Replies

1. 
   Keith_C | Nov 25, 2001 04:13am | #1

   *
   You are forgetting to lube the edge of the laminate with vasolene, or bearing glide, to prevent this. Bearings sieze, buy insurance(vasolene).

1. 
   Dave_Richeson | Nov 25, 2001 05:38am | #2

   *After you band the edges, clean up the bit and any remaining glue. Next mask off the top edge of the band. Apply the glue to the top surface and remove the masking tape after the glue has set. Lubricate the edge and the bit bearing. Trim the top. By controling the amount of excess glue on adjoining surfaces, you eliminate the source of the problem. I seldom use bearing type trim bits any more, for the very reason you have stated. What I thought was a bit problem ended up being a technigue problem. In laminating tops, neatness really does count. IMHODave

1. 
   Scott_R | Nov 25, 2001 06:20am | #3

   *Not to heist this thread but I have questions about the techniques so far. Keith, when you say lube the edge of the laminate with Vaseline, which edge? the edge that is being trimmed off or on the face of the banding where the bearing is riding?Dave, if you don't use bearing type trim bits any more, what type do you use and how?Scott R.

1. 
   Keith_C | Nov 25, 2001 07:12pm | #4

   *I lube the edge(band) where the bit rides, and I also gave up on bearing bits for the self pilot bits. I will use a bearing bit when I re-skin doors occasionally since you can't lube wood that needs to have a finish applied.

1. 
   Dave_Richeson | Nov 26, 2001 01:15am | #5

   *Like Keith, I use pilot type bits. Bearings have thier place, but not where they can get clogged up with glue. Anywhere I think glue will be a problem I mask off before I apply the glue. The upside of this is less clean up after, and cleaner bits throughout.Even a pilot bit can burn an edge if it gets coated with glue. Another tip is to keep your laminate size with in an inch of your slab size. This cuts down on the amount of area you over glue on the bottom of the laminate sheet and a potential source excess glue. Bearing type bits seem to collect glue from any surface not in contact with the slab.If you use bearing bits, clean then each time you use them and store the bearings in a light machine oil like 3in 1. Rinse them before use with lacquer thinner and apply a few drops of router bit bearing oil. Reapply the bearing oil through out the project. It is such a light oil, it quickly evaporates at the high rpm of router operation.This is what works for me. 80-90% of this I learned by scewing something up.Dave

2. 
   Justus1199 | Nov 26, 2001 03:16am | #6

   *For Scott R, if you don't want to worry about the bearing on a flush trim bit sticking and ruining an hour or so of work you can use a regular two flute straight bit with a pilot bit that's actually attached to the bottom of the router. You adjust the pilot independently of the cutting bit and it is less likely to gum up. One came with my porter cable laminate trimmer, I don't know if you can get them for other routers.

3. 
   Roger_Martini | Nov 26, 2001 11:40pm | #7

   *I've always called bits with a bearing on the tip "pilot bits". Can you tell me what the meaning of the term is here?

4. 
   Dave_Richeson | Nov 27, 2001 01:16am | #8

   *You will see them advertised as "pilot bearing" bits. The others are "pilot bits", which means that the guide portion of the bit is an integral part of the bit itself. More appropriately, it is an extention of the bit below the cutting flute or flutes that is slightly larger than the cutting edge diameter, and has no cutting edge.Does this make sense to anyone but me? Sometimes my verble pictures just don't quite come out right.Dave

5. 
   Scott_R | Nov 27, 2001 04:14am | #9

   *Thanks guys, good ideas for a counter top job I have coming up. I've never had trouble with my bearing bit but I've only done small laminate jobs with it.gamecock sorry for jacking your thread.Scott R.

6. 
   jim_"crazy_legs"_blodg | Nov 27, 2001 04:30am | #10

   *Anyone try those square bearings yet? Seems like that could alleviate the burning, but I haven't tried one yet.

7. 
   zayd | Nov 27, 2001 05:09am | #11

   *shoot, i work in a custom laminate shop, and don't go through much of the steps you all do. we try to limit the amount of glue on the edge, but don't mask it off. we just coat the bit liberally with wd40. just a flush trim bit. when it does gum up, we just soak it in solvent and wipe it off. your problem just doesn't happen much to me, a few times it will, but not often.

8. 
   Michael_McK | Nov 27, 2001 09:35am | #12

   *We don't seem to have that much trouble in our shop either. We use both bearing and bearingless bits, lubricating the banded edge with parafin wax.Though there is one guy in the shop that ruins more than his share of tops. So maybe it is a technique thing.Mike

9. 
   Dave_Richeson | Nov 28, 2001 01:03am | #13

   *zayd and McK, a lot of it is feed rate. I take extra precautions because virtually all my work is custom, and I never seem to build enough into the jobs for my screw ups.

2. 
   gamecock | Nov 28, 2001 01:03am | #14

   *
   i fabricated laminate tops for ten years but started subing it out when we got real busy.things slowed up & we have done three tops and have had the same problem on all three.we first put the sidebands on ok & then the top ...every top we have put on we have a problem with the roller bearing guming up & freezing the bearing causing the bearing to ruin the sideband.i have tried 2 different bits but same results any help out there or am i forgeting something after not doing tops for 5 years ? thanks for any help