Routing End Grain

There are many times when I want to rout the end of a narrow workpiece. The problem is the wood fibers on the back edge splinter as the bit exits the cut. Fortunately, all it takes to produce a crisp, clean cut is a simple backer block.

This is nothing more than a squared-up scrap block that rides against the fence as you push the workpiece past the bit. To prevent chipout, just be sure the block is at least as thick as the workpiece.