Quick routing question

the_jaffa

I've just cut my piece of alder down to just larger than my body shape template using a friend's bandsaw. So I now have a body ready for routing. I have a couple of millimetres of excess around the template so a good close trim.

My question is; what depth of cut can I go with? I have a brand new 1" deep router bit (top bearing) available but I'm not sure whether that might be too deep in one hit. I've seen videos of people doing it in a oner but that is with a router table. I only have a hand router available (a Bosch POF for reference).

Can anyone help guide me?

Thank you

TTony

the_jaffa said:

Can anyone help guide me?

That's what the top bearing is for

I've always been advised to do a more passes of less depth rather than fewer passes of more depth.  The more work you give the router to do, the more risk there is of something going slightly awry.

I'd do it in max 10mm passes (assuming that your template is thick enough to allow that).

the_jaffa

That's what I'd thought too but most of the videos I've seen show it being done in fewer passes.

Think I'll stick with what I already thought and what you're also suggesting and go slow and often

Sambostar

Agree slow and often.  If your force it with a 2" router death bit on a sub £400 router and are taking off anything over a tenth of a mm, you will get splinters, burns, bounces and router dents.  Slow and no pressure and stepped in passes it will be perfect, so long as your router table/body is flat.

Sporky

You can do deeper passes when there's less to trim and when you're confident about reading the grain. Otherwise I'd say 10mm is sensible, but take it easy.

The other approach is full depth but with a  larger bearing for the first pass.

axisus

When making a guitar there are no prizes for finishing first.

WezV

axisus;1007286" said:

When making a guitar there are no prizes for finishing first.

Maybe a Darwin award

the_jaffa

Slow and steady it is then. Cool. Just ordered a new short cutter