[greig hornor]

Hi....my name is Greig Hornor.....from Spokane, WA.....pretty much a beginner in the woodworking/router world, but learning quickly......look forward to meeting all of you in the forum, sharing ideas, experiences, etc.....am sure i will learn more from you all than i will teach you, at least for a while......and i might as well start now!!
I am trying to make some hearts for my family for a reunion around christmas. They are one piece and have the middle out so it is kind of like a pretzel heart. I made a template thinking i could flush trim the 3/4" stock using the template. But as i make the turn to going around the cross grain portion of the stock, I tear out and split the grain. If you understand what I am trying to make the heart look like, maybe you could offer me some ideas on a better way, or some ideas how to flush trim from a template on circular or oval shape. Thanks and I look forward to chatting with all of you......Greig Hornor

 

[Mike]

Greig, some wood will split no matter how careful you are. Here are a couple of things that may help: Use a 1/4" carbide plunge spiral down cutter on your highest speed. Plunge into the wood 1/4" and make a circuit. Plunge down to 1/2" depth and run the circuit again. Plunge the remaining depth and finish your cut. This should work. If not, try starting your routing in the "bump" of the right hand side of the heart, right in the middle of the grain line. Move in a clockwise direction and stop about the 9 o'clock position. Start in the middle of the left bump and move clockwise to complete the top of the cut. Go back to the 9 o'clock position and complete the cut. Sometimes you have to reverse direction making a climb cut to complete a shape without causing tearout. As long as you control the router and it is for a short distance you should be fine. Template Tom would tell you to build a frame or box around the wood to hold it securely in place, and this isnt a bad idea.

 

[bobj3]

Hi Greig

Here's a trick I use that may help you also.

Take some 1/8" or 1/4" hardboard or brich plywood and make a sandwich with some double sided carpet tape for the toping so to speak. (top and bottom of the sandwich)

The tape will help hold the stock from ripping out but you still need to slow down on the upgrain cut.

Also by using a shear flush trim bit will help, that's a bit that as a angle on the carb. cutters,this will let the bit use a skew angle on the stock.

Shear Angle Flush Trim Bits ▼
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shop...rthtml/pages/bt_flush.html#shear_angle_anchor

Bj