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Woodsmith 184 Avoiding Router Table Tearout
Woodsmith 184 Avoiding Router Table Tearout
Router Table
Tearout
Tearout on the router table shouldnt be something you have to
live with. Here are a few simple steps you can take to avoid it.
Woodsmith
Feed
direction
Bit rotation
follows grain,
reducing
likelihood of
tearout
No. 184
Fence
Shallow Passes
Usually, Ill set the bit to the correct height and use the fence to control the depth of cut (see drawing). I
start with the fence positioned for a
light cut. Then I gradually move the
fence back between passes. Taking
shallow passes removes less material at a time, giving you a smoother
cut with minimal tearout.
Back It Up
Adjust
fence
back
between
passes
Fence
TOP VIEW
Workpiece
direction
Tearout
TOP VIEW
Fence
Workpiece
direction
Tearout
Backer
board
A zeroclearance
auxiliary fence
provides extra
support for
the workpiece. }
Backrouting
Bit set to
full height
a.
!/32"
END VIEW
Fence
Workpiece
NOTE: Very light
backrouting pass
cuts clean shoulder
Full cut
a.
Workpiece
NOTE: Backrouted
shoulder prevents
tearout
END VIEW
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