# Cutting bevels



## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

So I am new to cutting bevels on my rputer table . I make stave drums . I have a 11.25 degtre chamfer bit with a bearing I need to make each side of 16 staves 11.25 degrees . I am used to doing it with a table saw bit need help doing it with a router. What advice can anyone give me ? Keep bearing flush with the fence . incramental passes . start with the bit low and each pass raise it ? Need help 


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Welcome to the forum. First of all keep your fingers away from the bit. In case you didn't know they love fingers this time of day. I would raise the the bit as high as it needs to go and take light cuts by hiding the bit with your fence and pushing the back a little at a time. You also need to do some test cuts to see how much of a bevel you want. In woodworking what ever your doing always test first. Don't ever run your work between the bit and the fence in other words run your work on the outside of the bit. Use some feather boards to help you hold the work against the fence. If you can push the work through at a steady pace and try not to stop especially on the last pass. That will give you a better finish.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

hog cut the stave on the TS and save the drop for future use...
set the in/out sides of the fence flush..
finish cut the stave on the RT w/ the bearing a fuzz behind/set back from the face of the fence..


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## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

Stick486 said:


> hog cut the stave on the TS and save the drop for future use...
> set the in/out sides of the fence flush..
> finish cut the stave on the RT w/ the bearing a fuzz behind/set back from the face of the fence..


When you do the final pass on the router table. Would you want the top of the Stave to ride against the bearing at all?

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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I can think of 2 possible ways. One is the leave a tiny flat on the edge where the bearing will ride. You'll have to turn, plane, or sand the small gap between the flats down to smooth if you do it that way. The second method is attach another piece on top of the one you are routing with either 2 sided tape or a couple of dabs of glue from a hot melt gun. This way you can taper the full edge and still have a surface for the bearing to ride on. And yes, you do set the bearing flush with the fence but you don't have to use the fence if you don't want to. It does make the operation a little safer if you do use the fence.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

drmccubx said:


> When you do the final pass on the router table. Would you want the top of the Stave to ride against the bearing at all?
> 
> Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


I wouldn't.. 
the bearing will cause any irregularities in the final cut that it rides over be it dimples, dents, roughness (saw marks), or bumps...
depending on the fence gives you better control on straightness...


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## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

when I went to cut the bevels . because of lack of experience. I set the fence to cut just about 1/4 the way up the stave. Figuring to cut a tiny bit at a time. it was fine because the stave was up against the fence until the end of the stave. For some reason at the end of the stave , the stave moved "in" , "towards" the router bit cutting a slight bit more than the rest of the length of the stave . so imagine a nice cut of the bevel on the bottom . maybe 1/4 inch up the stave , but close to the end of the stave, maybe one inch from the end , "where the router bit opening is" it cut up close to 1/2 inch . I could feel it click at that point. very strange . so , I was thinking well if it is about making several small passes. then use the bearing to my advantage. put the bearing parallel with the fence. perfectly in line that is , then with each pass , raise the bit so there is always some wood on the bearing. once I get to the top I could put the double sided tape and sacrificial rectangle piece to have the bearing ride against ? But cutting the bevel first on the table saw makes sense . then using a piece of wood with perfect 90 degree sides for the final pass on the router table using the double sided tape would work. 
the wood I am using is pricy and I don't want to mess it up. I was hoping that using a router would help with accuracy every time. the more input I get from you all the better . THANKS,!!!


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## CharlesWebster (Nov 24, 2015)

"the wood I am using is pricy and I don't want to mess it up"

Then follow Hawkeye10's advice of making test cuts. I learned that lesson the hard way, ruining many board feet of expensive wood. In fact, I generally make a "prototype" that includes all the necessary pieces so I can work out all the steps and processes. Only when I have made a successful prototype from cheap stock will I risk a piece of "the real wood."


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Still skip using the bearing...
make the fence proud of the bearing...
you make in-feed and out-feed faces flush or the out-feed fence face proud of the in-feed by say the thickness of of a layer of masking tape...



> the stave moved "in" , "towards" the router bit cutting a slight bit more than the rest of the length


fence faces and bearing were not flush or the fence offset was backwards...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

CharlesWebster said:


> "the wood I am using is pricy and I don't want to mess it up"
> 
> Then follow Hawkeye10's advice of making test cuts. I learned that lesson the hard way, ruining many board feet of expensive wood. In fact, I generally make a "prototype" that includes all the necessary pieces so I can work out all the steps and processes. Only when I have made a successful prototype from cheap stock will I risk a piece of "the real wood."


excellent...


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## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

Stick486 said:


> excellent...


So always have bearing flush or close to flush with fences ?

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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

drmccubx said:


> So always have bearing flush or close to flush with fences ?
> 
> Sent from my SM-T900 using Tapatalk


in this case...
yes...


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

I am not one of them but some of these guys are really good woodworkers and they are the. There is another good rule and that is to keep your cut off's you can never tell you might need them.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

hawkeye10 said:


> . There is another good rule and that is to keep your cut off's you can never tell you might need them.


didn't I just say that earlier...
am I off yur B'day list too now???


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## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

hawkeye10 said:


> I am not one of them but some of these guys are really good woodworkers and they are the. There is another good rule and that is to keep your cut off's you can never tell you might need them.


I always keep cut offs. So I know what I need to do . now its gather scrap and test each of the ideas and find the ones I like the best that work flawlessly and then .only agter lots of tests going for it. By the way the wood is quarter sawn Santos mahogany .lots of ribbon stripes

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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

drmccubx said:


> I always keep cut offs.. now its gather scrap...


or it's...
whole 'nother project..
edge banding..
inlays..
ornate splines..
lay ups for larger pieces...
ring boxes..
dunage...
stickers..
stir sticks..


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

drmccubx said:


> By the way the wood is quarter sawn Santos mahogany .lots of ribbon stripes


we need pictures....


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## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

Check,it out









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## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

Stick486 said:


> we need pictures....


Here it is









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## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

Here it is









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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

gorgeous... oh the character...
now where's the finished project..


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## drmccubx (Nov 21, 2017)

In time I'll post some pictures

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