# Routing internal door edges



## Bjp (Jun 24, 2020)

I have a bearing guided router bit to put a leading edge on doors. When I start the cut, by bringing the bearing in contact with the door edge, with the cutter turning, the router cutter always digs into the door edge. Any advice to avoid this?


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Reverse the direction of the router's path. You are probably cutting into the grain, which will produce chip outs. Unless the roundover is fairly small, you may need to do the cut in two or more passes, the last one being a very shallow cut to give it a very smooth, finished edge.


----------



## malb (Sep 15, 2008)

Alternate answer would be to do the job on a router table instead of handheld. Set the bit height to suit your requirements and flush the door contact side of the bearing on the bit with the face of the table, and close the bit gap in the table face as close as possible to the bit. Feed the doors across the table applying moderate force against the face of the fence, when the corner of the door encounters the gap in the fence, the contact area and force of the rest of the door will keep it running straight across the gap to the bearing, across the gap on the departure side of the bearing, and onto the face of the fence. Thus there is no opportunity for the bit to meet the door in a way that it can dig in.

Also, depending on the type and construction of the door, if you have to route end grain near the corners say for a frame and panel door, route the edges containing the end grain first, with a sacrificial board of waste material following the trailing edge. This should totally eliminate chip out, but if minor chip out does occur, it is generally eliminated when you later route the long grain edges with the same profile.


----------



## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Trying to do this freehanded is definitely not the way to do it. A table mounted router will do 99% of what the average person needs to do and do it quicker and safer.


----------



## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

Photos of your issues would be a great help.


----------

