How To Keep Router Bits From Burning Wood
If the goal is to smooth the side of a board two things to try.
How to keep router bits from burning wood. Clean the router bit. Removing more material than your CNC router bit can handle will stress the router bit and cause it to dull quickly as well it will cause deflections and undesired edges on your wood for your wood sign. Speed control is especially important on less expensive routers as bits can vibrate excessively at full speed.
Wood densitymeasured most commonly using the Janka hardness test on each wood speciesand the presence of moist sap or resin are the key governing factors when considering router speed. Just dry them well and you should have no problem with rust. If your bits are covered with sawdust wipe them with a dry cloth.
And fast cutters held against wood equals heat buildup and burning. The neat thing with a flush trim bit any undulation that the bearing rides over will be transferred to the cutter. Router Bit Care In conversations with other woodworkers across the country I am constantly surprised by the number of problems they have with their routers that could be eliminated with some routine maintenance.
The problem is that both the pitch remover and the WD-40 are solvents that dissolve the grease that is put in shielded bearings at the factory. Dry the bit thoroughly and go back to work. The only things that are new here are 1.
Anyone who has ever cut a fancy edge profile using a router knows the frustration of a burned or chippy cut. On the first pass I take a heavier cut to remove much of the stock. Unfortunately resins and dust build up that cause bits to get hotter faster making them more likely to burn the wood.
Sticking to the 14 rule which is taking off no more than 14 of material in a single pass will cure this most of the time. A poorly routed profile can ruin a valuable workpiece in just a few seconds. Keep your router and bits clean to avoid the problems caused by the two deadly enemies of all powered woodworking tools - heat and dust.