Tip #21
Choosing A Router Bit (continued)
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The General Routing Tips

When possible, feed stock into the router against the rotation of the bit. This prevents the speeding bit from grabbing and forcing the stock past the cutting edges too quickly.

Clean router bits always work better: use oven cleaner to remove wood resins built up on them. Ball-bearing pilots especially need to be kept clean. When used to trim laminated material, a router bit with a ball-bearing pilot can really get gummed up. Clean the outer collar with a tip of a rag soaked in a solvent that will dissolve the type of glue used.

In using the Mark V for routing with either the standard 1/2" shank bits or with 1/4" shank bits and a special bushing (see below) you should rev the machine up to maximum speed: about 5200 rpm's. This is still much slower than the typical handheld router's rpm's of 22,000 to 24,000. But routing doesn't require high rpm's - it can be done at slower speeds. Simply feed stock more slowly into the bit and take lighter cuts.

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