Question on route use.

[russelly]

It has been a long time since I read or posted on here, but I am getting back into things.

I decided to try my hand at building an air return screen with some 1/2" thick oak trim. I would use some 1 by for the sides as a frame. I cut them out with a scroll saw and the oak material makes them relatively sturdy. I had two patterns that I would alternate like shown below.



The edges are hard so I thought it might look neat with a rounded edge. My router disagrees.



HELP!!! The router is a PC 690 LRVS so I have some speed options. Honestly, I tried a few pieces, but didn't have time to tinker on other settings. I also don't use a router a lot so I am not aware of things to try. My current thoughts are:
- Give up and use a sanding block.
- Take multiple cuts increasing in depth?
- Cut one side, route it, cut the other side, route it. Don't even try the router on the middle. (Oddly enough, never had it break when I tried the sides.)
- Use advice from this great emporium of knowledge.

Again, it has been YEARS since I have been on here. Hope to hear the thoughts.

Russell

[JGrout]

how about a whole lot less roundover.
You have so many grain changes that the bit wants to catch, which explains why they are breaking.

JMO

Joe

[Splinter Puller]

Or work up to the final depth in shallower passes. I'd probably fasten the whole thing down to something with double sided tape so you don't have to secure it from one end.

[russelly]

I like the input so far. Taking a smaller cut seems like a good idea, but the brain wasn't letting me think of it when I was in the garage.

As for holding jig, I used the negative of the pattern to create support on the side and added a board on top. The tape might help keep it from slipping around in the form. I built the jig because I get the heebee jeebees with that exposed bit whirling around my fingers.

Russell

[BrentDH]

Are you going in the correct direction when cutting the inside openings? If you are using a hand held router you want to travel clockwise around the inside opening otherwise you are climb cutting which can cause things to grab.
I also agree that taking smaller cuts and creeping up on the depth would help a lot.

[Routerman]

Looks better without a California Round Over, skip it.

[russelly]

@BrentDH, this is where I don't follow language well. Basically, if I took my jig away, it would throw the piece back at the direction from which it came.

@Routerman, I never heard of a California Roundover. I learned something, now I can go home.

Russell

[BobW]

Gosh, I thought it was a New Mexico roundover, and I do like the effect. I think taking multiple cuts is the way to go, but even if you get them finished without breaking, the cross-grain parts are going to always be weak. If anything hits them (like a child or a thrown ball), they are going to break. This would especially be a problem if the returns are at the floor level. I'm just throwing stuff out here, but what if you laminated 1/8" ply to the back of the oak before you cut them out to give them some strength. Since your pieces are so narrow, I don't think expansion would be an issue. Just a thought.

[russelly]

BobW,

A New Mexico roundover vs. a California roundover? Let's split the difference and call it an Arizona roundover. I like the rounded look and so does the wife. I say that now, but I haven't tried sanding and finishing them. That is when I gain or lose a lot of appreciation for my previous choices.

I have enough of that old oak trim to make quite a few more. I think I might laminate the back with some 1/8" to just see how that works. To verify what you are thinking, laminate the 1/8" to a board and then use the scroll to cut out the pieces. Correct? Again, my router experience has been limited until now so any chance to learn a few things would be good.

Russell

[BrentDH]

So to be clear, you are using the router as a hand held tool with the bit pointing down, not in a router table with the bit pointing up, correct?
You also say you are using a jig to hold the part in place with another board on top. I do not understand the "other board on top".
If you google "router direction" you will find many helpful sites. I liked the description on the newwoodworker.com site. I imagine these sites can explain it better than I can, but normal routing is where the cutting edge of the bit is exiting the edge of the wood and can cause splinters to peel away, and climb cutting is where the cutting edge of the bit is entering the edge which prevents splinters but can cause the router to pull quickly along the edge into the new wood.

Edited to ad:
This site shows a good picture of the difference between typical cutting and climb cutting.
http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-...b-cutting/