# Router Alignment Problem?



## camio (Aug 17, 2012)

Hi, this is my first post. I just purchased a used Ryobi R163 router off of craigslist and I attempted to use a new 1/2" round-over bit on a piece of wood. Everything went fine until I turned the corner at which point the bit dug in a little more than normal making something that looked like a beading on the top of the wood.

I inspected the router and it looks like the bit axis is not perfectly perpendicular to the base plate. Is there any way to fix this? Is it time for me to get a new router?

TIA,

David


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## giradman (Jul 23, 2012)

Hi *David* - welcome to the forum! 

I'm assuming that the router you bought second-hand is the one shown below? If so, the first issues to consider are the router & bit - I would suspect that the bit itself & the alignment in the router are correct? If so, then technique is the next issue - this might be the problem if the bit shifted while routing due to improper placement and/or poor fit - you might want to try again w/ the same setup or explain your situation in greater depth. Just a beginning - good luck! Dave


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum, David.

I presume it was a bearing guided bit?


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

This is just a guess but I am wondering if the router tipped going around the corner? David, you can provide support for your router to prevent that by fastening a piece of material the same thickness as your wood to the bottom of the router or just placing extra pieces around the perimiter.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

That router has an adjustment bolt on the lock level that locks the routers height adjustment. See if locking that lever holds the router body without play. If not, unlock the lever, tighten that bolt, lock the lever... until it does. Next, take the shaft at the chuck and see if there's any vertical movement. I so, that would imply worn bearings. 

If neither, then there's not a whole lot of other moving parts in a router that would cause that --> Then I'd side with Mike on router technique. 

If it is a bit with a bearing, as most round-over bits are and the surface the bearing is riding on is not smooth, then those imperfections are going to be multiplied in the cutting surface. Especially on corners. I sand mine smooth to try to prevent that. That resulting problem will look like beading of rounded lines vertically up the corner edge.

If the router tilts or lifts up off the work, then if will also show in the cutting surface. That problem will look less like the beading above, sort of like beading, but looks more like waves.

If a dull bit. then sometimes it'll get a chatter as it goes along the grain of the wood and transitions to the cross-grain. That problem looks more like a rough crackly uneven cut, rather than a beading like you described.

That is all the possibilities that I can think of that would cause that.


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## StevePixley (Aug 10, 2012)

camio said:


> Hi, this is my first post. I just purchased a used Ryobi R163 router off of craigslist and I attempted to use a new 1/2" round-over bit on a piece of wood. Everything went fine until I turned the corner at which point the bit dug in a little more than normal making something that looked like a beading on the top of the wood.
> 
> I inspected the router and it looks like the bit axis is not perfectly perpendicular to the base plate. Is there any way to fix this? Is it time for me to get a new router?
> 
> ...


You may encounter some minor difficulties, depending on the router model you are using. But don't trust me because I dont have a router but would like to get one.
If you are satisfied with yours , please post here your review.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

One way to check to see if the router is off axis to the base or if the shaft is bent is to chuck a common 1/4" drill bit, or 1/2" if the collet is big enough, and check it from several sides with a square. The tip of the bit will move in a circle if the shaft is bent.


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

I'm thinkin' you lost control around the corner.
You could get it back.
Notwithstanding, the casting could be bent, typical from a second hand tool.
It could have been (occurred) in production but most likely the router hit the deck.
Put a 1/2" (or 1/4") steel rod in the collet, remove the subbase, & compare its squareness to the base casting. If it is out of square: Scrap the router.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Jus a different thought on this. When the router was cutting fine were you cutting the side of the board with the grain, then when you turned the corner you began cutting across the grain? Cutting across the grain, especially at the corners, can cause problems.

To do this you should cut the two ends across the grain first. That way if the corner splinters any the router will remove the splintering when you make the next two cuts with the grain. This helps most of the time, but you still may have problems if the wood is prone to splintering. For these cases you should reduce the amount of material removal and make additional passes. For round over bits, cove bits, and ogee bits you can just adjust the depth of cut on the router. For slot cutters and rail/style bits you will need to change the diameter of the bearing or use a fence to prevent the bearing from touching on the first pass or passes. 

You also need to keep the router from tipping as you round the corner as others have suggested.

Charley


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## Chris Curl (Feb 13, 2012)

Mike said:


> This is just a guess but I am wondering if the router tipped going around the corner? David, you can provide support for your router to prevent that by fastening a piece of material the same thickness as your wood to the bottom of the router or just placing extra pieces around the perimiter.


just to expand on this a little ... 

since less than 1/2 of the router base is riding on the work piece, the part on the outside of the piece is not supported, which would make it fairly easy to tip, especially when doing things like going around corners.

so i think people are recommending to either attach a piece the same thickness just to the part of the base that goes around the outside of the work piece, or surround the work piece with more pieces the same thickness ... the idea being to ensure that the outside part of the router base is supported as well.


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

"since less than 1/2 of the router base is riding on the work piece,"
***************************
On a corner, 90 degrees or less, <20% of a round casting footprint is on the work!!
Impossible to stay flat around the turn.
************


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hard to do with a hand router but very easy on a router table, very big foot print..


==


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## camio (Aug 17, 2012)

Thank you all for your helpful replies! 


 Giradman's photograph is correct. 
 The bit is a brand new whiteside bit.
 It seems like the bit depth on the workpiece changed based on the orientation of the router. ie. if the handles were perpendicular to the work piece, it cut deeper than when the handles were parallel to the work piece.
 This is a bearing guided bit.
 The work piece isn't thick enough for me to do the routing right on the table, so what I did was clamp it to my workbench on the edge. It seems like this would make Mike's very neat suggestions not apply unfortunately.
 I did take the clamp entirely off the router and noticed there was a lot of saw dust under there. I wonder if cleaning that out might bring better alignment.
 There doesn't seem to be any play when the whole thing is tightened up.
 I'll definately try the drill bit/rod + square method.
 CharleyL: thanks for the cutting against the grain tips. I was cutting with the grain and then went against it.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

David, sawdust is a problem if it builds up. In the future we make our cuts across the grain, with the grain, across the grain and with the grain. This eliminates any problems with tear out. An unsupportede board is asking for problems. A good solution is to place a sacrificial board on top of your bench and then clamp to it.


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## giltic (Sep 27, 2010)

The first step would be to clean the router. Don't forget to clean the collet.
The next step would be to measure, if the bit is perpendicular to router base.


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