Router Bit for Cutting Out Circles
firemarshalmike
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I’m making baffles for vintage amplifier cabinets. The baffles are made from 3/8″Baltic Birch plywood. I plan to cut the circular hole with an upcut spiral bit and my plunge router (and a circle cutting jig). Is this the correct bit to use?
When I cut the hole for my first cabinet several months ago I cooked the bit when it moved outward in the collet. It extended through the backer board into the floor( made a lovely arc in my concrete floor). It made a perfect hole but destroyed a new bit. Aside from tightening the collet sufficiently are there other factors that would cause the bit to pull away from the collet? I was wondering if a different bit or lighter cuts might be called for. I cut the original baffle in two passes.
Edited 7/17/2003 9:34:21 AM ET by Mikev
Replies
I use spiral upcut bits for holes all the time, and have found 1/4 inch deep passes work the best for me. Like you i did have the bit come out of my router once, but it was due to me not tightening the collet far enough, and since have had 0 problems.
JD
Make sure the collet is clean. Any foreign stuff will let the bit slip.
I believe that bottoming out the bit can also encourage it to work loose. Somewhere (Rockler?) even sells o-rings to act as spacers inside the collet so you can't bottom out the bit.
HTH
Graeme
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