# Safe Use of Finger Pull Bit?



## Chris_8 (Feb 8, 2017)

I've looked around a bit on the internet for the answer to what I thought would be a pretty simple problem without luck - hoping I can find some help here.

I bought a new finger pull router bit to rout drawer edge profiles that allow you to open a drawer without a pull (Freud 99-065). What I didn't know was that, on 3/4" stock, the bit removes material on both the top and bottom of the board, meaning when I use it on a router table, the outfeed side doesn't make contact with the fence, just the infeed side. This is all good until I get to the end, in which case I'm not sure how the material will be supported to give me a clean (and safe) cut.

I know this is basic - but I' relatively new to using a table-mounted router, and any help would be appreciated.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

welcome to the forums Chris...

add a face the thickness needed to to bring the fence on coplaner...

reset the fence till you aren't removing material... 
I think this is your issue... if you end up w/ a faint flat spot on the radii either accept it or hand sand it away....


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I think I would shim out the out feed side of the fence ,like Stick suggests, til it is bearing on the radius. You are right that if you don't you will get a snipe at the end of the cut. 

Another not so nice way is to leave extra material at the end of the drawer front for the snipe and recut it for length afterwards.

Another way might be to build a sled to clamp the part into and have it long enough so that it finishes the cut and has enough length to keep it bearing on the fence.
Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

The board will make contact with the outfeed fence if you set it properly. You need to set the fences flush with the narrowest radius of the bit. (By the way this also works with bullnose bits.) Take a round dowel equal to or smaller than the radius of the bit and rotate the bit so that the cutter is at it's maximum distance from the fence and then lay the dowel in the curve and set the fence(s) flush with the dowel. It may take a couple of pieces of scrap to get it perfect. If you need to adjust that finely only loosen one side of the fence and move it only and just a tiny nudge at a time. You are really better off to leave a small flat there if it comes to it than to take off so much that it causes a snipe at the end. A tiny flat is easily sanded round and you will probably need to sand a little anyway.

I prefer hardware free doors myself but when I do a drawer front for example I usually only do the middle section of the drawer front bottom so that would eliminate the setup issues and any chance of snipe. It's easy to do, you just make a start and stop marks on your fence and then lever the work into the bit to start and lever it away from the fence when it's time to stop.


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## Chris_8 (Feb 8, 2017)

OK - I admit I needed to take out a pencil and sketch that out, but I get it! Thank you very much!


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Chris.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

The first photo shows the finger pull I have put on doors where a relatively "plain" edge profile, typically just a small roundover, was wanted. I used a cove bit and set stops on the door so I could rout in a couple of steps.

The second shows a drawer pull with no hardware. I had a template that I used to cut the basic hole and then a cove bit on the backside and a small roundover on the front. The limit was always having enough remaining flat to guide the bearing on the roundover bit after cutting the cove. After being educated on this forum, I'd probably make a second (larger) template for cutting the cove with a round nose bit and template bushing after cutting the roundover.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

In the new gripper DVD I was just looking at it shows how to do that by just using the gripper to push the stick through. The gripper guides along the fence and keeps the board lined up the whole way not allowing the it to move into or away from the bit as it finishes the cut. 
I learned something new.
Herb


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Chris...may have found something that might help what you are doing...if you get Fine Wood Working magazine check out April 2017 issue No. 260, page 16...workshop tips...

It shows a sled that could be fashioned for your use...don't make it too thick if you consider this approach: will likely cause bit height issues.

Another approach might be to use a piece of wood as a "backer" and use the backer to register your piece rather than the fence. This would then keep the piece to be profiled at the proper distance when exiting the cut...


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