Router table seems off

Julio Navarro

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Tampa
I am working on the edge portion of the panel construction. The piece that mates on to the bead that runs the length of the board. But I keep getting an uneven cut that leaves one side thicker than the other.

The picture shows what I mean.

I am assuming my router table is not level, so, tomorrow I will be doing some re thinking about my table.

Can someone confirm this is indeed the cause of the problem?

The picture shows the top edge of the rail is just a bit thinner at one end. The picture is a little out of focus but you can still see the unevenness.

The second image is the style showing the bead. You can see some of the burn from the bit when I was changing hands as I pushed one piece through...darn it.
 

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How about a pic of the router table?

I'm not an expert, but I'm having a hard time figure out how the table would change height part way through the cut?

I'm wondering if the issue could maybe be stock prep or material control through the cut?

I had some issues using my router table this last weekend and I found that waste material was getting 'stuck' in the channel of the cut and that was leading me to have issues with either getting the work piece through the cut, or that it was 'jamming' up and leading to different heights in the cut.:huh:
 
I can't figure out how the table unevenness would be an issue. I am thinking unevenness in relation to the bit. I'll put a picture of the table tomorrow.
 
Possibly the table. My first guess would be the squareness of the material. Take one of the pieces exhibiting the unevenness and set it on your jointer's infeed table or other known flat surface. Does it set so flat that it seems to suck at the surface when you lift it or does it rock a bit if you press on opposing corners?

If the reference surface is not jointed flat you will get uneven performance. The material will travel unevenly past the bit profile which does not (or should not) change in relation to the table in it's immediate vicinity. Something like this can help with the cope cuts.
 

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I think I figured it out.

The pictures below show a scrap piece mating the actual style. The fit is right on.

The first picture shows my table and the sled, the second picture shows the board as it is clamped and ready to pass through the bit.

The problem I think was that as I was passing the piece through the bit I was inadvertently pressing down on the tail end of the sled which caused the last part of the route to come out thinner than the first part since the first part was at a sort of "up push" and the last part was on a "down push," if that makes any sense.

I then just pushed the sled in as even manner as I could in order to only apply force horizontally and no force up or down.

So, the problem, as mentioned in most of all the replies, has to do with the speed, and manner in which the piece is fed.

Thanks all for the help. As always, couldn't have done it with out you all.

P.S. I WILL put a backer board on the good pieces to avoid tear out.
 

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