How to climb cut safely? HELP! *pic*

[David Eisan]

Dear All,

I am trying to make a rabbet in the back of a cherry frame and I am getting some pretty awful tearout. I am not at my finished depth yet, and the frame still might be salvageable.

http://members.rogers.com/dfeisan/images/tearout.jpg

I am thinking about climb cutting. How can I do this without loosing a finger or crapping my pants?

The router table is the only tool I have ever been injured on and it really does scare me.

Thanks,

David.

Every neighbourhood has one, in mine, I'm him.

[Bob Reilly]

[

David,go to this site to see if it helps.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00068.asp

[Duane M Swensen]

Dear All,

I am trying to make a rabbet in the back of a cherry frame and I am getting some pretty awful tearout. I am not at my finished depth yet, and the frame still might be salvageable.

http://members.rogers.com/dfeisan/images/tearout.jpg

I am thinking about climb cutting. How can I do this without loosing a finger or crapping my pants?

The router table is the only tool I have ever been injured on and it really does scare me.

Thanks,

David.

Every neighbourhood has one, in mine, I'm him.
Climb cutting should be done with caution but if done correctly is not that big a deal. The secret is limiting the size of cut either in depth or thickness and maintaining a firm grip and control of the work piece. In your picture you can just take very shallow cuts or you can install the largest bearing you have and then progress back to your finish bearing size or a combination of both methods. Either way keep a firm hold of your work piece and anticipate the tendecy of the piece to take off on you due to cutting with the rotation of the bit. Like you my only workshop injury has been with the router table. In both cases it was my technique that was wrong. Be sure what you are doing is correct before you start and then proceed with caution and you will be just fine.Good Luck and have fun otherwise it is just work.

[Steve Jenkins]

David,for climb cutting I find it easier to use the router hand held with the work clamped to the table. This way your hands are both well away from the cut. When doing a rab. like you are doing I will set the router to full depth and make my first cut by climb cutting but only cut into the piece about 1/16th". Depending on the material I may make another climb cut another 1/16" then make the final pass in the normal direction to finish the rab. By climb cutting the first 1/16-1/8 and full depth you have taken off the edge where the wood wants to tear out.If the wood is still wanting to split then just make more light climb cuts until you reach the final dimension.You can do all this on one side at a time so you don't have to unclamp and turn your frame as often. If it makes you more comfortable use a bigger bearing for the climb cutting. I don't, I just hold the router so the bearing is away from the wood enough to allow me the cut that I want. Steve

[Todd Burch]

I tend to get more tearout when I forget to adjust my variable speed router from it's last setting. I normally keep it on low (8K to 10K rpm) for the big panel raisers, and if I install a skinnier bit without adjusting the speed up, I've found that I'll typically get tearout, and that's not even when climb cutting. Are you wanting to climb cut because of the lay of the grain? Check your speed, make sure your bit is sharp, and if you adjust your speed, you can always get a scrap nasty-grain test piece and make a test cut.

Todd.

[David Eisan]

I decided to make the climb cut.

Since the little frame is only 7"x7" made from 1"x3/4" I was trying to think of a way to get a better hold on the frame. I ended up putting the frame in a 12" Gross Stabil clamp and then holding onto the clamp. I felt a lot more secure about the operation when my hands were further away and I had a much better/firmer grip on the frame. I needed to remove about 1/4", so I took it in itty bitty 1/16" bites.

It looks very nice, zero tearout.

Thanks everyone,

David.

[Lee Schierer]

It looks like you are taking too big of a bite. Try cutting your recess in smaller steps, particulalry for the first few passes. You also want to limit how much you are removing for climb cutting.

By the way, that loooks like a Viper rabbeting bit set. I have the same set, but will not buy another one of their bits. I have found that other brands (Freud in particular) have sharper bits that cut with less tear out. Guess you get what you pay for.

[Phil Phelps]

Dear All,


The router table is the only tool I have ever been injured on and it really does scare me.

Thanks,

David.


I heard some dork stuck his finger in the router hole with a bit still in it. And, it came on!!! Ever heard of such a dummy ??? I'm sure your smarter than that. I like Jenkins advise. Your learnin'.