Tried using a $20 router bit from Harbor Freight on a walnut job last Friday

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.laura12d agoMost Upvoted

Had a buddy who tried the same thing on a mahogany table leg. Bit caught a knot and shattered, sending a chunk of carbide flying past his safety glasses. Lucky it didn't hit his eye, but the project was ruined and he had to start over with a fresh piece of wood.

flores.mark12d ago

That bit catching a knot is exactly why I switched to slower speeds on hardwood, it's a pain to set up but keeps things from going sideways. @owens.laura I started making lighter passes on tough grain after a close call with a piece of walnut, just taking off less material each time kept the bit from grabbing. For me, it's been about checking the wood for any hidden defects before I even power up the router, saves a lot of time and scary moments.

grantc8012d ago

Dude, same thing happened to me with a HF router bit on some cherry I was working. I was doing a simple roundover on a small shelf and the bit just let go around the third pass. It didn't shatter like your buddy's, but it threw the whole work piece across the garage. Left a nasty gouge in the cherry and I had to scrap the whole board. Spent the next hour digging little bits of steel out of my arm. Never again.