Routers make joinery and edge profiling super-easy, but that convenience can come at a price if you don’t know how to handle this tool properly. Router tearout can easily turn a beautiful board into a scarred nightmare if you don’t follow best practices.

Tearout generally occurs in two situations. The first happens when routing end grain; as the workpiece approaches the end of the cut, the bit will tend to chip out as your workpiece clears the bit. Another common situation is on edge grain, when you’re routing against the grain.

Learn how to tackle these situations with ease as furniture maker Greg Paolini demonstrates five easy methods to avoid router tearout and come away with cleaner cuts.

Find out more about tearout and routers:

• Understanding grain, tearout, and blade angle of planes
• Backer Board Prevents Tearout on Rabbets
• Router table basics