allthunbs

338reddog: I too used Birch plywood to make drawers. However, I used the absolute cheapest bits I could find and the result was as you described, splinters galore and blowouts all over the place.

I compared my bit in rotation and the two flutes didn't line up properly. I didn't care much, I was experimenting. However, your Freud bits are supposed to be high end -- way up there megabucks stuff. I'd ask for another bit.

Other things you might consider, speed of feed. You're already back feeding to score the cuts -- that's proper. If you have two routers, I might set one up with a 1/8" or 3/16" bit and precut the pins and tails then use the dovetail to finish. I would slow up the cut with the dovetail bit somewhere a bit faster than burning.

Now, I'm in Canada and when I went to buy plywood, I checked around several vendors and there was one grade of "good" birch plywood but two prices. One price for Canadian product and a second price for product from the Pacific Rim. I didn't care so I took the cheapest. I was forewarned that I might not be satisfied with the result. The result was indeed pretty bad but it served my purpose. You might check to see if other grades are available to you or that the grade you're paying for is actually what you're getting.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted as to your progress and what you learn.

Allthunbs

Teenagewoodworker

alright what i do which virtually eliminates tearout on any wood is a scoring pass first. since the router bit is angled i take the very tip of the bit and run it across the wood just to slightly score the surface. and i do it backwards. you usually run your router left to right on a dovetail jig but here run it right to left. the pass is to small to give you any kickback from doing this little score and when you are going left to right the motion of the router bit pushes in on the fibers instead of pulling them out as in a regular left to right application application.