# Down the rabbit hole



## pntman (May 3, 2014)

Hello everyone,
I am new to using a router and I going to quess that I am the only person who did not know that you could not use a router on soft pine. I just found that out only after I made a lot of splinters and the bit came flying out of the router. So, anyone who might want to take pity on me and tell me how do you rabbit pine safely?

Thanks,
Jim


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Jim and welcome to the forum. I've router lots of soft pine as I'm sure most members have. It is usually easier than most other woods unless it happens to be very pitchy. I'm not sure why you are having trouble and the router bit should not have gone flying out of the router no matter what the case. Maybe include more details and we may be able to offer some suggestions. What make of bit, what make of router, how old is the router, does the grain run straight along the board or does it angle up or down or sideways, etc. Any other info would be helpful.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

. Hello Jim welcome to the forums.
I agree with Charlie's the problem is not with the pine. In your profile you didn't mention what type of router you're using. Number of things could be wrong , bit improperly installed,
bad bit, I am including a couple links for you to watch on basic router functions.
Again welcome
Router basics
http://www.howcast.com/videos/500368-Types-of-Routers-Woodworking
http://www.howcast.com/videos/500362-How-to-Use-a-Router-Woodworking


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## BCK (Feb 23, 2014)

First off,,,Welcome aboard...The bit should never ever come out of the router..that isn't a wood type issue...maybe the bit wasn't tightened enough, the chuck is no good or something..or not seated deep enough in the chuck...I have just finished doing a complete reface of kitchen cupboards, with 15 raised panel doors, styles and rails, trim and the cabinet faces all out of pine..pine can be routed...so the splintering could be grain direction, speed you feed it at or bit issues I'd guess...more info as others suggested would help...with answers


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey, Jim; welcome!`
I rout SPF all the time...never had a problem(?). Wrong feed direction?


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the form, Jim.

I am not familiar that that router. "task force and drill master"....


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

pntman said:


> I going to quess that I am the only person who did not know that you could not use a router on soft pine.


Does this mean I can't rout pine any more?


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Hi Jim. Welcome to our little corner of the 'net.

I'm thinking maybe you didn't install the bit correctly. If you bottom the bit out, (push it in as far as it will go) the chuck can not fully tighten and properly hold the bit. For the chuck to properly tighten, it pulls the bit in slightly. Try pushing the bit all the way into the router, and then pulling it back out about an 1/8" and then tighten the collet nut.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Jim.


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## rwbaker (Feb 25, 2010)

Welcome and may want to read up on router basics, in the mean time go to this page https://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/rabbet-and-dado-joints/118102.aspx?channel=3 for instructions.

Good Luck - Baker

PS: like everyone else I make a lot of molding & trim from clear pine 2x4's


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## algebraman39 (May 1, 2014)

Hi Jim
I use my router to put a 1/4" radius on the edge of small toys I make out of doug fir. I think the two woods are similarly soft. Try, using pieces of scrap, moving the wood into the router bit from RIGHT to LEFT--- not L to R-- press the wood into the bit slowly and with a bit of practice I think your problem may be solved.
ORG


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

where do you get clear pine 2X4"s


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## Selwyn Senior (Jan 11, 2014)

Greetings Jim and welcome to the forum. Like many others I have routered soft pine. For the bit to fly out it may be that your asking it to do too much at one time. With the bit firmly installed try setting your fence, if it's on a table, or the depth on your plunge router to just cut a shallow pass. Then increase the depth of the cut. If you want a 3/4 cut it may take three passes just nibbling 1/4 each time.


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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

Welcome Jim.
When I started using a router I had a similar problem. I worked exclusively with the soft woods from the big box stores. After the third bit had been sent on a mission out of the solar system the problem was solved by getting rid of the cheap router and replacing it a top-nmae router. Your problem is most likely with a collet that does not hold the router bit. Whether it cannot be tightened enough or comes loose is impossible to know.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

I'm with the rest. I mostly only route pine lumber and never had a problem with splintering or breaking bits. Also made a kitchen full of cabinets with the stiles and rails all routed on one edge and grooves on the other.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

We've been waiting several years to break this to you, but have still decided against it, for obvious reasons


JOAT said:


> Does this mean I can't rout pine any more?


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## Goblu (Mar 5, 2012)

jw2170 said:


> Welcome to the form, Jim.
> 
> I am not familiar that that router. "task force and drill master"....


Harbor Freight makes and sells both these brands. I buy plenty from HF, and some are true bargains but wouldn't buy a router. The quality is too inconsistent with a tool that could be dangerous. If you read the reviews for some of them you see numerous problems that could be dangerous. Read the reviews for your router and see if others have had similar problems. Also note that the manual is not good for someone new to woodworking because it's too sketchy, according to one reviewer. 

Perhaps you should get a higher quality router and set this one aside until you are more experienced and can evaluate the safety of it.

Many drawers are pine and people route dovetails in them a lot. I've done some and there is no splintering, etc. Of course, if the wood has a lot of knots that can happen, too. I make dovetail drawers from bargain pine from the big box store in their reject pile. But it takes a lot of cutting away the bad parts of the wood.


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## Goblu (Mar 5, 2012)

paduke said:


> where do you get clear pine 2X4"s


I'd love to know this, too!


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## rwbaker (Feb 25, 2010)

My apologies for the bum URL - TRY Skill Builder: Dado Joinery on the Router | Articles | Woodworkers Journal -


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## pntman (May 3, 2014)

Everyone thank you for your quick reply's. I will try to answer all your questions. The players are two routers "task force" router and table from Loews. "Drillmaster" which is the house brand from Harbor fright which was a best buy from Handyman magazine. ( I am wondering who payed them off) Originally, I used the task force router and some harder grade of wood and it worked fine nice clean rabbet so, I moved on to the soft pine and boom the bit actually started to raise up in the chuck. Yes, I did tighten the chuck. After that, I thought I would use the drill master and try it free hand and that's when the bit went flying and it bent the shaft on the mcls (online Company) bit. Now, I decide to buy new bit and I bought a Whitehouse bit which was expensive and tried again and the same thing happened. Bit took flight and bent the shaft on the first try and I made sure I tightened the chuck to an inch of it's life. Now. I re installed the White house bit in the task force table after straightening the bit and tried some harder wood and it works fine nice clean rabbet. So, I tried the pine and boom I thought the thing was possessed jerking grabbing the wood large splinters flying. Hopefully, the pictures will help if they post. Now, this whole thing is to make a cabinet door which has now gotten very expensive.Thank you all again for your help.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

pntman said:


> ......Now. I re installed the White house bit in the task force table after straightening the bit .........


Do not like that idea at all.......


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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

pntman said:


> …Now. I re installed the White house bit in the task force table after straightening the bit and tried some harder wood and it works fine nice clean rabbet…


I am completely with James. Please do not attempt to use a bit after the shaft is bent. You got very lucky this time that the bit did not break and cause serious injury to you.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

You're hogging out a lot of wood on one pass, Jim! Also, as I believe another poster already pointed out, straightening the bent shaft of a precision bit designed to spin at 20k+ rpm is probably a really bad idea...
Looking at the last picture, I get the impression that the dado is almost the full thickness of your stock(?). I doubt that the remaining material on either side can withstand the cutting process, if that is actually the relationship between the bit size and the stock thickness.
If I wanted to leave that thin a margin on either side, I'd probably try making 2 full depth cuts on my TS, one on each side of the dado. Then remove the middle portion (the remainder of the unwanted stock) with the router. 
Having said that, in my opinion the margins are too thin for any practical purpose; in pine at least, and cedar as well.


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## rwbaker (Feb 25, 2010)

*Clear Pine 2X4s*



paduke said:


> where do you get clear pine 2X4"s


The manager of the local Lowes is a friend of mine and he gives me a call when they have exceptional 2x4s. This happens about 4 times a year and I will purchase 25~50 to see me through till the next batch. The last ones were on a pallet sale for 0.98$ each about 50% were clear the others had less than 3 dime sized knots towards the end so they could be cut out.

Baker


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## pntman (May 3, 2014)

Thank you all for your input and you all are correct it is a stupid idea to use a bent and or straightened bit. (I am cheap). I agree that I might have been taking to big a bite on the first pass and I am wondering if the stock is to thin for the bit. What I am trying to do is make a new cabinet door for a space vacated by an old appliance. I have taken the measurements from the cabinet doors and tried to recreate the. The rabbet I am trying to recreate holds a floating panel. Like i said in prior posts this has now run way over budget and I am leery to start on the stock I have prepared to route. Anyway, thank you for all your help and I wish I had a friend at lowes that would clue me in to good stock. I am new to all this out of necessity as I am working only part time and need to make instead of buy and it seems i should have found a mentor first!


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## pntman (May 3, 2014)

You were exactly correct. I went back took shallow bites and the work turned out perfect. Thanks for your help.

Jim


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