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19
FEEDING TOO FAST
See Figure 18.
Clean, smooth routing and edge shaping can be done only
when the bit is revolving at a relatively high speed and is
taking very small bites to produce tiny, cleanly severed chips.
If you force the router to move forward too fast, the RPM of
the bit becomes slower than normal in relation to its forward
movement. As a result, the bit must take bigger bites as it
revolves. Bigger bites mean bigger chips and a rougher
finish. Also, because bigger bites require more power, the
router motor may become overloaded.
Under extreme force-feeding conditions, the relative RPM
of the bit can become so slow—and the bites it has to take
so large—that chips will be partially knocked off (rather
than fully cut off). This causes splintering and gouging of
the workpiece.
The router is an extremely high-speed tool, and will make
clean, smooth cuts if allowed to run freely without the over-
load of a forced feed. You can always detect force feeding
by the sound of the motor. Its high-pitched whine will sound
lower and stronger as it loses speed. Also, the strain of hold-
ing the tool will be noticeably increased.
TOO FAST
OPERATION
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
FEEDING TOO SLOWLY
See Figure 19.
It is possible to spoil a cut by moving the router forward too
slowly. When you advance the router into the work too slowly,
the revolving bit does not dig into new wood fast enough
to take a bite; instead, it merely scrapes away sawdust-like
particles. Scraping produces heat, which can glaze, burn,
or mar the cut and in extreme cases, can overheat the bit,
destroying its hardness.
When the bit is scraping instead of cutting, controlling the
router is more difficult. With practically no load on the mo
-
tor, the bit revolves at close to top RPM, and has a much
greater than normal tendency to bounce off the sides of
the cut (especially if the wood has a pronounced grain with
hard and soft areas). As a result, the cut produced may have
rippled, instead of straight, sides.
Feeding too slowly can also cause the router to take off in a
wrong direction from the intended line of cut. Always grasp
and hold the router firmly with both hands when routing.
You can detect when you are feeding the router too slowly by
the runaway, high-pitched sound of the motor or by feeling
the wiggle of the bit in the cut.
TOO SLOW