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Machines - Bevelers - Feed Direction

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Is there an advantage to which way the cane strips are fed to a beveler?  Do I want the router to try and pull the cane out of my hands or do I want it to push pack at me? (Steve Dunn)

I prefer feeding into the cutter, with the cutter rotating towards the work, rather that a climb cut with the cutter rotating away from the work.  (Martin-Darrell)

I think you want a climb cut - have the beveler pull the strip thru but don't stand in front of the exit end!  (John Long)

I have the Medved styled JW Beveller and the climb cut works very nicely. I think the strip edges are a bit better than the cutting I got on another brand, but it could have been the cutters I bought.  The carbide bit used by JW seems to cut extremely well.  As to what you say about the strip's exit. I was working in the garage and was beveling a strip when I heard a sharp thump on the garage door. I assumed my daughter had slammed on the door. When I looked down at my gloved hands, there was no strip. It was shot like an arrow into the garage door and lay on the floor under a good dent. SO, now I always make sure the door is closed in case there had been someone in the driveway (Not that I run the beveller or any tool with anyone playing around it but you never know), and I always wear the gloves of course. I do not find this to be a defect of the machine but rather my hogging off too much.  (Bob Maulucci)

JMHO, but you guys who are climb cutting with a router or attempting to cut something as crooked as a bamboo culm on a table saw are on borrowed time, keep your hospitalization insurance  current because you are going to need it someday! I work with all kinds of power tools all day, every day and both these practices are extremely dangerous, not only to you, but to any bystanders. A few years ago, one of the most experienced employees of Cooper Stair, a highly respected stair building company in the Chicago area, was killed by a piece of oak kicking back in the table saw, he took the piece right in the belly and it not only went clean thru him, it hit his spine while it was at it. When you feed something climb cut thru a router table, it wants to take it away from you and eventually (as Bob found out) it will, if you are real lucky, it won't take your fingers off when it does, but if you have made enough passes thru the machine that it has some sharp corners on it, then don't bet on the outcome. Of course, you are all adults and free to do as you choose, but be careful! 

Many of the folks who are taking up rodmaking these days aren't tool users by trade and aren't as familiar with the damage these things can do as those of us who work with them every day and I don't want to see anyone get damaged by using a power tool in an inappropriate way. Sharp objects are inherently dangerous anyway, use them enough and you will get bit, it is not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN and HOW BAD, that part is up to the user, I know because I have the scars and the hospital bills to prove it. Fortunately for me, I'm a 50 year old carpenter who still has all his fingers full length (although a couple won't stand up straight anymore).   (John Channer)

I also have a Medved beveler but an earlier one which was set up for climb cutting.  When Ron Barch and I were doing a school, he brought his JW beveler which is set up to climb cut.  We both had carbide bits and the strips from the JW were coming out a bit smoother.  I reversed the feed on my beveler and like it much better that way, but there always seems to be a down side...i.e. the quick exit.  Maybe we should call it "arrow feeding."  (John Long)

Encountered the same problem with a 12' culm while putting a drying split in it with a table saw. The culm pretty much took out the door to the shop. Can't image if the door was open at the time. Might have gone clear across the street and into traffic. Now that wouldn't be good.  (Chris Wohlford the Ultimate Bamboo Fly Rod Library)