Push or Pull the router

[Groggy]

Soooo, if I got an extra fence for my router and attached them both. Then adjusted them so I could rout a mortise - should I push or pull?

[E. maculata]

I'm confused as to what sort of fence was being referred to, static fence? sliding fence, front fence, the guy who buys "stuff" no questions asked type fence, now that'd be interesting. New question "when running your router on local fence, do you?
#1 gag him
#2 wear earmuffs





I hearby apologise for any offence caused by the mental images induced by this post, but it's your imagination so just curb it OK

[Rocker]

Soooo, if I got an extra fence for my router and attached them both. Then adjusted them so I could rout a mortise - should I push or pull?

If you attach two edge-guides, it makes no difference whether you push or pull the router, since it cannot wander off course. But if you feed it the wrong way (i.e. clockwise round the workpiece), when you have only one edge-guide attached, the router will tend to wander towards the edge of the workpiece.

Rocker

[Template Tom]

I dunno about you guys but I'm tired of being told what I can and can't do.

Anyway, the idea is to move the router so that the rotation of the bit tends to pull the work towards the fence. So if you insist on having the fence on your right, then you should pull the router towards. Sometimes it's more convenient to have it the other way around, in which case you would push it away from you. I do it whichever way suits the situation - push, pull, left, right, whatever. If you can't hang onto a router, you shouldn't be using one

Now go on, tell me I'm a fool with a death wish.

No one is telling you what to to do or what you can't do.

Your first statement is correct.
Now you go on to contradict yourself with your second and third sentences.
Yes I agree it is some times convenient to pull instead of push especially when you do not want to have 'breakout'.
You may be an experienced router user, but a person new to routing reading your reply may adopt the same attitude, which I disagree with you.

It is safer to have the router move in the direction of the rotation of the cutter to ensure the fence will not wander away from the the side of the material. (fence on the right)

You will have more control of the router if it is being pushed away from you and it will be safer.

Sorry if I have offended any one with the question, but it is clear that there are people who are useing the router the wrong way (side fence attached).
I must say this is only My opinion and I hope I am not alone.
Tom

[Template Tom]

There is some danger of confusion here. If Tom is talking about a clamped on fence, as in the upper diagram, then the router is pulled towards you if the fence is on the right hand side of the router, as SilentC says; on the other hand, if he is referring to an edge-guide fence fitted to the right hand side of the router, as in the lower diagram, then the router would be pushed away from you. I personally always fit an edge-guide on the left-hand side of the router, and pull it towards myself.

The correct feed directions are shown by the arrows. With an edge-guide, the router is moved anti-clockwise around the workpiece. With a clamped-on fence, the router is moved anti-clockwise around the fence.

Rocker

I was referring to the side fence attachment usually supplied with the router.
Tom

[Template Tom]

Soooo, if I got an extra fence for my router and attached them both. Then adjusted them so I could rout a mortise - should I push or pull?

When routing Mortices with the extra side fence attached I would still start with a plunge part of the way then push and again repeat a second, third and fourth plunge till I reached the depth. Yes it is possible to start with pulling the router towards you, but it is safer to begin by pushing it away from you.
Tom

[silentC]

No one is telling you what to to do or what you can't do.

... but it is clear that there are people who are useing the router the wrong way (side fence attached).

Your first statement is correct.
Now you go on to contradict yourself with your second and third sentences.

OK, you're talking about the edge guide, so reverse that. Push when it's on the right and pull when it's on the left.

The danger is that you might cut a wider slot if the router moves away from the fence (or the edge guide moves away from the work) if you move the router in the 'wrong' direction. I personally haven't had that happen because I hold the router firmly against the fence and don't cut too deep with each pass. Sometimes when cutting mortices using Rocker's famous jig, I cut in both directions, lowering the bit slightly at each end as I start each pass. By holding the router base firmly against the fence, I have been able to avoid having it marr or widen the sides of the mortice.

Regarding push or pull, sometimes I find I have more control if I am pulling the router towards me. For example if I am running a bearing bit on the edge of a sheet and round a corner. I find it easier to control the router if I stand behind the corner and pull the router towards me and round the corner than if I try to do the same thing whilst pushing it.

That is of course just my opinion.

[Groggy]

I think I'd better start using smileys ...

[Rocker]

[/QUOTE=silentC] Sometimes when cutting mortices using Rocker's famous jig, I cut in both directions, lowering the bit slightly at each end as I start each pass. By holding the router base firmly against the fence, I have been able to avoid having it marr or widen the sides of the mortice.[/QUOTE]


I can't see any advantage in cutting in both directions on my jig. You usually need to remove the router between passes anyway, in order to vacuum out the cuttings, so why not cut from right to left on each pass? Removing the cuttings is particularly important when routing blackwood, which has a tendency to burn, if you leave the cuttings in the mortice.

Rocker

[silentC]

You usually need to remove the router between passes anyway, in order to vacuum out the cuttings

Interestingly I've never had to do that. The chips seem to come out by themselves. I can cut a complete mortice without removing the router from the jig. There is some dust in the bottom of the mortice at the end but most of it is on the jig and the floor. Do you have one of those routers with a dust shroud?

If you are looking at the front of the jig (the side opposite the fence winder knob), I usually stand on the right in front of the jig, facing the left. I set the depth stop on the router, plunge at one end of the mortice, plunge at the other, and then lowering the bit a few mm at a time, work back and forth until I reach full depth. It works for me. I've used it on Blackbutt, American White Oak, Oregon and pine without any problems with burning.

As for advantage, I suppose the only advantage is that it is quicker than returning to the opposite end each time before lowering the bit. I wasn't putting it up as the optimum way of using the jig, just as an illustration that it is possible to control a router in either direction if you take a bit of care.

[outback]

I don't vacuum the shavings out either. Using spiral upcuts most of the crud seems to get pulled out, but I admit I have no experience in using blackwood.

I always thought you stood on the opposite side of the fence than the bull, you should definitely not pull him.

[ssgt]

When cutting mortices with my jig it dosnt matter as the jig is designed to be able to feed both ways, I allways use a upcut spiral cutter wich pulls the rubbish out of the socketand the vac removes it. What jig - the Woodrat.