making it easier to control the action of the router. After you make the pass, if you look the climb side of the cut will usually have some fuzzy wood. Because of this I make a return pass, pulling the router toward me. You need to be careful that the router doesn't creep toward the fence and ruin your cut. But it makes it much nicer when the sanding part comes.

I also picked up some shaped radius scrapers that I use to clean up the flute rather then a bunch of sanding. Makes quick work of it and then you just need a light sanding to clean up the bottom of the flute.