I purchased one of your Stile and Rail router bit sets from my local dealer. I looked at the instructions and there was not a specific listing for your set. However, other similar sets said to run at 16,000 RPM (I believe that was to correct number) I set my router speed to what other similar routers bits were and I got a lot of splintering from inside the groove and a little edge. Most of these doors are going to have glass panes in them, so the splintering will show when the door is open. The doors are all made out of red oak. Any thoughts or recommendations as to what I did wrong?
- Jim
Ontario, CA
Our Expert
Oak is very dense and the grain is coarse which can make it difficult to work. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Cut the profiles on the ends first--using this method allows you to shape away minor splintering along the edge.
2. Mill the stock slightly oversized in width--after shaping the ends you can rip the stock to final width to remove splintering
3. Attach a backing board to the miter gauge--the backing board will help to minimize splintering on the trailing edge.
4. When shaping the edges use several light passes--light passes will usually minimize tearout.
5. Try reducing the feed rate--this also lightens the cut, just don't go so slow that you create a glazed or burned surface.
If this does not solve the problem please let us know.
