I’ve been working with some red oak for a cabinet I am making. When I route small, 1/4″ rounded edge cuts — in a router table — I often get what appears to be burn. These are almost impossible to sand out. The router bit was brand new right out of the box so it’s not a dull bit. What am I doing wrong here? I suspect it’s happening when I pause to change hand positions while feeding the wood through, thus leaving the wood stationary momentarily.
Rob Johnstone: You have properly identified the cause of the burning. It is best to feed your stock across the bit at a steady and constant feed rate. (The router should not be bogging down from a too fast speed, nor burning consistently from a too slow speed. Like baby bears porridge, the feed rate should be “just right”.) If you need to change hand positions to such an extent that you can’t continue to feed the stock in a controlled manner … pull the wood away from the bit until you are properly re-positioned…then begin cutting anew.
