Feeding Too Slowly; Depth Of Cut - RIDGID R29302 Operator's Manual

OPERATION

FEEDINg TOO SLOwLy

See Figure 19, page 21.
It is possible to spoil a cut by moving the router forward too
slowly. When you advance the router into the work too slowly,
the revolving bit does not dig into new wood fast enough
to take a bite; instead, it merely scrapes away sawdust-like
particles. Scraping produces heat, which can glaze, burn,
or mar the cut and in extreme cases, can overheat the bit,
destroying its hardness.
When the bit is scraping instead of cutting, controlling the
router is more difficult. With practically no load on the mo-
tor, the bit revolves at close to top RPM, and has a much
greater than normal tendency to bounce off the sides of
the cut (especially if the wood has a pronounced grain with
hard and soft areas). As a result, the cut produced may have
rippled, instead of straight, sides.
Feeding too slowly can also cause the router to take off in a
wrong direction from the intended line of cut. Always grasp
and hold the router firmly with both hands when routing.
You can detect when you are feeding the router too slowly by
the runaway, high-pitched sound of the motor or by feeling
the wiggle of the bit in the cut.

DEPTH OF CUT

See Figures 20 - 21, page 21.
Depth of cut is important because it affects the rate of feed
that, in turn, affects the quality of the cut and the possibility
of damage to the tool's motor and bit.
A deep cut requires a slower feed than a shallow one. A cut
that is too deep will slow the feed so that the bit is scraping
rather than cutting. A too deep cut can cause smaller bits
to be broken off. Bits that are 1/16 in. in diameter are easily
broken off when subjected to too much side thrust. A large
enough bit is not likely to break, but attempting a cut that
is too deep may result in a rough cut, and it may be difficult
to guide and control the bit as desired. It is recommended
that you do not exceed 1/8 in. depth of cut in a single pass,
regardless of the bit size or the softness or condition of the
workpiece.
To make deeper cuts, make as many successive passes as
needed, lowering the bit 1/8 in. for each new pass. To save
time, perform all the cutting necessary at one depth setting
before lowering the bit for the next pass. This will insure a
uniform depth when you complete the final pass.
NOTE: Do not remove more than 1/8 in. in a single pass.
Excessive depth of cut can result in loss of control and the
possibility of serious personal injury.
14 - English