Pattern cutting end grain

[John Ziebron]

I am helping my brother with a project for his church that involves me making handles for statue carriers. The material I'm using is hard maple that is 1 3/4 inches thick. I have a pattern made where the end of it is rounded. My 8 blanks are already cut on the band saw and I tried to stay about an eight inch away from the lines. I have an old 3/4 diameter bottom bearing straight cutter bit that I have used before but only on softer wood. I was able to successfully route the first blank although it was scary going around the end grain which didn't come out very smooth. I did sharpen the bit before starting.

On the second blank the bit caught the end grain and cracked the part. I was looking at some of the newer pattern bits that are the up and down design like the Infinity Mega flush trim bit and was wondering if this design would solve this issue. All comments and suggestions are appreciated.

[Steve Jenkins]

You’ll have better luck with a spiral cutter but even better would be a disc sander or stationary belt sander

[Keegan Shields]

Disc sander, belt sander, etc. will be a lot safer and give you a better result.

[Kevin Jenness]

Saw as close to the line as possible and trim with the grain direction with a sharp spiral or segmented cutter. Or saw and sand with sharp abrasives. There are pattern sanding heads available.

[Lee Schierer]

Here is a guide that will help you avoid the rough cuts and tear out.
483615

Routing curves is one place where climb cutting with a router can help avoid problems

[Jim Becker]

Luthiers have to deal with this a lot for solid body electric guitars when they pattern route the edges. Aside from the recommendation to cut the blank close to the final line, it's kinda a best practice to not just "cut around" the shape, but to carefully choose multiple entry and exit points for the workpiece so you can avoid cutting into the grain and grabbing material. This requires using both a top bearing and a bottom bearing (or a long tool that has both top and bottom bearing) so you can flip the workpiece and never cut "into" the grain. Clean up with a spindle sander afterward.

[Warren Lake]

1/8" is too much. Wheres your part.

[Mel Fulks]

For that kind of stuff we always used coarse sand paper to round off the corners . We had belt sanders and disc sanders ,but
sometimes they were being used and not available. With the raggedy edges gone the cut would be smooth. But we were usually used steel
cutters ,not carbide. Even with carbide the rounded edge would usually make it all work. If you find your cat has turned clothing into
scattered thread , start cutting off loose threads.

[Paul F Franklin]

The spiral compression bits are less likely to catch, but I use the robosander pattern sander in a drill press when dealing with end or squirrely grain. You can start with a coarse sleeve to remove most of the material and finish up with a fine sleeve to minimize hand sanding afterward. They are available from stew mac and probably others, in several diameters; using the largest size that will do the job will make for a quicker job and longer sanding sleeve life. It's slower than a router but it's a lot less "exciting".

[William Hodge]

This is a good chance to upgrade your hand tool skills. Band saw closer to the line, rout what you can with a 1/2" spiral upcut bit, and pare the rest with very sharp chisels. Make sure not to sand the wood before routing or carving, or your cutters will be dulled right away and be no good.

[John Ziebron]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I realize that hand/machine sanding is the safest way with good results. And if I were only doing a couple of these parts that is the way I would go. But with 8 parts that are 1 3/4" thick and a time constraint to finish I will have to continue with using my pattern. I have a tall spiral bit that I can play with using Lee's advice; thank you Lee. In the mean time I have ordered a Mega Flush trim bit from Infinity as my research indicated that it should be a significant improvement in cutting end grain.

I didn't give details before but these handles are 25 inches long with about 17 inches being pattern cut. This picture shows the shape and how close I've band sawed to the line.
483642

[glenn bradley]

Lee describes what I do. I try to avoid routing uphill whenever possible. The results are always unpredictable. A disc sander would serve you well. I even picked up one of these cheap HF 1x30 belt sanders (https://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-belt-sander-61728.html)for getting into tight spots on things like you describe. They were about $30 with a coupon when I got one.

Sorry, just noticed the picture. You can pretty well get al of that on a disc sander. Table position and disc clearance are the key. Disc sanders often come as an after thought on some other device. A large disc with a solid but adjustable table and clearance all around the disc's edges can do a lot more than a small add-on type. Unfortunately HF seems to have lost their mind. The price on their 12" disc is up about $100!!!

[Robert Engel]

I agree a belt sander is a good way, but not very time efficient.

A straight bit is the worst you can use. There are double fluted pattern bits that have a slight twist in the cutter, which are better, but a spiral bit is going to give the best result. The issue is cost b/c you need a big one.

Here's a tip: 3-4 strips of painters tape on the template edge, route and then remove tape for final finished pass. I used this technique for woods that tend to burn, like maple and cherry.

When you get to the end prone to tear out go really slow, leave a little nib and do a climb cut.

Also you could strike a vertical line on the end prone to tear out, that will help.

[Warren Lake]

I used a lot of high speed end mills for that work though they dulled quickly. Other work solid carbide but material was 1" thick or less. Id do that all hand held with a router mostly climb cutting. Its to be respected as its hard maple and a decent thickness. Lots will depend on how you jig up and your skill. Quantity enters into that as well.

Id expect its all rounded once done to some profile. Id do that likely with a laminate trimmer. Climb cut and maybe forward after when 98 percent of the material has been removed. LIke all stuff you figure it out and modify as you are doing it for best results. If you are only doing a few I can see sander. Last way id do it. If a quantity then best to jig up for it.