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The "Right" Way to Rout
Good morning,
This week's tip comes
from Woodsmith Magazine.
A week or so ago, we had
a little discussion in our shop about the right way to feed a hand-held
router across a workpiece. When it comes to routing along the edge of
a workpiece, everyone agrees it's best to feed the router from left to
right. This way, the bit cuts cleanly into the wood and won't bounce along
the edge. But what about when routing a groove or dado? With wood on both
sides of the bit, is there a wrong direction to push the router?
After trying both directions, we found out that yes, there is a correct
way to rout a groove. Like any hand-held router operation, the router
should move left to right (assuming the fence isn't between you
and the router). If the router is moved in the wrong direction, the rotation
of the bit can cause the router base to drift away from the fence. When
fed the correct way, left to right, the rotation of the bit keeps the
base of the router pulled tight against the fence. (Or if you're using
an edge guide, the guide is held tight against the workpiece.)
 This reminded me of
a little trick I learned a while back. Whenever I have to stop and think
about the right direction to feed the router, all I do is look down at
my right hand. I simply hold my right hand with the knuckles up and my
thumb extended out, see drawing. Then I orient my hand so my thumb is
pointing to the edge of the workpiece or the edge of the fence. My index
finger will automatically be pointing in the direction I need to move
the router.
By the way, this also works with a router table, as well. But since the
router is suspended upside-down, I simply flip my hand over, so it's also
upside-down. This time, when my thumb points to the router bit, my finger
points in the direction I need to feed the workpiece, which is usually
right to left.
Have a great weekend,
Jon Garbison
Online Editor, Woodsmith
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