Showerthought: I used a new router bit on some reclaimed oak and the tearout was insane

I was working on a set of drawer fronts from some old barn oak I got in Springfield. The wood was dry and seemed stable. I grabbed a new 1/2 inch roundover bit from my drawer, thinking it would be fine. On the first pass, it ripped out chunks along the grain that ruined the piece. I learned that super hard, dry reclaimed wood needs a super sharp bit and maybe multiple light passes, not one go. What's your method for dealing with gnarly old wood like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey_ramirez351mo ago

That backing board trick is a good call. When you say you route with the grain on oak, do you mean you're going from the end of the board towards the middle, or following the curve of the growth rings? I always get mixed up on which way is actually "with" on a roundover.

grace6071mo ago

Used to think following the rings was "with" but got it wrong. Oliverk80 is right, on a roundover you want to go from the end towards the middle to avoid tear-out. The grain direction changes across the board.

oliverk801mo ago

Ouch, that's the worst feeling. Reclaimed oak can be like cutting through petrified wood sometimes. I've had good luck with a backing board clamped right against the cut line to support those brittle fibers. Do you think the direction you routed, with or against the grain, played a bigger role than the bit's sharpness?