Router Table Question

[Captain]

Feeding the stock from right to left on the table should the router cutter spin anti clockwise or clockwise???

 

[Lee Brubaker]

The bit rotation should be anti-clockwise .

Lee

 

[Steve Maskery]

You should always feed so that the wood is moving in the opposite direction to that of the cutting edge. So, assuming that you are cutting with the edge closest towards you, the wood should move from right to left.

However.

I recently had cause to stop a guy in mid-route as he was routing from right to left, BUT IT WAS THE FAR EDGE THAT WAS DOING THE CUTTING. He was disappointed with the surface finish, to put is mildly and he was putting at risk not only his own fingers but the safety of the two people who were downwind of the workpiece. If the workpiece and cutter are moving in the same direction, there is much more force propelling the workpiece that way that the miserable puny little force that your fingers are exerting in it to keep it stable. The result is snatch, your fingers turn red and much swearing ensues. And it is some time before you cut wood (or yourself) again.
S

 

[Captain]

I thought it was anti clockwise, just needed reassuring.

Thank you

 

[Grahamshed]

You should always feed so that the wood is moving in the opposite direction to that of the cutting edge. So, assuming that you are cutting with the edge closest towards you, the wood should move from right to left.

However.

I recently had cause to stop a guy in mid-route as he was routing from right to left, BUT IT WAS THE FAR EDGE THAT WAS DOING THE CUTTING. He was disappointed with the surface finish, to put is mildly and he was putting at risk not only his own fingers but the safety of the two people who were downwind of the workpiece. If the workpiece and cutter are moving in the same direction, there is much more force propelling the workpiece that way that the miserable puny little force that your fingers are exerting in it to keep it stable. The result is snatch, your fingers turn red and much swearing ensues. And it is some time before you cut wood (or yourself) again.
S

I can second all of that ( though I am not the person Steve is talking about ) I put my router on the radial arm saw and routed the back edge. It grabbed the wood with a tremendous speed, threw it into the bandsaw 10 feet away and it bounced back just over my head.
I wont be doing that again