# residu build up on bit & excessive heat



## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

I was using a 1/2" strait bit with a 1/2" shank (shear down, whatever that means) to cut out two table tops from 3/4" plywood. I took three passes to cut out each top, one top was 24" in diameter the other was only 18". Seems the bit got kind of hot and there was a build up on the bottom 1/4". I was running at 23,000RPM using a 2 1/4 HP Ridgid R 2930 router. I am wondering if the residue is from the resin that is used to glue up plywood and the subsiquent heat from the drag on the bit? I have the beast soaking in WD-40 and may change it to mineral spirits. I will say that the router didn't seem to care about what was going on, didn't slow down one "bit"---sorry for the pun. I'm not sure where I obtained the thing--maybe that's the problem.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI xplorx4

They make a cleaner just for that ,,, 
" WD-40 and mineral spirits " will not cut it 

Here's just one of many 
SOMMERFELD'S OWN BIT & BLADE
http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BBCL-16OZ
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This kit will remove pitch and resin from your cutters, eliminating excess heat and friction, and keeping your router bits running cool for clean cuts and a long life. Includes 8 ounce bottle of Pitch and Resin Remover (makes 1 quart), brass-bristled scrub brush and a plastic jar with lid. 

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18045&filter=router bit cleaner

see PDF file below

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xplorx4 said:


> I was using a 1/2" strait bit with a 1/2" shank (shear down, whatever that means) to cut out two table tops from 3/4" plywood. I took three passes to cut out each top, one top was 24" in diameter the other was only 18". Seems the bit got kind of hot and there was a build up on the bottom 1/4". I was running at 23,000RPM using a 2 1/4 HP Ridgid R 2930 router. I am wondering if the residue is from the resin that is used to glue up plywood and the subsiquent heat from the drag on the bit? I have the beast soaking in WD-40 and may change it to mineral spirits. I will say that the router didn't seem to care about what was going on, didn't slow down one "bit"---sorry for the pun. I'm not sure where I obtained the thing--maybe that's the problem.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Thank you for that "bit" of information, Your from Littleton, CO. I used to live in Colorado, 1967 to 1976. been back many times. Lived in Colorado Springs, La Junta, Pueblo and Ft. Morgan. Used to Jeep the high Country and still so when I can get the Wrangler out there, hopefully this summer again. Lived up in Wyoming too. Gillette and Casper. I do so miss the mountians, 

Good talking to you, again some time i'm sure


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi xplorx4

Yep the mountains in Colorado are great for jeeping and for fishing,,I have got lost many times in the hills but that's the best way to find the trials  but now with the new maps and the GPS it's hard to get lost 

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xplorx4 said:


> Thank you for that "bit" of information, Your from Littleton, CO. I used to live in Colorado, 1967 to 1976. been back many times. Lived in Colorado Springs, La Junta, Pueblo and Ft. Morgan. Used to Jeep the high Country and still so when I can get the Wrangler out there, hopefully this summer again. Lived up in Wyoming too. Gillette and Casper. I do so miss the mountians,
> 
> Good talking to you, again some time i'm sure


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

News here in Ohio says you are getting snowed in Bj? Just how deep is it really?


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## Bogydave (Nov 14, 2008)

After soaking & cleaning the bits, should a small drop of oil be applied to the bearings? (turbine oil for high speed & temp).
Removing the bearings before cleaning may be the answer. 
I saw somewhere years ago that occasionally you should give router bearing bits a drop of oil using a hypodermic needle. Any merit to it?


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

New Lebanon! I am originally from Bedford Hts Ohio, that is south east Cleveland. My wife is from Kidron Ohio. That is up there between Wooster and Canton, (Wayne County), smack in the middle of Amish country. When I saw the beard and that you were from Ohio----well just had to check the town location. I left Ohio in 1962 when I joined the Navy and, other then to visit, never went back. I like it up there in the Kidron area, but just liked it better other places. Of all the places we have lived, and it has been a bunch, we like Dallas, GA. I just wish there were some places to go "Jeepin" that were closer by. Winters are mild here for the most part, and summers though hot are not too long and humid like Houston Tx is, lived there for 17 years. Well will visit later, its nearly 4AM need to spend some quiet time with the Lord.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Dave

In Littleton we only have about 2" on the ground if that, up north of the city they got 4" up in the hills west of town got 12" up in Aspen/Vail 3 ft..

...



Dr.Zook said:


> News here in Ohio says you are getting snowed in Bj? Just how deep is it really?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Dave

This is just my 2 cents 

I don't put the bits in the cleaner , I like to use the spray bottle ,little shot and wipe them off,,,,the bearings are the sealed type but I do wipe them down also...if I find a bearing that is stuck I replace with a new one..they are cheap the norm,,,about a buck or two...or pull a good used one out of the box and use that one...some say why do you buy cheap bits ? sometimes just for the bearings...a bearing is a bearing....and if I wipe a bit out I always keep the bearing and that little hard to find screw..that seem to roll off/drop off on to the floor and lost forever .. 

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Bogydave said:


> After soaking & cleaning the bits, should a small drop of oil be applied to the bearings? (turbine oil for high speed & temp).
> Removing the bearings before cleaning may be the answer.
> I saw somewhere years ago that occasionally you should give router bearing bits a drop of oil using a hypodermic needle. Any merit to it?


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## AlanZ (Aug 21, 2008)

Is a "shear down" bit the same as a downcut spiral bit? If so, I'd think that it's not optimal for multi-pass cutting. That is, the waste is forced towards the tip of the bit, which would cause problems.

It's my understanding that downcut bits are great for trimming veneers or laminates on the top of a table, so that no upward pressure is put on the thin layer.

So, could your choice of bits be the problem? Or am I confusing terms here?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi AlanZ

This is just my 2 cents 

I always use a bit that pulls the stock out, I don't need any help holding the router down to the stock, the weight of the router takes care of that job, or if I use the bit in the router table I want the stock to come out of the slot and when I push the stock over by the bit I have my weight doing that job. (holding the stock down ) 

To me it's like using a drill bit backwards, I know if I do that it will just not work very well..  I'm not trying to rim the hole I want the stock to come out of the hole...
======

Spiral Upcut and Downcut Router Bits

2 flute flat bottom cutters. Top quality micrograin solid carbide. 
Will cut faster, smoother and stays sharper longer. Produces a very clean, fast and accurate cut with minimal chatter. 

Upcut spiral helps remove material. 
Ideal for making mortise and tenon joints. 

Downcut spirals help hold the material in place while using handheld routers. 

Will plunge cut and plane edges. 
Eliminates chipping at the top of the cut. Ideal for soft & hard woods, plywoods & composites, laminates, plastics and some non-ferrous metals. 

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_solid.html#spiral_up_anchor
=======\\
Compression Up/Down Spiral Router Bit

This 2 flute solid carbide bit is needed to get clean, chip-free and splinter-free cuts in composite sheet goods such as Melamine or 2-sided Formica/Laminates and veneered plywood. The Up-shear/Down-shear design of the bit cuts toward the center of the sheet from both sides at once, saving time and eliminating waste.





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AlanZ said:


> Is a "shear down" bit the same as a downcut spiral bit? If so, I'd think that it's not optimal for multi-pass cutting. That is, the waste is forced towards the tip of the bit, which would cause problems.
> 
> It's my understanding that downcut bits are great for trimming veneers or laminates on the top of a table, so that no upward pressure is put on the thin layer.
> 
> So, could your choice of bits be the problem? Or am I confusing terms here?


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

AlanZ Whether or not you are confusing terms, I would have no idea, being that "if you put all I know about routers into a thimble it would rattle around like a "BB" in a box car" However your analysis makes sense, when I ordered the bit, I ordered it as a downcut spiral bit. I had read that it would cut better and when I ordered it it was to trim the edges fo my router table and to true those up. In the future I will be getting the correct bit . BYB I know know what a "Damn Yankee" is, it's a yankee that moved to the South and stayed. 

Yep thats us! 
(just a note, my grandfather was from NJ)


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## AlanZ (Aug 21, 2008)

Bob,

I don't think it so much a matter of holding the router down to the stock, as much as it is keeping the veneer from being pulled up by the bit (and possibly weakening the glue bond) towards the router. 

In general, a spiral upcut bit seems more useful in more situations, but for laminate trimming and veneers, a downcut bit seems like a good idea.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

bobj3, just wanted to thank you for the information, got the stuff from Summerfield this week and sure enouth, it cleaned the thing right up. So now that I know that, I will become a fanatic and keep every thing clean, BTB you know what the definition of a fanatic is?, "some one who has lost sight of the objective and redoubled their efforts"!! Well maybe I'll just keep them clean and do away with that "fanatic" stuff.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

You're Welcome

It's great stuff ,,, I put the bits on the bench after I use them then I sit down a do a bit of cleaning them up b/4 I put them in the boxes or case..

I'm not sure what's in the stuff but it cleans very well..I also use it on the truck to remove tar off the fenders and the nasty sap off pine the trees,it's water base so I mix up some in a spray bottle to remove the junk off my truck 

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xplorx4 said:


> bobj3, just wanted to thank you for the information, got the stuff from Summerfield this week and sure enouth, it cleaned the thing right up. So now that I know that, I will become a fanatic and keep every thing clean, BTB you know what the definition of a fanatic is?, "some one who has lost sight of the objective and redoubled their efforts"!! Well maybe I'll just keep them clean and do away with that "fanatic" stuff.


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## mountaindew (Nov 30, 2008)

in a pinch ammonia works well for dirty saw blades and router bits!


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

I got to be honest with you, but when I first started to use it on the one really bad bit it turned yellow and frankly smelled like urine. Made me wonder at first if I "wasted" some money?


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

xplorx4 said:


> Seems the bit got kind of hot and there was a build up on the bottom 1/4".


Hi,

Since no one has asked, has the bit changed colors? If it has, trash it.

There is a gum remover on the market made specifically for cleaning bits & blades. I don't like to "soak" bits with the bearings left on. Granted these bearings are sealed but, doesn't take much of the solution to get inside and destroy the bearing.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Ya I take the bearings off before putting in the solution. I think that is left over from my 4X4 days. Always clean up after a run and check the bearings and fluid levels.


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## woodshopdemos (Oct 13, 2008)

T he shear cut is similar to the spiral but not as aggresive. Use it. I dont think youc an router the ply without some burning...it is the nature of the beast. The glue used between the layers is going to over heat and burn but it doesnt effect the cut. BUT cleaning the bit has to be more frequently. If you can stop the routing and clean the burn as soon as it happens it is way easier to clean. Let it burn on for awhile and then soaking may be the only answer. I use CMT blade and bit cleaner. Drop the bit intoit and let soak 5 minutes. Use small brass brush to clean alloff. The dry and oil. I use router bit lubriccant from Empire but any will do. Over oiling isnt a problem.


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