# fenceless routing



## _fernando_ (Mar 3, 2014)

I have a router table but I don't have bits with a bearing, can I do fenceless routing with regular bits? Also, is it absolutely necessary to use guiding pin for this operation?
thank you in advance for your help


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

To answer you first quest, no, I would not consider free-handing a work piece on the router table. If you don't have a fence on the table, you can use a straight piece of stock for one. The second question, the guide pin is used for keeping the work piece steady while moving into a bit that has a bearing. Once the work piece is against the bearing, you do not need to be against the guide pin.


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## _fernando_ (Mar 3, 2014)

First, thank you for your fast replay. I think I might've used the wrong term, what I meant by fenceless routing is to rout curved shapes using the bearing against the stock, as for the guiding pin, my question actually is: "is it absolutely necessary to use guiding pin '"


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

yes you can do it without a pin but it is dangerous cause it grabs the wood, my question why would want to!


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

fernandito said:


> First, thank you for your fast replay. I think I might've used the wrong term, what I meant by fenceless routing is to rout curved shapes using the bearing against the stock, as for the guiding pin, my question actually is: "is it absolutely necessary to use guiding pin '"


Examples below.
I use a flush trim bit (with top bearing) and a template to cut the final shape of the workpiece after rough cutting it with a jig saw.

Then I use a round-over bit (bottom bearing) to ease the sharp edges.
Hope this helps.
Mike


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

I guess the question is are you hand routing or table routing?
I made the assumption that you were using a table .


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## The Hobbyist (Apr 25, 2015)

I worked in a wood craft production shop way back in 1990 where they had TWO men per router. There was no fence. The bit had a bearing at the top. The wood blocks would be cut out on a bandsaw to achieve the basic shapes, and the "edgers" would put a 3/8" radius on all edges of all pieces using the router tables. The pieces were cut out of 2x6 lumber, so the bearing would hit the piece about 1/2 way up.

One man was on each side of the table. Man #1 would place the wooden shape on the table, edge up to the bit, hit the bearing, and put a radius on one edge of the piece. The moment he pulled it away to position it for the next cut, man #2 would approach the bit from the opposite side and do the same thing. 

Each time a man would pull a piece away from the router bit, the other man would immediately put a piece against the bit and route an edge from the other side. This allowed for nearly 90% time efficiency in routing the many THOUSANDS of wooden shapes they would route every day. The bits were almost ALWAYS cutting a radius into the wooden products. The shop had several router tables. It would take a few days for an "E-Team" to learn to work together and get their timing down so the work would not pile up next to their table. Once matched, the E-teams worked together every single day on the same table. If one edger was sick, the other edger would be matched with a pre-selected and tested alternate from another department for the day, or be put on another machine. It was like watching two men drive a circus tent stake into the ground with sledge hammers! I respected those men. Talk about a need to FOCUS!!! The edgers had the most dangerous job in the plant.

Once in a while, an edger would lose his grip. A few fingers went into the router bits in the year I worked there. Stitches were common, and a doctor was always on call nearby. The shop had a big pile of white cloths and an ice machine. Just like my thumb going into the bandsaw blade on occasion, the edgers knew that once in a while, they'd shave off a fingernail or something. It was just part of the job. Most of the injuries were just deep cuts to the finger pads or a lost nail.

I got to where I would know when it happened, just by the sound. First, a sort of rapid click as the bit grabbed the wood, and them a piece of wood would fly across the shop and hit the far wall or something. 

The edgers were the next station over from the bandsaws, run by the "shapers." I was a shaper. There were four bandsaws. We got planks of wood from the "stampers" who used curved rubber stamps to roll the patterns onto the planks. I could cut about 450 pieces in a day, but there was a girl there who ALWAYS beat me by a few pieces, no matter how fast I moved. If I did 460, she did 472, etc. We weren't paid by the piece, but after you cut the same shape 8,000 times on a bandsaw, it becomes muscle memory and you just naturally get _really_ fast!

Our pieces would be inspected and sorted (keep/seconds/discard) by the "buyers" (Would you buy this?) They would determine whether the piece was first class, a 'second,' or to be rejected, based on the shape, the edge, and any knots or other undesirable characteristics.

After the shapers cut them, and they were passed to the edgers, the "sanders" would take them, then they went to the "sorters," the "taggers" (paper labels), the "shrinkers" (shrink wrap) and the "Packers" and finally the "shippers." They'd ship them out to the distributors who sent them out to the retail stores.

Our lumber was shipped to us on a railroad flat car. We went through a LOT of wood every week. I'd guess that we were putting out 12,000 pieces per day, from the entire shop. This included shelves and spice racks and doll chairs and clock faces and everything else "WOOD." All that pine stuff you see at Hobby Lobby now ... that is the type of stuff we made. I really did enjoy that job, but I was NEVER an edger!

The rejected pieces and cutoffs were tossed into a 40-foot roll off bin which was emptied almost every day. The dust collection system was simply massive. It could suck the dust and chips out of 100 machines _simultaneously._


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I Like that story, probably never occurred to you at the time that one day a Chinese guy across the ocean would be doing your job for pennies a day.

Herb


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## Duane Bledsoe (Jan 6, 2013)

Two men at a single router rushing through the job to keep time down, sounds to me like it WAS in China! This story goes against every single safety measure I ever heard of in a wood shop.


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## _fernando_ (Mar 3, 2014)

I wish you people read before answering, let me quote myself. "I have a router table but I don't have bits with a bearing, can I do fenceless routing with regular bits?"


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

NO! The only way you can is to use a template bushing in your table and a template attached to your work piece.
I thought I read several answers related to "no".
There must be 2 Ferdanitos here, one has bearings and asks about pins and the other has not bearings.
Herb


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

fernandito said:


> I wish you people read before answering, let me quote myself. "I have a router table but I don't have bits with a bearing, can I do fenceless routing with regular bits?"


The answer is "no" unless you want to hurt yourself
If you don't have a bit with a bearing, or you don't have a fence, you have no way of stopping the bit from plunging too far into the wood.

So, either the bearing or the fence will prevent the wood from traveling too far into the bit.
Even a template wont help because then the bit will chew into both the template and the work piece.

If you don't have a fence (I'm presuming you don't or you wouldn't ask), take a piece of wood, a 2x4 or something like that. Hog out a piece that will slide over the bit without touching it. Clamp it to your router table and use that as a fence.

So, to recap "NO".


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Yes Fernandito you can; you must use guide bushings with a template. There is no safe way to use your router without either the bearings on the bit or guide bushings free hand. You can buy bearings for very little money that mount on the bit below the cutter. You can switch these to different bits.


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## _fernando_ (Mar 3, 2014)

Good!, first person that actually read what I wrote but I don't understand.... When you do routing with a regular router (no table) and a bit with no bearing, the end of the bit prevents from plunging too far into the Wood, am I right so far?.
Why can't I use that same bit in a router table ?, that same end of the bit will serve the same purpose, won't it?
sigh... thanks all the same


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## LBussy (May 31, 2015)

...


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

fernandito said:


> Good!, first person that actually read what I wrote but I don't understand.... When you do routing with a regular router (no table) and a bit with no bearing, the end of the bit prevents from plunging too far into the Wood, am I right so far?.
> Why can't I use that same bit in a router table ?, that same end of the bit will serve the same purpose, won't it?
> sigh... thanks all the same


Use a bit with a bearing or a fence. What part of that is too hard to understand?

Just curious.

BTW, There are a lot of folks on this form with many years of routing experience. I would suggest you listen to them.

Good luck.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Fernandito, you have very little control when routing free hand or with a regular bit in the table. For accuracy you need something to guide the wood or router bit. It is also unsafe to have the bit exposed with no guard above it to prevent you from losing a finger or worse. Without the control surface to guide you it is very easy for the wood to catch and shoot off at any angle. When this happens it is too fast to react; you can see photos of some of the injuries members got in our safety section.

We want you to be safe and get great results. Please look at our guide bushing and templates section here:
Guide Bushings and Templates - Router Forums

In the threads marked "Sticky" at the top you will find links to tutorials that show you how do different jobs safely.

Here are photos of some of the bit guards you can make to use on your router table.


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## _fernando_ (Mar 3, 2014)

I have come to two conclusions:
1. I have to get me one of those bits with a Bering
2. This place is full of nice and helpfull folks

thank you all


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Depending on what kind of project you are working on, you will want to buy a bit long enough to cut what want, but not necessarily much longer than that. Also, if you are going to use a pattern for the bearing to ride against, will you use it on the top or bottom of your work piece. That determines whether you want a top or bottom mounted bearing. 

If you are routing small pieces (4-5 inches (100-125mm), you might wish to use a wood vise to hold the piece instead of your fingers. Much better to chew up the vise than your fingers. The picture will also give you an idea of what the Bearing does.


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## oldrusty (Mar 31, 2011)

I think Fernando could mean. Use the smooth upper part of the bit against the template ??? Oldrusty


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## _fernando_ (Mar 3, 2014)

bingo!!!


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

fernandito said:


> I wish you people read before answering, let me quote myself. "I have a router table but* I don't have bits with a bearing*, can I do fenceless routing with regular bits?"





oldrusty said:


> I think Fernando could mean. Use the *smooth upper part of the bit against the template* ??? Oldrusty


I'm confused - the smooth upper part of the bit is the bearing, but Fernando said he doesn't have bits with bearings????


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## oldrusty (Mar 31, 2011)

Vince. The upper part of the bit is the smooth shank where th cutter blades end. The part that goes into the collet. Al bits do not have bearings. Al


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

It is a bad idea to use the bit shank as a guide. This generates a tremendous amount of heat which kills HSS bits almost instantly and can weaken the braze that holds the carbide on that type of bit. The material that was riding on it would most likely burn before that happened. The bearing I showed earlier fits on the shank and spins freely without generating the heat.

The Whiteside bit I used when I made the work station inserts for my router table has a bearing on both ends so it can be used above or below. In the first two photos you can see the safety starting pin. This is the way to get a finish cut like you see in the third photo. Note this is 50+ year old used plywood!


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

oldrusty said:


> Vince. The upper part of the bit is the smooth shank where th cutter blades end. The part that goes into the collet. *Al bits do not have bearings.* Al


Al:
Yup, I even have some >
Wasn't sure because it wouldn't occur to me to use the shank as a guide.


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## oldrusty (Mar 31, 2011)

Vince, it wouldn't occur to most people. I'm with Mike, well said. Al


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Shock*...even without the heat issue that'd be a massively deep cut, using the shank as a guide. Scares the cr*p out of me even _thinking_ about running a piece of wood into that, freehand!
Fernandito; glad you asked _before _you tried it... we hate it, absolutely _hate_ it, when members lose theirs.


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