Tried using a flush trim bit with a bearing that was slightly off - wasted half a sheet of plywood

I was routing a template for some cabinet doors last week and the bearing on my bit had a tiny wobble I didn't catch. It chewed up the edge on three pieces before I figured out the bearing was loose and throwing the cut off by maybe a 32nd. Anybody else got a quick check they do on bits before they start a big run?

2 comments

2 Comments

bennett.patricia20d ago

...and that's exactly why I always spin the bit by hand before I even turn the router on. You can feel a rough bearing or a loose one way before you ever hear it. But here's what gets me - you said it was only off by a 32nd. How did you not see that wobble when you looked at it from the side? I mean, I've had bearings that looked fine until I held the bit up to the light and spun it real slow. Is there a trick you use to catch that kind of thing before it ruins your material?

mila_perry1320d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, don't you check the bit by spinning it against a straightedge too? That's how I catch a wobble long before I even look from the side or hold it up to the light.