# Chipping/Tear out/Pitting? on round over on an edge



## bbmonster (Jan 5, 2010)

Anyone have tips to prevent chipping/tear out/pitting/whatever its called when rounding over perpendicular to the grain? First time for me using actual wood, been working with just MDF for small projects before. The wood is pine and I'm using a ryobi 1/2" round over bit and a Hitachi M12VC router in the fixed base. Here's a picture of edge with the pitting (hopefully it shows). 










Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
-Bernard


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

bbmonster said:


> Anyone have tips to prevent chipping/tear out/pitting/whatever its called when rounding over perpendicular to the grain? First time for me using actual wood, been working with just MDF for small projects before. The wood is pine and I'm using a ryobi 1/2" round over bit and a Hitachi M12VC router in the fixed base. Here's a picture of edge with the pitting (hopefully it shows).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


We've got a whole bunch of names but tear-out is appropriate.

Use a sharp bit. Don't be so aggressive with your cuts. Take smaller "bites." Starting from the right make shallow divots every few inches to the left then, route from left to right. use a straight edge guide rather than a bearing. Don't cut to final dimensions, sneak up on it. Come close and finish with sand paper. Even scrapers can't help when end grain is going all over the place. BTW, keeping different size bearings in your bit kit will help "adjust" the depth of cut to allow for stuff like this.

The experts will be along shortly to correct my babble and give you the real goods. This is just to push your query back up to the top of the stack.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Ditto Ron, try a better quality bit. I have used lesser quality bits and some of the better quality bits and the difference is night and day. Check out Router Bits – Rockler – Hundreds of Top-Quality Bits for Every Imaginable Purpose!, Oak Park Enterprises Ltd. - Router Table, Router, Router Bits, Router Jigs, Router Accessories: Home, MLCS Router Bits and Woodworking Products


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bernard

That's very common for pine ( softwoods) run the speed up on the router and make more than one pass.. 3 best for softwoods..

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bbmonster said:


> Anyone have tips to prevent chipping/tear out/pitting/whatever its called when rounding over perpendicular to the grain? First time for me using actual wood, been working with just MDF for small projects before. The wood is pine and I'm using a ryobi 1/2" round over bit and a Hitachi M12VC router in the fixed base. Here's a picture of edge with the pitting (hopefully it shows).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## bbmonster (Jan 5, 2010)

Thanks all. Will pick up a better round over bit and run the router at a higher speed (noticed I had the speed set at 1/2 max when I used it today). I took several passes, dropping the bit by 1/8" each time, so my guess my problem is the bit and speed.


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## fmakrancy (Nov 26, 2018)

I am having the same problem. I have a production setup where I produce about 40 10" X 4" X 3/4" backings with 6 sides. I get the same exact issue, but always on only one side -which happens to be the left 45 degree angle at the top. Sanding is killing my fingers and extremely time consuming. I purchased brand new CMT orange bits and got away from the HFT junk I was using -but even with the brand new CMT Contractor orange ogee bit, I get the same issue on the same corner every time. I am ready to pull my hair out! I have tried making multiple passes -going to the extent of 5, sometimes 6 per time. Some are worse than others. My router does not have a speed control but it is a brand new Kobalt that I got from Lowes. The other 5 corners -including end grain are absolutely beautiful and require no sanding. Anyone have any other suggestions for my problem?

Thanks!
-Fred


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Welcome N/A
you using a table or free hand routering???
suggest you climb cut...

.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Stick486 said:


> Welcome N/A
> you using a table or free hand routering???
> suggest you climb cut...
> 
> .


some timbers especially Pine do tend to have that problem. As has been said, a sharp bit (which you have) must be combined with slow feed and has also been mentioned, a climb cut can be tried but if on a router table the work-piece must be held securely otherwise it can be flung across the shop. If handheld it must be clamped for the same reason.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If you try the climb cut then I would rout most of the profile the regular way and then drop the bit just a fraction more and do the climb cut. The less material you take off that way the easier it will be to control the router.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

All the above is good advice. If all else fails I would run it down to 1/32 proud and use a sanding block to finish up the one spot that is a problem. I have a set of sanding blocks made from the good parts of old belt sander belts that I use a lot on every project. They sure save the fingers. Soft woods tend to do that, the least little variation in the surface causes it to show up on the cut,and end grain can cut nicely in one direction and not the other,
Herb


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## fmakrancy (Nov 26, 2018)

Stick486 said:


> Welcome N/A
> you using a table or free hand routering???
> suggest you climb cut...
> 
> .


I am using a Lowes Router Table with above table fine adjustment option.


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## fmakrancy (Nov 26, 2018)

Stick486 said:


> Welcome N/A
> you using a table or free hand routering???
> suggest you climb cut...
> 
> .


Thank you Stick486 and everyone else who replied! I was VERY surprised to log back on to see 4 replies to my question all in less than 24 hours!!! As a novice with only Jr. High wood shop training -it's nice to have people be so helpful! 

I think that the climb cut setup might be a bit much as I am making 40 pieces every two weeks in a production capacity -plus I don't want to lose any fingers! (My wife would never let me go back out into my shop if that happened! Based on all the reading, and input from your replies -I think that I am going to make a A zero-clearance auxiliary fence. The opening for the router bit as it is now is the width of the entire bit plus about 1/8 inch on each side. The support is not the greatest and the plastic mitre gauge is not very long either -AND there is about 1/16 inch of play in as it sits in the mitre slot. I am starting to understand the benefits of spending more money on the tools that I am buying! I used MDF to lengthen the mitre gauge basically out of the box. I am pretty sure I have some 3/4" oak that I can make a new mitre gauge extension and a zero-clearance auxiliary fence. I should be able to use the clamp system that came with the router table to hold it all in place. I'll let you all know my progress when I get to it in a few weeks. I posted pictures of what I am making -thought maybe it will help in case I missed something in my explanation of the problem.

Thanks again everyone! I think I am going to like it here


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

to cut the zero clearance in the fence - let the bit do it..
slide the fence into the bit up to the bearing...
mark the bearing's location...
make a cut out for it..

w/ all that play and slop you have in your equipment it's a no wonder you are experiencing tearout..


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

FWIW...
Pine is notorious for wild grain...


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## gdonham1 (Oct 31, 2011)

When routing end grain it is always ready to tear out. If you are routing end grain always route that first. If you have a little corner tear out the pass on the long grain will many times cover it up. If possible route the end grain first but clamp or otherwise back up the corner with another board that is clamped or hot glued or carpet taped. If your project is repetitive then make a jig that would clamp to your project. Unsupported end grain on the right side of a board is very easy to tear out because the router is spinning against the grain and on the right corner there is nothing to keep the grain from flying off. So backup the corner and your problem will go away. 

If backing up the corner is not practical then start by climb cutting (routing backwards) for just a little on the corner and see if that improves your cut quality. Climb cutting can be hazardous because your router tries to run away. Plus the bit is still turning in the direction to knock off the grain of the wood on the corner. 

But most importantly route the end grain first and usually the long grain route will cover up any tear out. As others pointed the smaller the bit diameter the faster the router should run. Make multiple passes when ever possible. By making multiple passes you are removing less material each time and you get a smoother cut quality. Sharp bits are always required. A diamond stone on the flat of the bit will touch up slightly worn bits but if you have ran hundreds of feet of lumber over a bit then it is time to chunk it and buy a new one.


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## fmakrancy (Nov 26, 2018)

So I also have another theory on what I think is tear out and I am now wondering if my problem is actually tear out or if it is just crappy lumber. I was at Menards -where I purchase all of the lumber for these bottle openers and took the picture below thinking someone on this forum could shed some light on the subject. I buy this lumber in 4X6, 4X8, 4X10, or 4X12. The length i choose all depends on the end grain that is visible in the picture. I will choose the end grain with the least amount of pitting that is the least warped in whichever length meets these requirements and then cut to length in my shop that my wife constantly reminds me is just a garage. every once and a while I will luck out and find one that has no pitting on either side of the grain and is very straight -but it is a rarity. I have been told that when the wood is pitted like in the picture below, it is because it was harvested too young and was waterlogged (for lack of a better word) over its short life. When I have no choice and have orders that must be fulfilled, I will purchase this pitted wood if good non-pitted lumber is unavailable on the shelf. When I cut it down into 10.5 inch lengths and compare it to a non-pitted piece of the same length, the weight difference can be anywhere between 20% - 25%. Does anyone think that the problem I could be experiencing could be more of a lumber issue and less of an equipment issue? Thought I would ask just to get an expert opinion on the subject... Thanks in advance!
-Fred


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

It may be indicative of boards that are more prone to do it. Trees, particularly evergreens, grow early wood (spring and early summer) and late wood (late summer and early fall). The smoother bands of end grain are late wood which is denser and harder than the early wood. The early wood is what is tearing out. You might have better luck by picking out the boards with the widest early growth bands showing. Eliminating the ones which had the worst tearout from the trim saws might help too but that might have just been the difference between a sharp trim saw and a dull one.


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## fmakrancy (Nov 26, 2018)

I solved the tear out problem that I was having! I am not sure exactly it the problem was the fence or the mitreguage or a combination of both. I ended up trying to run the wood through not relying on the mitre gauge and realized that the more pressure I put on the bearing as I slid my work through, the less pitting there would be. Once I stopped using the miter gauge and fence altogether and put a medium amount of pressure on the wood against the bearing, my pieces all turned out with zero pitting/tearout! I am including a picture of the unsanded -nearly finished product as it came right off the table. I am ecstatic! My life just got so much easier! Thank you to all who contributed input to my problem! Love this forum!!!


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