New Router Bit Question

[u/bufftbone]

I just received my new Whiteside surfacing bit. It came with a little goopy coating on it for I’m assuming to protect the bit until it reaches the consumers hands. Is this something I should pick off beforehand of can I run the bit for the first time with it on? I’m pretty sure it’ll come off during usage but I want to make sure beforehand as to what I should do. Thanks.

[u/dickdickgoooose]

Peeling the wax is my favorite part of woodworking

[u/EmynMuilTrailGuide → u/dickdickgoooose]

Someone puts Titebond on his hands even when he's not gluing wood 😂

[u/We_R_the_Penguins → u/EmynMuilTrailGuide]

TIL some people don’t…

[u/EmynMuilTrailGuide → u/We_R_the_Penguins]

I don't do that on purpose because I don't need to... I make sure to get a ton of it on my hands whenever I glue something up.

[u/mstrpancake → u/EmynMuilTrailGuide]

Honestly, was doing some unhinged shit at like 1 AM the other day and woke up with it all over my arm. Removal was unpleasant

[u/junkywinocreep → u/EmynMuilTrailGuide]

Childhood Elmer's glue memory unlocked

[u/lenswipe → u/junkywinocreep]

when you deliberately put loads on, let it dry and then peel it off like a second skin

[u/lenswipe → u/EmynMuilTrailGuide]

don't call me out like that

[u/y2ketchup → u/EmynMuilTrailGuide]

This is an effective method for cleaning vinyl records. Cover in glue and wait until its mostly dry. . . then peel.

[u/73mikemartinez → u/EmynMuilTrailGuide]

He also taste test it just to make sure it’s ripe.

[u/Emperor_Palpatine_2 → u/EmynMuilTrailGuide]

I bought some plastic glue spreading tools at woodcraft on a whim. I use them every single time, partially because they're damn good at spreading glue, partially so I get to peel them when I'm done.

[u/Skel_Estus → u/dickdickgoooose]

I haven’t worked in a wood shop in close to ten years. I haven’t thought about the wax perk in the same amount of time. Up until this moment, I forgot the simple joy of removing the wax from a new it freshly sharpened router bit.

[u/TomBourgaize → u/dickdickgoooose]

I remember when I was like 10 I used to help my dad do various bits in the garage, one day that involved a router and he took a new bit out of this wooden box and it had a red wax over it and he asked if I wanted to peel it, obviously I said yes, while he was using it I proceeded to peel every other bit in the box, he wasn’t too happy.

[u/fredflintstone1000]

Yes, peel it off then use the bit

[u/errorwrong]

Try and pull it off in one piece. That's the magic. Same with sharpened table saw blades. So satisfying

[u/The-disgracist → u/errorwrong]

Like opening some lil baby Bellas

[u/Allroy_66 → u/The-disgracist]

My apples always get peeled in one long continuous piece

[u/Known-Skin3639 → u/errorwrong]

Without cutting it. My dad worked for skil powered tools and he had so many bits, blades and cutting tools. He brought home three cases of stuff for a customer that ordered these for his company. Custom. As in even the coating had to be his company colors. Blue and yellow. They sent all red and green. I mean it was November and all.
Well dad had me sit with him and peel all the red and green off them the next day he dipped them in what we know as plastic dip today. T was called something all technical and shit. Whatever. But that little experience made me enjoy that process. It’s fun.
After about 15-20 pops showed me how to peel em fast. And after a finished he handed me 25 bucks and said thanks.
Peeling those things up an awesome. But the memories I get whenever I have to peel on open my a priceless.
PEEL IT OP…… trust me. 😂

[u/Keegan2]

OH OH SPIN IT UP! Just film it so we can laugh when you get peppered withe the wax grenade

[u/lenswipe → u/Keegan2]

I'm always tempted to do this but something tells me it's probably not a good idea

[u/73mikemartinez → u/lenswipe]

That’s what an apprentice is for!

[u/bufftbone → u/Keegan2]

Nah, I’m good.

[u/saltkjot]

Do not spin it up with the coating on. It peels easily, I always find it best to minimize projectiles in my shop, even if they are squishy ones.

[u/The-disgracist → u/saltkjot]

It peels easily…until it doesn’t lol. DO NOT LEAVE THIS ON FOR YEARS. Remove immediately after receipt. Ask me how I know.

[u/saltkjot → u/The-disgracist]

That is a fact. I have had several that I bought in bulk sit for years. Once the oil underneath makes its way out (by what mechanism, I have no idea) it becomes a pain in the ass to remove.

[u/crazedizzled → u/saltkjot]

It's wax. Hit it with a torch

[u/MakingMookSauce → u/crazedizzled]

Will melt the tungsten carbide

[u/LucyLeMutt → u/MakingMookSauce]

Huh? The wax will melt around 140 degrees F — long before the tungsten carbide knows it’s being heated. Unless you leave it in the flame for an hour.

[u/SantiagosHarpoon]

They put that on to protect the blades from being damaged during shipping/transit, take it off. But be mindful of where the blades!

[u/73mikemartinez → u/SantiagosHarpoon]

Okay seriously, is it damage or oxidation? I thought the latter. Both make sense and probably it does both well. I would love a back story here.

[u/grumpytarantula]

Thank you for asking this on my behalf. I always wondered if I should save it and put it back on after use.

[u/UlrichSD → u/grumpytarantula]

It is a wax protection they are dipped in to protect the hard carbide in for shipping, high end blades will have the same.  You can toss it.  I've never taken it off in good enough condition to consider reuse.  

[u/73mikemartinez → u/grumpytarantula]

I can relate so well but then I have though, how do they expect me to do this so nicely.

[u/Senior_Sector4095]

[u/kaltorak]

peel it off carefully, don’t cut yourself like i sometimes do

[u/CAM6913]

Yes peel it off

[u/Toolswood]

After removing the goop, make sure the screw holding the bearing is tight. Ruins a day if you spin one off. This especially on re-sharpened bits

Edit: One other thing. You sound newish to routers. That looks like a .25” shank. Half inch shank bits are much safer. Much less likely to bend. When one bends it’s scary as hell

[u/bufftbone → u/Toolswood]

I’m not that new. First time I’ve gotten a bit with this goop on in. The bit sits all the way in collet so if it does bend, then there’s other issues.

[u/Critical_Friend7446]

Take the protective coating off before using.

[u/Cunningham1420]

I use razor blade and slice around it and it just falls off

[u/highboy68]

I love peeling the wax

[u/phalliceinchains]

I use to love running my sharpened table saw blades dipped in wax for the first time. It would shoot the wax on the ceiling.

[u/Wheels88-]

LMAO. Go ahead and use it as is on a scrap piece of wood, it will come off! LOL

[u/Tricky-Canary2715]

Yes peel it off

[u/ManufacturerSevere83]

If this bit has changeable teeth, you’ll want to peel it and check the torque on the hex heads before use. Ask me how I know.

[u/bufftbone → u/ManufacturerSevere83]

They’re fixed blades but I completely understand if they weren’t.

[u/floppy_breasteses]

Technically, you don't have to remove it but it's probably wise to do so. It should just pull off easily.

[u/Background_Hour3830]

You can do either... big bits with the wax coating don't spin up nice, they hit velocity and the wax does it's best impersonation of a claymore going off. Scary if you've never felt it before, and the bits can jam up your tools. Peeling it is the most satisfying part of unboxing new cutting implements. Worst part is getting small cuts from fresh blades.

[u/iOSCaleb]

> can I run the bit for the first time with it on?

No, don’t do that. Remove the coating first. You can slice down the side with a utility knife and it’ll easily peel away.

[u/angryblackman]

That is a good bit.

[u/thecheeseinator]

I would say peel it off, but honestly I've never tried running with it on. No idea what would happen. It doesn't strike me as it being super dangerous, though routers always make me a bit uneasy, but I do think it would be messy.

[u/FlusteredZerbits → u/thecheeseinator]

I would absolutely not spin this up to 10,000(?) 20,000(?) RPM. It could cause enough tool imbalance that a litany of bad shit could happen.

[u/BigOldBee]

My God this has to be a shitpost right? This one and all the many posts in r/beginnerwoodworking where everyone is suggesting these super elaborate power tool set ups, but the only real answer is hand plane and/or chisel.

[u/hesitationz]

This is a bait post right? There’s no way someone actually debates leaving a loose object on a high speed spinning bit