RATE OF FEED
Feed the router at a moderate rate. When
routing or doing related work in wood and
plastics, the best results will occur if the
depth of cut and feed rate are regulated
to keep the motor operating at high
speed. Soft materials require a faster feed
rate than hard materials.
The router may stall if used improperly
or overloaded. Reduce the feed rate to
prevent possible damage to the tool.
Always be sure the collet chuck is
tightened securely before use.
Always use router bits with the shortest
cutting length necessary to produce the
desired cut. This will minimize router bit
run-out and chatter.
GUIDING THE ROUTER
The router can be guided through the
work in any of several ways, depending
on the demands of the particular job.
For routing operations such as grooving
or dadoing, it is often necessary to guide
the tool in a line parallel to a straight
edge. One method of obtaining a straight
cut is to securely clamp a board or other
straightedge to the work surface, and
guide the edge of the router sub-base
along this path (Figure 8).
Figure 8
Direction of Feed
guide
Securely clamp
board guide
PILOT
TIPPED
AND
BEARING
GUIDE
BITS
The lower portion of a piloted bit, as
shown in Figure 9, is a shaft with no
cutting edges. Bearing guide bits have a
ball bearing to pilot the bit.
This pilot slides along the edge of the work
as the rotating blades make the cut,
forming molding or decorative edges. The
edge on which the pilot slides should be
perfectly smooth since any irregularities
are transferred to the shaped surface.
Fi
I\
;I-"__/\
Cutter part of
/-
/
piloted bit
Pilot slides along
edge of work
13