router table book ocr

8/10/2019 Router Table Book OCR

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ER N O NO VER


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~ O O S V 1 DEOS

Inc

9 8 7 6 5 4Printed in the United Slales o f merica

Fine

Inc ,

South Main

West

Data

l11c router / Ernie Conover

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1

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router in

In many ways it to the modern woodworker what a plane was torouter can an

tnake molding, cut all types of grooves, dadoes and fillisters createdoor

into end grain, do a multitude of pattern work and trim one surfacehand planes.

much of accomplished

it isThe

hand-held

router an us

already own the key component , a router, and router bits are

itshop of the cost of

one

quality with a home-built machine.

man y woodworkers ha ve tables use them toI k this is a

of reasons. For one thing, the router table has been the province ofuses

Knowledge has not crossed over more lack of communicationanything. be are many and books on the

router router table but most toscale work, totally joinery operations and procedures.

this book I will share the secrets of joinery router table.on

key to mastering the router table a thorough understanding ofto

however, I can only give examples oftypical setups. Setup is a waya same

methods and procedures are used all setups, they are used injob.

might even set up the same job in quite different ways. y learningwill

all joinery problems including the unusual) with


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H PTER 1

Routers are at the heart of the router table, and selecting a routerone la look at various types of routers and some useful after-market acces-

as as ear

Space precludes a detailed evaluation of specific and sincenew come oncussion would quickly become Instead, I ll emphasize the de-

you Ll J . . . . L I L T . ' - - _ so

can

The was invented during

/4-hp routers before selling the design to the Stanley Company1929 onwagon, and over years routers became and lighter but alsomore to routerscategories: helical adjusting plunge Most manufacturers make

2


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Selecting a router for your router table can be a daunting task, giventhe number of models on the market Some of the factors to considerare the adjustment mechanism helical vs. plunge), the horsepower

rating and the style of collet design. Photo: Susan Kahn.

ROUTER S FOR ROUTER T BI _ES


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Helical djusting Router

ins in router odyengage heli c al s lotin ba s e

S witch

BaseBasep late

4 H APTER ONE

both types in two or three quality ranges. Light-duty home-owner

routers, with a V4 in. collet and as little as 1 4 hp, sell for as litt le as 50.CommerCial-duty routers have multiple collet sizes, better bearingsand motor construction, and cost lllore. At the top end, industrial-dutyrouters have top-notch construction throughout and sell for 200 to

300. See Sources of Supply on pp. 114-116 for the addresses of someof the main router manufacturers.

Helical djusting routersOther than being much smaller and more powerful, today's helical

adjusting routers resemble R. 1 Carter's first router. In this design themotor screws into a helical slot in the body (see the drawing at left).Turning the motor raises and lowers the bit; a locking screw preventsthe setting from drifting. In Carter's original design, the body had athread of 16 threads per inch so that turning the motor within the base

one full turn raised or lowered the bit VI(; in. This relatively fine threadallowed for precise adjustments, but setting the depth of cut wasa slow process. Today most helical adjusting routers have a muchcoarser thread with a ring scale graduated in sixty-fourths of an inch,so the bit can be quickly raised and lowered in small increments (seethe photo on the facing page). Helical ad justing routers are easy to operate, and the adjusting mechanism is nearly indestructible.

Many helical adjusting routers have motors with less than 2 hp, butnowadays more powerful 3-hp models are becoming available. With aill in. collet, a 11/z-hp to 2-hp helical adjusting router can be quite suitable for many table operations. Although 2 hp is not sufficient powerfor large bits, it is adequate for small to medium sizes, including most

panel door sets.

So m e helical ad justin g ro ut e rs are fitt ed w ith spee d control, whi chm akes th em e ven be tt e r for ta bl e work. As d isc us sed on pp. 10- 11, bein g able to redu ce th e spee d of la rge c utter s is a must , an d a ro ut er tha tco me s w ith sp eed co ntr o l w o n 't n eed an afte r-mar ket unit.

I like to use heli cal adjustin g r o ut e rs fo r t ab le work because I fi ndth em e asie r to adj u st th an p lung e routers. One word of ca uti on: Besure to loc k the motor be f ore sta rtin g th e ro uter , or tbe motor can spinout of the base and go snarling ab o ut the floor. One pro bl em with he li-

c al ad justing router s us ed in ro ut e r t a bl e s is that the position o f the


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ost helical adjusting routers have a Y64 in. ring scale that facilitatesprecise raising and lowering of the bit

switch changes as the bit height is adjusted so that one is never quitesure where it is. Feeling around blindly under a running router table is

not the best idea so bending over to look is necessary. Therefore aseparate switch on the table is highly desirable.

Rack and pinion adjusting routers The rack-and-pinion system is a variation on the helical adjusting system. On rack-and-pinion adjustingrouters, the motor has a rack machined in the side of it. A pinion gearin the base casting meshes with the rack and raises or lowers the motor when a knob is turned. In the past the system was quite popular,but today the only company I know of that still makes rack-and-pinionadjusting routers is Black Decker. However, that router doesn t haveenough horsepower for general router-table use. If you already ownthis rack-and-pinion router, you can use it in a router table but onlywith small-diameter bits.

ROU TE RS F OR RO U T ER T B LE


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6 CHAPT R ONE

lunge Router

Router rides

up nddown o nco n7ns

lunge rout rs

Fine-adju stment knob

Speed. co ntro l

Togglelo c k

Rough/ depth-stop

adjustmentc t s against

d epth s top)

Click-stopdepth stop

Many people think the plunge router was first introduced into thiscountry by Japanese manufacturers, but that is far from the truth. R L

Carter had a router with plunge features in his line in the early part ofthis century. Wherever it came from the design has proved so popularthat most manufacturers now offer one or more plunge routers intheir line.

In a typical plunge router, the motor rides up and down on twocolumns rising out of the router base see the drawing above). Settingsare locked in place at the desired depth by a toggle lock. Springs in thecolumns maintain upward pressure against the motor so that the bit

will naturally rise up out of the work when the toggle lock is released.In most plunge routers the toggle lock can be reached with the rightor left index finger. When you place the router on the work, pull thetoggle and press down, the bit will emerge from the base and enter thework. A depth stop arrests downward travel at the desired bit depth.With the plunge router, the switch is always just where you left it re-gardless of the depth setting.


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Most plunge routers have a rather sophisticated depth-stop mechanism see the photo above). Click stops allow three or more progressively deeper depth settings to facilitate roughing and finishing cuts.Most plunge routers also have a threaded shaft with nuts to lock adepth setting so that it cannot change should the toggle accidentallybe pulled.

A plunge router with or more hp s very good for router-table use.Three horsepower will power any bits you are likely to use. Here toospeed control is a most desirable feature, in fact it s a must for largepanel-raising bits see pp. 66-67 .

Most plunge routers have a clicstop mechanism for setting thedepth of the cut A threadedshaft and a set of nuts let youmake fine height adjustments orlock a setting so that it cannotdrift during a cut

ROUTFRS FOR ROUTFR TABLE


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C H PTER ONE

Depth-of-cut adjustment under the router table is more convenient ifthe nuts are replaced with an after-market router knob On somerouters this knob is a standard item.

With plunge routers releasing the toggle and simply raising or lowering the motor s fine for coarse adjustment but not so good i you needto raise or lower a bit 1/64 in. For this most people use the nuts on thethreaded spindle. Since working under a table with a set of wrenches

on a small set of nutss

cumbersome to say the least, its

useful to replace the nut with an after-market router knob see the photo above),which allows quick and easy height adjustment with one hand.


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III

II am frequently asked what the best router buy for router-table

an to answer. can

n a table, but some are definitely better than others. Power is ofcourse an I routerneeds to be depends largely on what type of work you plan to do. But

canpower to amperage, as discussed on p 10.

by power alone, convenient makeyour router to use are more another amp or two. Pick the best machine you can afford and buy ade-

above all a I

a 3-hp router that I found easy to adjust to a 3 /4-hp model that foughtrouter to con-

sider include speed control and collet design.

Discerning differences quality among competing routers can be dif-are are

price points, so competing routers selling for about the same pricehave about same quality motors and

fore, the buying decision comes to features. Buy the router inyou can tOYOl l most.

Table operations are much more demanding than hand-held work be-ca use you can t, toer than should. In fact, some manufacturers stipulate that using their

I

with that table mounting causes as much as eight times the war-a good to

statement before you buy.

a sense. anin d us t a l-q uali ty a home-owner model, for

a motorlatter may have sleeve bearings, have more play in em andwear more While a

professional line of tools, only a few among them Bosch, Hitachi,

tn l e


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claims of power. listed in two ways: maximum horsepower

vertising and on the box. It i ' P ~ n . i ' ~ ~ E ; e r lu the maximum horsepower thecan on a

dynamometer. However, don t be too taken in by this figure, becausea motor can a

d of time without burning up. Maximum horsepower is useful pri-as a in

table operation can put demands on the motor that approach the max-

a routerhorsepower. Rated amperage (which is listed on the tool s name

as can allconsiderably less than the maximum . 1 1 . - ' .. .11.

can uselng formula to calculate the approximate continuous horsepower

router

746

North America , and

various routers than maximum horsepower, and usually significant-ly on

p 5 , with a rated amperage of amps, has anof 2 considerably

use.

a very desirable feature

more

e photo onrouter-table

on

some-


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diameter cutters, such as panel-raising bits and large molding profilebits-must be nln at lower speeds. Speed control lets you nln bits atspeeds as low as 8,000 rpm. For more on the relationship between bit

diameter and speed, see p 67.

Speed control built into the router is better than an after-market speedcontrol that the router plugs into. Built-in speed controls are designedspecifically for the needs of the router and typically have more sophisticated sensing electronics to monitor the motor s load and keepit nlnning at a constant rpm. Also built-in controls have passed independent laboratory testing, such as U L and C.S.A. along with therouter, while an after-market speed control may not have undergoneany testing whatsoever. Finally built-in speed control gives you a tnleindication of how fast the bit is spinning. With an after-market control

you have no way of knowing how exactly how much you are reducingthe speed.

Built in speed ontrol letsyou slow down the cuttingspeed for working withlarge diameter cutters.

ROUTERS FOR ROUTER T BLES


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r bestrouters COlnecan be ordered;

a

size can also be

awise see the drawing above). taper on the outside of the tube en-

a Ascrews onto or into) the spindle, compresses tube, which in turn

gri the shank of the router collets have only two slits; better lets or four. Economy routers I/t i n.

routers) often have the end of theThe problem with this s

aged a distinct possibility the motor spindle and the armatureit to It a new

Collets varythe bit shank.

to

both ease use

collets do not require a lot of tightening to gripon

slip, no matter how much force used in tightening. n idiosyncrasysome are

ing ring will spin free, but the bit is still gripped securely. If you con-


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tinue to loosen the ring until a second resistanceis

felt , then furtherapply the wrench , the bit will come free . )ne of the best co llets onthe market, the Elu, works like thiS, and it s nothing to worry about .

Better routers have tw o -piece c ollets that slip into a bored openingmachined in the end of the spindle. This design allows the use of interchangeable collets to accommodate bits of any size . Should a collet become damaged, it can easily be replaced .

With V-in. co llets another way to grip smaller-shank bits is with th euse of an adapter bushing . As shown in the drawing at right , an

adapter bushing is just a slit lnetal tube that slips into the I2- in . routercollet. Better bushings have one or more partial slits , ~ h i c hm akethem lnore flexible so the force o f the co llet is more readily transmitted to the shank of the bit. How well an adapter bushing grips a bitdepends on both the quality of the bushing itself and the colle t it isused in. Often the bushing will take a se t , so inserting and removingthe bit shank becomes difficult. Because adapte r bushings are proneto slippage and are burdens o me to use , it s best to avoid them unlessyou have no other alternative .

Traditionally two wren c hes are necessary for o pening and c lo sing the

collet see the photo above ). One wrench grips two flats or SOlnetilnes a hex on better router s) on the shaft just under the collet ar ea,while the other tightens or lo o sens the locking ring. The task can betedi OUS espe c ially if wrenches of two sizes are required-you neverSeelTI to have the right wrench n the right hand. Some routers haveshafts that lock , so to open o r cl o se the co llet all you need is a wrenchfor the locking ring-this is a most desirable feature . Locking mecha -

Opening and closing the colletto change bits usually calls fortwo wrenches

Adapter Bushing

dapter bushings let youuse smaller -shank bits in alarger collet, but they areprone to slippage . /t s bestto use a collet of theproper sIze

Partially slitin one ormore places

Sit f

ROUTFR S FO R ROU TF R T BLFS


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An oversized after-marketbaseplate lets you mount therouter in the router table Thebaseplate rests on a rabbet thesame depth as the thickness ofthe baseplate bringing it flushwith the table surface

14 CH PTFR E

nism s rang e from a simple button that engages a ho le in the shaft to aU-shaped toggle that anlounts t o a wrench but piv ots over a hex on theend of the shaft when needed . The advantages of this system are thathigh torque can be applied, and the shaft is not weak ened by a hole ino r through it.

Router ccessoriesWoodworking catalogs are loaded with ac ce ssories for the router.Tw o that directly relate to the use of the router in a table are aftertuarket bas e plates and switches.

After-market baseplatesEvery r o uter come s with a sturdy , low-friction plasti c baseplate that al-lows the tool t o slide easily on the work . These baseplates ca n be cutby a router bit ) allowing modification to ac commodate larger bit s . Fur

ther, should the bit accidentally t o uch the baseplate, no harm is d on e .The baseplate often facilitates the m o unting of guide bushings as well

see pp . 76-77).

For table operation , you usually remov e th e baseplate that comes withthe tool and add a larger baseplat e , which lets you mount the router ina ra bbeted cu t o ut in the router table see th e phot o bel o w . Whenshopping for an after-tuarket baseplate, lo o k for flatness , a low-frictionsurfac e and a removable in sert plat e or plates that will allow the use ofla rge bits.


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After-market baseplates are made of various materials; some comeequipped with a starting p n see p. 16).

The baseplate material should be easy to work with typical woodworking shop tools . After-market baseplates can be fashioned fromvarious materials (see the photo above), most comm only acrylic, p olycarbonate , phenolic resin, molded plastic s and even aluminum. Eachhas its advantages and disadvantages.

Acrylic o ften called Plexiglas , but this is a registered trade nalTIe) ischeap and easy to fabricate yourself in the shop. Polycarbonate Lexanis a common trade name) is the material that helicopter bubbles andshatterproof windows are made of, so it is tough stuff indeed. What ismore, it is as easy to work with as acrylic . Acrylic, ho wever, resists sagging better and is more consistent in thickness .

Phenolic resin is an excellent baseplate material. It is flat , of constantthickness and resistant to sagging, and it can b e drilled and cut easily .

Woodhaven offers high-quality baseplates made from -in . phenolicresin see Sources of Supply on pp . 114-116 . Highland Hardware sellsprecut 1 4 in . thick sheets of phenolic-resin b o ard , along with 18-io .thick polycarbonate for insert plates .

You can also get aluminum baseplates . These are soft enough that youcan run a bit into them , but they are more difficul t to drill, cut orotherwise modify than plastic baseplates . However , of all the baseplat e materials , aluminUlTI is the most resistant to sagging .

If you don t want to make your own, various ready -n1ade molded plas

tic baseplates are on the market . Often they have slots instead ofho l e s, so they can mount to many different routers . The quality ofthese plastic baseplates varies greatly, both am o ng manufacturers andeven amon g batches from the same manufacturer. While some arevery good , others are not. I have seen molded baseplates with largeridge s where the lTIold was parted , removable inse rt rings that did notfit flush and incon sistent thickne ss . Always inspect baseplates carefully before you buy .

Polycarbonate, phenolic resin

and acrylic can all be userfabricated into a baseplate thatwill fit any router and router-tablecombination. Here a piece ofpoly c rbon te is being drilled toreceive a mounting screw.

ROUTERS FOR ROUTER T BLFS


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A foot switch is a safeconvenient way to start

and stop the router.

6 CHAP T ER ONF

tarting pins Complex shapes are m olded by guiding the work with apilot bearing above or bel o w the cutting edge o f the bit see pp. 69

71) . The fence is dispensed with , and the bit pr otrudes unguarded inthe center of the table. To start su ch work safely , you ll need a startingpin (a lso called a fulcrum pin). This pin, which is about 1/ 4 in . in diamete r ) presses into a hole near the bit. In use the work is placed againstthe pin , then r ocked into the spinning cutter until it touches the bearing. F rom this point on the bearing guides the work . Many baseplat esco me with a starting pi n . If yours o s n t it is an easy matter to addon e . Simply drill a hole slightly to the right and behind the opening forth e bit and insert a screw or tapered wood peg.

Auxiliary switchesMany people like to equip their router with a separate switch. Thiscan either be a simple to ggle switch located conveniently on the tableor a foot switch . I like a simple toggle switch with an outlet that therouter plugs into . Reaching under the table and blindly gropin g for theswitch is awkward and risky, a nd o n helical adjusting routers theswitch moves each time it is adjusted . A conveniently nl0unted switcha llows easy starting and stopping , especially in an emergency. Beingable to unplug the router at th e table, rather than h aving t o w a lk to thew all plug, is also a great convenience .

For SaIne types of work a foot switch see the photo below) is handy .While some fo ot switches have the actual switch buried in the fo o tpedal , others operate pneutnatic a lly-y ou step on a rubber bulb thatactuates a relay. The best switches are covered so that they cannot beinadvertently tripped , either by a ccidentally stepping on them or

through something falling on them .

What type of switch you should buy depends largely on the type o fwork you do, Foot switches are good for repetitive operations like cutting joints with the Incra Jig or JoinTECH (s ee pp . 42 -44 . Toggle


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switches are better for general milling such as sticking or coping op-erations. Whatever switch you get make sure that it is rated to handlethe amperage of your router.

Installing and Changing Router itsInstalling a router bit is simplicity itself. The first step is to unplug therouter even if you have an auxiliary switch. This often overlookedstep prevents the router from accidentaJly being started should theswitch inadvertently be brushed. For helical adjusting routers it is of-

ten simpler to remove the motor from the base to change bits espe-cially i two wrenches are involved.

If the shank of the bit does not slide easily into the collet check formanufacturing problems such as insufficient radius at the end of theshank rough finish grinding or a burr. Other times the problem is a

roughened interior on the collet or a scratched shank on the bitwhich can be caused by the bitspinning in the collet. These problemscan be alleviated i not eliminated by breaking the edge on a benchgrinder and then buffing the shank as seen in the photo below.

The bit should not bott 1TI out in the collet forthis could prevent thecollet from being fully tightened. If the bit shank bottoms out pull itback out of the collet about 6 in. before tightening the locking nut.Of equal itllportance is that the bit shank be inserted to sufficientdepth to be gripped securely by the collet. Otherwise the bit maycock sideways and even spin loose.

If the end of the shank is roughand won t fit into the collet youcan break the edge on a benchgrinder and then buff it.

ROU T ERS FOR ROUTER T BLE S


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Once the bit engaged the collet is tightened. Many people tend to

cules. Overtigh tening won t really hurt anything but it puts unneces-on more

When using an adapter bushing, however, more torque s generallyso some

When using a router table you should take some general precautionstothe use of safety g l s s e s ~ear protection, dust masks and respirators.

router

eye protection during routera router aren t

soturn on

shatterproof lenses are adequate true safety _ _ -with side shieldsareof a face shield.

a tooltypical jobs. Exposure toto your hearing. Therefore I to be essen-

options ear plugs earchoose depends largely on your needs and your budget.

The cheapest type of ear protection a set ofear are ears.ber plugs are sold sizes and must be matched to ear size to be

can warm waterare more apt to be lost than wear out.

like

out

are smallsimply roll

a

between your ,...

and easy to carry. Ito are

and out of your ears and that they can be somewhatworn g ce I to

working to use the telephone, I find them


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A basically a of alevel working surface w i a router mounted upside-down under-

bit

of jigs and othertables ones more n

netry underneath the table than in anything else.

If you want a router table you rna y either buy one or build one yoursome

the materials necessaryvailable as

goods in quantities too large for the project at hand. A store

consider the time it would take you to build one.

On the other hand building a router can be an enjoyable projectand are to a that ' 0

a lot of the material you need it willbuild one yourself.

If you l

much cheaper to


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If you build your own router table you can get exactly what you want.This router table designed and built by Dave Hout and Ernie Conoverincorporates such niceties as a plastic-laminate work surface a drawerand a storage cabinet.

ROUTFR L E DESIG N


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Two router tables by Eagle fe turea centrally mounted b sepl tewith starting pin and miter slotright) and and offset-mounted

b sepl te below).

CHAPTFR iO

Manufactured router tables vary greatly. Some are commercial versions of what is essentially a shop-built router table see the photosabove). The top is fiberboard covered with plastic laminate. The standis typically wood or metal legs that raise the table to a working heightof 32 in. to 36 in. The fences on manufactured router tables vary greatly but most employ plastic, aluminum extrusions and/or aluminum

castings in their design. Manufactured fences often incorporate a vacuum port for dust and chip pickup a nice feature.


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A second type s the high-end metal router table. These cast-iron orcast-aluminum tables have all the features of a well-built machine-f1attables fine surface finishes and sophisticated fences. Many of themha ve a miter slot and various optional accessories. One such table sthe cast-aluminum router table by Porta-Nails, shown in the photo below. Delta, Porter-Cable, Woodstock International and Nu-Craft Toolsalso offer cast-metal router tables. These tables list froln about 230 toclose to 700, but can often be found for less.

A cast aluminum router table by Porta-Nails. A second router can bemounted n the right angle plate at the back of the table to maketenons dovetails and other precision joinery.

ROUTFR T BLE DFSIGN


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A small, light-duty router tableby Porter-Cabl e above) and

a stamped-metal routertable by Sears right).

Dremel s tiny router table.

4 CH PTER TWO

third type of manufactured router table is mass produced) most o -

ten of stamped or injection-molded plastic construction. Such benchtop tables are sold at Sears and at home centers. These small, lightweight tables can be hauled to a job site easily or stored under a benchif shop space is at a premium. They will not, however, handle toda y slargest routers and bits and are limited to light and medium-duty work.The photos above show two examples of this type of table. There is

even a miniature router table for delicate work see the photo at left).

Finally there are a number of router tables that double as the extensionwing of a table saw. Some of these are supplied by the table-saw manufacturer, while others are after-market devices. Thes e tables offer several advantages: They take up little space in the shop, the workingheight is good, and the table-saw fence can be employed as the routertable fence in some operations. When not in use the router can be leftin place with the bit lowered below the table surface so that normalsaw operations are not impaired.


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uilding a Router TableBuilding a router table is not a project that requires a high amount ofwoodworking skill only basic proficiency. In fact it makes a dandyfirst project and calls for a variety of procedures that can then be putto use in building kitchen countertops cabinets and built-ins. Whafsmore you will end up with a table that is exactly what you want. Evenif you decide to buy your router table reading through this section

will let you better evaluate the construction of cOlnmercial tables.

A router ta b le can b e as s imple or as el ab orate as you choose to makeit. All you re all y ne e d is a level working surface about 24 i n . by 32 in. to36 in. at a conve ni ent h e ig ht. I h ave ev e n m ade do by cl a m p ing ascrap of 1/2 in. plywood on a workbe nc h attac hi n g th e ro ut e r base underne a th the pl ywoo d a nd u sing a 2-in. s qu are o ut rip for a f ence. Amore usable table wo uld fea tur e a better fence an d a plastic- lami natetop for a pleasa nt working sur f ace. O n p p . 26-35 are gene ral inst ru ctions fo r buil ding a sil np le ro u ter ta b le wi th a plastic-lalninate top likethe tabl e show n n the d ra w in g below.

Shop Built Router Table

Table top of MDFor hardwoodplywood coveredon both sid es with

plastic lam inate

Apron made /of 4 4 poplar

34 in.

~ 120/16 in

ROUT R T AB LE DESIG I


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best substrate for the laminate medium-density

board MDF) or high-quality hardwood plywood. If you plan to mill ayour will need I-in.

are not to Y4 in. MDF will do.plywood makes a plywood

job

are more are also

and Baltic birch plywood are often sold only by industrial ply-will to a 7

dividual. local lumberyard may have to the material for

a to a willing toand/or order these materials for you. Some national home-center

.L Jl.L.JLUnow orcan it

problem, most table saws do not have

even two

the sheet cut for you at the lumberyard on a special saw designed forare or

may not be an option, since the industrial suppliers that carry these

a

Yes, r waste ajob on a

can safely bema-

For your router table, a thick grade of high-pressure lalninate intended

ing page). Plastic laminate is sold in aa router table, a non-glaring) matte

will a fin on

WI . . . . . . L f JL J L . J c onof surface furnishes, and

is

it


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we r

rer


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should receive some sort of treatment as well; the possibilities includewith or veneer thin

wood to the edge.

laminate s sold in various lengths and widths, commo n one,we can

dimension out of the width of the sheet. Cutting the laminate can and

the thin, flexible nature of the material. It can be cut on the table saw,it thin enough to under most sa ws. so-

lution to problem to cut a shallow saw kerf about Y 6 in. from thean to n ln

of laminate in the kerf.

If you are working alone, you can simply lay the sheet face down onit 1 a

tween the laminate and the floor at the marked area and make four or

a uti .When

piece s almost cut through, you can simply bend the panel and it willon

laminate s glued to the contact afew precautions are in When MDF, plastic lami-nate and contact cement, eye and organic-vapor protec-

are some cements are so shouldbe used with plenty of ventilation and away from sparks or flames.

are asContact Cement, which is what used for the table built for this

awinter.

The adhesive can be applied with a brush or a roHer I usually buy

on (you can ttouch, so be sure that youit . Tocenter out to the edges. good way to do this to place four to six

on placelaminate on top of the dowels, as shown the drawing on the facing

............ .... ............- as you want

dowel and press down the laminate. Continuecenter

this nlanner, work-out to


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The assembly should be rolled with enough pressure to ensure a goodare

for this purpose, but I have also a kitchen rolling pin goodare you should a

with laminate overhanging about 2 on all edges. The overhangingwith a hand-held equipped a lam-

router

along the substrate, and with the assembly clamped to your

edges are trimmed.

screws. The top s generous overhang beyond

to

on your own byments underneath.

d

un

make itwant to a

more versatile means of

an or

replaces the standard router baseplate and sits on a rabbet around acutout router

of the baseplate so that the insert will come flush with the table top.it ta a to router

to cut the matching hole in the table top you ll find it time well spentyou do.


42/132

A table insert with removablerings allows you to tailor the sizeof the opening to the diameter of

the bit being used. This featuremakes for the trouble-free

feeding of stock past the bit andfor more efficient dust

evacuation which results ncleaner cooler cuts.

3 CH PTER TWO

The simplest wa y to cut the rabbeted hole is with a hand-held router.This hole nlay be located either in the center of the table or offset toone side (se e the photos on p . 22 ) . With a centrally located hole(which I prefer ), there is plen ty of room behind the bit for the fenceand enough room in front of the bit for the widest of w o rk plus holddowns . A Initer slot can be milled the length of the table in front o f thebit . If the slot is inconvenient for a particular job, the table can beturned around .

Offsetting the hole to o ne end of the table lets you work across thetable rather then along the length of it . This is desirable for two reasons . First, relatively short infeed and outfeed surfaces facilitate sticking operations with long work that is bowed . Second, the offset placement better facilitates u se of comlnercial positioning sy stems, such asthe Incra Jig or the JOinTECH systenl see pp . 42-44), since both ofthes e systelns requir e a lot of tabl e n back of the fenc e for attachment.An offset router placement allows this with no modification to thetable . These systems c an, however , be used with a centrally mountedrouter by adding an extra piece of plywood or MDF on the back of therouter tabl e .

I favor the central hole location even for use with the Incra Pro or the]oinTECH . Most of the tilne I keep the Initer slot to the ba c k of thetable, where it s out of the way .

Certain operations , such as funning molding (see p 89), go better i

the hole n the table insert is as small as possible. For this reason I favorinserts that have removable rings (see the photo below ), so that the


43/132


44/132

Routing a Rabbeted Hole for the Table Insert

Step : utting the Template

Tem p late material (MDF)-- . ~ \

\

IIIlII)

Tabl e ins er t I

'-- - - - - - - - - - - ~ . /

Step : Making the Hole

i pi t

G -I

1I

. 1I

Tab le t p - I.

~ ~ . /

Step 3: Routing the Rabbet

Table top

@

3 CHAPTER TWO

1

J

Table insert

Wast e (will bediscarded)

Template m aterial

S cr ap ba c king

4 in dia. bit used with 1j2-in. dia. guide bushing yieldstemplate with hole 8 in. larger than table insert.

1 Y2-in . dia.guide bushi n

Y4 in . dia . bit Template

, Table t p

1j4 i n dia . bit with J2-in. guide bushing cuts hole in table topn. s maller tha n template. Sin c e template is 3B in. large r

than tabl e i nsert, hole is Y4 n. smaller than table insert.

. . Tabl e t p

~ E = =. 3 / 4 -in ,. pilotbear ing

Rabbet

11J4 in. dia. rabbeting bit with 314 in. pilot bearing c u ts14-in wide rabbet matching table insert perfectly.


45/132

plate material to support the loose piece as it

n10ve as

be perfect.

to

double sided

tem-

cut free Otherwise the

will


46/132

outing rabbeted hole

2 Cut the template. Routcounterclockwise around thetable insert using a Y4 in. spiralfluted straight bit and a Y2 in.guide bushing. Make two tothree passes lowering the biteach t ime.

34 CH PTE R TVVO

3. Lif t the finished template free.

1. With double-sided tape attachthe table insert to the templatematerial. Scrap should also betaped to the underside of thetemplate material to support theloose piece as it is cut free.


47/132

4 Cut the hole. With thetemplate taped to the routertable top and a piece of scraptaped underneath the workpiecfor support rout clockwisearound the inside of thetemplate using the Y4 in. bitand a 1 Y2 in. guide bushing.

5. Cut the rabbet routingclockwise around the hole usia piloted rabbeting bit witha o/4 in. pilot bearing.

6. The table insert sits in thefinished rabbeted opening flushwith the surface of the table top.

RO UTFR t BLE D E S IG


48/132

FencesThe fence serves several purposes. It guides the work past the cutter,provides vacuum pickup for dust and chip evacuation and to varyingdegrees, guards the cutter. The fence is in essence no more than alarge right-angle block that s attached to the router table either permanently or with clamps. While most commercial tables come with afence on some it s an option), a fence can easily be shop built. In factI think the shop built is su perior in most cases.

Commercial fences are usually built from structural foam plastic or analuminum extrusion or aluminum castings. A must for aluminum extrusions s anodizing a plating process that puts a protective coatingon the aluminum. Without anodizing the aluminum will blackeneverything it touches. The coating can be clear or colored.

Some fences are entirely aluminum while others face the extrusion

withwood, and

thelatter s

definitely abetter option.

fences

virtually useless unless the working surface s at exactly 90 to the tablebut many stock aluminum extrusions are not perfectly square. If the

Many commercial fen es are built from extruded aluminum

6 CH PTER TWO


49/132

fence is faced with wood, the entire assembly can be run through ajointer and made square. To square a fence, set the jointer to a light cutof V16 in. or less, place the wood face of the fence down on the jointertable and run it through while holding the aluminum web firmlyagainst the jointer fence, as shown in the photo above. Before you begin, make sure that that all the hardware s countersunk more thanV 6 in. below the surface of the wood so that you do not hit any metalwith your jOinter cutter head.) The fence may also be jointed with ahand plane.

Many commercial fences have a circular or rectangular opening in thefence for the router bit. For good milling it is important to have thefence as close as possible to the bit. When the fence supports thework as it s being cut by the bit, splintering ahead of the cutter s

greatly reduced and a better finish is achieved. Dust and chip extraction is also greatly improved.

Split fences see the photo on p. 38) have separate pieces of wood attached to the infeed and outfeed halves of the aluminum extrusion.These pieces can be slid laterally along the extrusion to adjust the sizeof the opening around the bit - th is is a desirable feature in a routertable fence.

Commercial fences are attached to the table in a variety of ways. Inone common system, studs with plastic knobs through slots in the aluminum extrusion mate with threaded metal inserts in the router table.Systems like this have a limited amount of adjustment. I prefer to lockdown a fence with C-clamps or quick-action clamps, which allow you

o square the wood face of acommercial fence simply run itsface through a jointer Be surethat any metal fasteners in thefence are out of reach of thejointer knives

ROUTER TAB L DESIG


50/132

With a split fence either sidecan be slid laterally along theface of the backing extrusion

to reduce the opening aroundthe bit to a minimum.

8 CHAPT R TWO

to orient th e fence in any p osit ion at a ll and still l ock it rock so li d.Q uick -ac tio n clamps can be opera ted with one hand, a de finit e p lu sso yo u can u se yo u r other hand to h o ld th e fence in pl ace w hil e YOllcla m p i t. )ne never has enough hands w he n sett ing a fence.

Shop built fencesMak ing a fence takes so li ttle ti tne that you can make severa l fo r diff ere nt app li c ations. I usu ally build fe nces fr o ln p op la r hut any scrapwood (inc] udi ng p ly w ood or MDF w ill do i f it is straight. T h e he i ghtof the fence sh ould b e at least 3 in. , b ut wi th a hi gh e r fence it s easiert o cl amp on fea therb oa rd s va cuum p orts and guar ds over th e cutte r .A h e ight of 4 in. is good; a h eigh t of 5 in . or 6 in. is nice for sOln e w o rk )such as ra ising panels wi th a vertic al pane l-rais ing b it see p. 11 0).

A typical shop-made fence is shown in the drawing on the facing page.The two parts of the fence may he glued together. Jfyou ha ve a biscuitjoiner or a doweling jig, it will be easier to register the two pieces precisely to one another.

Most general routing can be handled with three shop-made fences

with progressively bigger openings-small, mediulTI and large. Certainoperations, such as running molding, require a fence with an openingthat matches the profile of the hit-a zero-clearance fence. With a zero-


51/132

clearance fence, chipping and splintering along the grain n front ofthe cutter are greatly reduced, and dust pickup is improved. Commercial fences that are or can be faced with wood can be converted to zero-clearance fences, as can any shop-made wood fence. On splitfences where the two halves can slide left and right, obtaining zeroclearance is easy, although new wood parts may have to be made. Justset the fence normally, turn on the router, loosen the fence parts a

little and slide them until the bit just mills its profile in the fence opening. Depending on the demands of the operation, this may be done tothe infeed side only or to both sides of the fence.

Making a zero clearance fence It is easy to incorpora te zero clearanceinto a shop-built fence like the one in the drawing below. I do this bydrawing out the profile of the bit on the upright section of the fencebefore gluing the halves together see photo 1 on p. 40 . With a scrollsaw or bandsaw, I then cut inside the lines where the cutting edge s

and outside the lines where the bearing and shaft are, then assemblethe fence photo 2 . When the glue is dry, line up the fence next to thecutter, clamp one edge of the fence to the table see photo 3 on p. 41 ,turn on the router and slowly pivot the fence opening over the bitphoto 4 . The result is an opening that matches the profile of the bit.

A Shop Built Fence

The mor e cl osely thisopening match es the bitpr o file, the bette r

All material i s -in. stock .

P la te joinery b isc uits

3 in to 6 in.

Le ngth of

fenc e eq ualslen gth orwidth ofrouter table .

4 in .

ROUTER TABLE DESIGN


52/132

aking zero clearancefence

40 CHAPTER TWO

1. Layou t the bit opening onthe upright section o f the fence,and a semicircular opening onthe flat section. above)

2. After sawing a notch in thefence and cutting out thesemicircular opening, glue thefence parts together. at left)


53/132

3. With the fence alignedand clamped down on oneedge, pivot the bit openingthrough the cutter. above)

4. The bi t cuts its profilein the upright part of thefence. at right)

ROUTFR TABLE DFSIGN


54/132

The outfeed half of mostcommercial fences can be

offset in some way to supporta workpiece when the entire

face of the work has beenrouted Here a shim is

inserted between the woodpart of the fence and the

aluminum extrusion

4 CH PTER TW

For most route r-table operations the fence is clamped in place over orto one side of the bit, which spins counterclockwise. The workpieceis held against the fence and moved past the bit from the infeed side ofthe table. As the bit makes its cut along the face of the workpiece, thetable surface and the fence support the workpiece and keep it movingin a straigh t line.

If you are routing the entire face of the work, the outfeed side of thefence needs to be shimmed a bit proud of the infeed side by theamount removed by the cutter so the fence will support the work af-

ter it has been milled. I glue thin cardboard and/or VI6 in. plywood tothe outfeed half of the fence using photo-mount adhesive. Better com

mercial router tables have mechanisms for shimming or offsetting theoutfeed half of the fence, as shown in the photo above.

Once a fence is clamped to the table I like to use C-clamps), small adjustments in position can be made with a wood mallet by looseningone clamp and tapping the fence at that end, then retightening theclamp. Unlike fences on bandsaws and table saws, router-table fencesdon t have to be square to the cutter. Adjusting a fence to a router bit is

a radial problem, so pivoting the fence from one end works fine.

ommercial positioning systems

Many users elect to eq ui p their router table with a precision fencepositioning system. Two such systems currently on the market are theIncra Jig and the JoinTECH (see the photos on the facing page). Theadvantage of these systems is their ability to put a router-table fenceexactly where you want it in an instant. Once aligned, the fence always stays parallel to the miter slot, i there is one.


55/132

The original Incra Jig and its current incarnation, the Incra Pro, usetwo plastic racks that slide together like a miniature extension ladderto position the extruded aluminum fence in Y32-in. increments. Raisinga toggle allows the two halves of the extrusion to be moved easily.Flipping the toggle to either side locks the two racks firmly together atthe desired measurement. A sliding hairline allows precise reading ofan excellent ruler in the top extrusion. The ruler is graduated in veryreadable thirty-seconds to match the rack distances. Numerous accessories that can be added to the system, such as the Incra Mike, allowadditional fine adjustment down to .001 in. between the y. 2-in. increments of the plastic racks.

The joinTECH is also built of aluminum extrusions, and achieves thesame results as the Incra Pro by different means. The basis of the system is the IPM Incremental Positioning Machine , a heavy, chrome-

The JoinTE H adjusts fenceposition through a lead-

screw mechanism.

The Incra Pro fence adjustingsystem uses plastic racksto move the fence n

Y32-in. increments.

R O UT E R T BLE DE S IG


56/132

plated

works

on

screw6 -L

in per click

jigwhich

lead screw runs a set of


57/132


58/132

A tradi ti o nal co m m er cial mitergauge can be used with a router

ta b le but end-gr ain cutsmust be backed up with

a scrap piece.

A wraparound miter gauge guidesoff the fence i tself so i t cannotget out of alignment. I t is quick

to get into operation but will notpass under featherboards

and guards.

46 CHAPTER TWO

Miter gaugesThere are several choices when it comes to miter gauges for the routertable. They include the traditional tnetal slot-guided miter gauge thewraparound design the quick and dirty nliter gauge and a bushingguided miter-gauge.

Slot guided miter gauge A co nventional tniter gauge like the one in atable saw works well for running shop-made o r commercial jigs . Ifyo u are tnaking end-grain cuts however you will have to back up thework e ither by placing a waste piece behind it o r by screwing or taping a waste strip to the miter gauge and running it through the cutterfirst. Both alternatives are unwieldy and time-consuming-for this operation a fence-guided miter gauge works hetter .


59/132


60/132

The quick and dirty miter gaugeis cheap and easy to make and

has the advantage of passingunder featherboards and

commercial guards

48 CH PTER TWO

Quick and dirty miter gauge The quick and dirty miter gauge is nothingmore than a squared-off scrap block that slides along the fence (seethe photo above), and for ease of construction and cheapness of manufacture it wins hands down. All cuts are backed up well and handscan be clear of the bit. The block can be turned end for end and usedfor another pass , after which it can be trimmed shorter or discardedIts only failing is that it is not as easy to keep snug to the fence as thewraparound design. The block sh o uld be long enough a nd wid eenough to keep your hands well clear of the cutter . I generally startwith the longest piece I can find so that I can cut the ends back onceor twice for additional uses .

For my own work I use the quick and dirty tniter gauge most of thetime. It is the quickest to make, works weII and can pass under featherboards and comnlercial guards .

Bushing guided miter gauge The bushing-guided Initer gauge is splendid for cutting slnall dadoes, sliding dovetails and other such work onnarr ow stock (less than in. wide . It is useful for wasting the cheeksof a tenon, the shoulders of which were first cut on a tabl e saw . It isalso good as the basis of other router jigs, such as for cutting finger

joints see pp. 101-102). I use it the most for cutting dad oes for drawerdividers . Ifs not so g ood for most en d -grain cuts because it s hard toguard the bit when using it. For safety reasons , I never use this carriagewith bits larger than 4-in. diameter .


61/132


62/132

Most commercial fences comewith a red or orange plastic haloguard that alerts you to thedanger zone of the whirlingrouter bit

5 C H P T ~ RTVVO

Safety Guards and eatherboardsTo work safely on a router table you must address two main problems:keeping your hands away from the bit and controlling the path of theworkpiece as it moves past the cutter. There are commercial guards,both built-in and after market, that shield the bit. You can also devi seyour own guards for specific applications, along the lines of my de

signs detailed below. There are also commercial wheeled hold-downdevices that can be used to guide the workpiece past the bit (see thetop drawing on p 81). A much simpler item that will accomplish thesame purpose is the featherboard, which you can make in your ownshop at virtually no cost.

alo guardsMost commercial router tables come with some sort of guard, often aright-angled piece of red or orange transparent plastic, which attachesto or protrudes from the fence and can be positioned over the bit (seethe photo at left). Whi le these guards won t absolutely keep you frominadvertently touching the bit, they have value because they give youa sense of where the bit is A spinning router bit becomes nearly invisible (especially at the periphery of large bits), and a brightly coloredhalo guard clearly delineates the danger zone. It's a good idea to use

such a guard even on shop-made fences. Halo guards can be purchased or shop made.

Guard for pilot bearing workSome router-table operations are done without the fence in place, forexample using a bit equipped with a pilot bearing to mill a curvededge (see

p 109), Thiscan be

avery dangerous setup because the

bitprotrudes unprotected through the center of the table, so some sort ofguard is essential. I know of no commercial guard for such work, butfortunate ly it is a simple matter to make one in the shop.

As shown in the top drawing on the facing page, the guard is madefrom wood. The top piece forms an umbrella over the bit, and shouldoverhang it generously on all sides and be Y16 in. higher than the work.The channel under the guard formed by the two side cleats al lows vacuum pickup, something not otherwise possible with an exposed cutter. This guard should take less than 30 minutes to make and can be

used with a variety of bits.

In use, the guard is positioned over the cutter and starting pin andclamped to the table. The work must be slid under the overhang tocontact the bit and should a kickback occur the overhang will brushyour fingers away, keeping them out of the cutter. The hole in the middle lets you see when the edge of the workpiece or template contactsthe pilot bearing and when to end the cut.


63/132

hannel doubles

s vacuum p rt

pin

A featherboard s an angled piece of wood with a of saw kerfs~ M

functions. On they hold work down firmlyon the table and against the fence especially around theing or reducing and a much straightersmoother profile. if the operator stops feeding the workpiece

iscan walk to

reverse feeding of

Kickback occurs when the work s pushed backwards by the bit.a over serves same

as a halo guard and most router-table setups benefit from a feather-


64/132

Featherboards hold work downfirmly against the fence and therouter table for a chatter freefinish The angled feathers alsoprevent the work from kicking

back at the operator

5 CH P ER TWO

Featherboards can easily be made with a backsaw

Featherboards are easily made in the shop. The drawing on p 51 givesdimensions I ve found useful in my router-table work, but you shouldfeel free to improvise. You can cut the parallel slots using a table sawor a bandsaw. Mak,e the cuts close enough that the fingers are springy.I find that fingers 1/ 6 in. to s in wide work well. On the table saw, Icut the 60 angle on one end, then cut the fingers. I start with a pieceof stock long enough that I can make the series of parallel cuts withoutgetting my fingers close to the blade, then trim to length later. On thebandsaw, I first trim the end to about 60, then make a series of parallel cuts. Take care when withdrawing the work after each cut that youdon t pull the blade out of the guides and/or off the wheels. If youdon t have a table saw or a bandsaw, you can use a backsaw (see thephoto above right).

In use, featherboards are clamped to the fence or to the router table

top, as shown in the photo above left. Any molding setup needs atleast one featherboard and can have as many as necessary hold thework firmly against the table.


65/132

Dust and hip ExtractionRouting creates a lot of dust and debris, so hooking a shop vacuum ora dust collector to your router table makes a lot of sense. Most commercial fences have some provision for dust collect ion, usual ly a plastic box section built into the fence just behind the opening for therouter bit see the photo below left) for attaching the hose of an industrial vacuum or dust collector. You can easily fabricate a similar pickupfrom cardboard or thin plywood and duct-tape it to an opening in ashop-built fence see the photo below right).

Not all the dust goes up, however; some of it s pulled down throughthe hole in the table. Keeping the baseplate opening as near the diameter of the bit as possible will limit the amount of debris that fallsthrough. Plates with removable and replaceable rings see the photoon p. 30) are most helpful her e. You might also consider adding somesort of dust pickup underneath the table-either a buil t -in system or aflexible-hose and duct-tape arrangement. Such a pickup s best placedat the rear underside of the table, just behind the opening. This usuallyworks out to be just below the fence pickup. On exposed-bit operations, strategically placing the vacuum hose is difficult. l ~ h shop-builtguard for pilot-bearing work described on pp. 50-51, which incorporates dust pickup, s one solution to the problem.

Most commercial fences have provision for hookingup an industrial vacuum or dust collector

A dust pickup can be fabricated from cardboard anattached to a shop built fence with duct tape

ROUTER TABLE DE IG


66/132

are t

little chunks of metal for granted, but they are most important fac-tor good router on

bits. That s not to say one must always pick the most expensive bit,

but a

are two es.may be referred to as home owner or DIY grade; better-quality bits

as j orworkers should try to avoid lower-quality bits

use.

router bits, there are two mainbits and and each hasEither of bit

and tool

anything one-


67/132

Router bits come in many sizes and sizes Start your collection with a

few common profiles; acquire more specialized bits as you need them

ROUTFR ITS


68/132

n

hardware stores are

bits as well.

Most people think bits are not worthy of consideration by acould truth.

bits areand been disappointed. HSS bits are made at all quality levels, and

type

quality industrial type will give long and faithful service. fact manybuy of for produc-

tion addition to being cheaper to buy in the first place,HSS

edge than

never

speed steel.

About 75 of bits sold are bits. They are very popularca use they hold an although aremore to sharpen). How longer

circumstances of estimates varya worst case of to as much as

bits,an extra Ineasure

extend fairly far

cutouts

each pass

some

some

years ago but today l l t _ - -


69/132

also use a ..,.

vacuum

c n be cast it

. . - . . . 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . it

wear.


70/132

t use n

s it it


71/132


72/132

acts on canthe table by having a zero-clearance fence with an opening thesame as On a i ronfurther reducing splitting ahead of the cutter but there are no

ato minimize ahead o the cutting edge.

cut same . ,ou.. -..ciples as the hand plane. Cutting edges equivalent to the iron are cre-

ar more a asteel bit, the flutes become the cutting edges; in a carbide bit flat

edges. drawing below shows an end view of a Yz-in. dia. carbide-

asformed by the front face of the cutting edge and an imaginary line ex-

the bit. The rake angle determines the GA.J.-'-; 'A .....

25 rake anglehook

Silver

Carbide tip

/

angle


73/132

meets the workpiece and is largely controlled by how far off centeris In case 25 0

angle for wood-cutting router bits is 0 If the rake angle is too great,more to i

too small the edge gets thin and fragile and will wear out faster. Bitsas a

rake angle of about 15 Q.

The toa or an arc

which is referred to as radial clearance) ground into the cutting edge

uses a

any casewhat is most important is that there be enough of it. If there insuffi-

rather than

edge fails.

clearance angle 115 to 8 for grinds

it Such a bit

for

for needs a minimum of 10 of clearancenot to more

thin the cutting edge.

equipment with diamond wheels to be

a router ofrelief left alone. For this reason a bit gets slightly smaller in diameter

it most a loss of JL r , o . o dull lTIOre

can be

bits see 1 ]4-116), and some of these purportto ascants can extend the time between sharpenings, they will not make adull


75/132

natured ethyl alcohol and petroleum distillates, so you should avoidbreathing them. As an alternative to commercial cleaning prepara-tions, you can soak your bits in paint thinner and brush them occasionally with a bristle brush.

Pilot bearings see pp. 69-73) benefit from a bit of lubrication. Here iswhere one of the spray lubricants can do some good. They can flowaround the shields into the bearing and once the vehicle evaporates adry lubricant is left behind. Liquid graphite lubricants, which are available at hardware stores and auto-parts stores, wil1 also lubricate bearings well.

Ro uter bits should b e s tored in their original pa ckaging or otherwis eprotected, not be thrown loose in a box or drawer and a ll o wed to rollagainst e ach other . Since I lik e to be able to inspect all my bits whenlooking f o r a particular profil e , I drill holes just slightl y larger than thebits ) shank sizes in a sc rap block and store my bits verti cally , as seen in

the ph o to bel o\v

That way the bits ar e a vailable for inspection , th e ydon t bang against o ne an o ther, and I can ca rry theln easily t o wh e r-

ever I an1 working .

Router-bit storage is simplicity itself: Bits stand n holes thataccommodate their shank size. In this arrangement, they don t banginto each other and they are easy to locate. Photo: Susan Kahn.

OUTER ITS


76/132

A bit with skewed flutes cutsmore smoothly than a bit withstraight flutes. Photo: SusanKahn.

Straight bits come in vast arrayof sizes and configurations.From left to right: a V2 in. bitwith straight carbide flutes

a V4 in. s o lid ca r bide bita Ja in. HS S spir al b it

a nd a V2 in. f lush tr im b it.

64 CH PTER THREE

Bit StylesThere are router bits offered for every conceivable purpose-and newbits are being invented every day. I find catalogs invaluable and perusethem often for new ideas. Most of the tnail-order suppliers listed inSources of Supply on pp. 114-116 offer frequent catalogs, either freeon request or at a nominal charge. Rather than discuss every type ofbit on the market, I d like to discuss the major categories.

Straight bitsStraight bits are the most basic of bits and can be used for cleaning upan edge or cutting grooves, dadoes, rabbets, mortise and tenons andinlay work. There are three common flute configurations for straightbits: straight, skewed and spiral see the drawing on the facing page).Most straight bits have straight flutes that run parallel to the long axis,and in smaller sizes they are often solid carbide, rather than havingbrazed inserts. With straight flutes, the entire edge of the bit contactsthe work at the same time, reSUlting in a certain amount of chatter.Straight-fluted bits spend a lot of time recutting debris.

Bits with skewed flutes (see the photo at left) have flutes that aremilled at an angle to the axis, effectively lowering the rake angle. Withthese bits, although the entire edge is working at the same time, chatter is reduced because the cut starts gradually, and chips tend to be lifted out of the cut, reducing the amount of work the bit has to do.


77/132

Up cut Down cutspiral

Spiral-fluted bits have flutes, like a twist Although they are

are a new' - A U . . .

ery for cut far better than straight bitsor out not recut

which is the case straight-flute design. The result is a true shear cut

arepull the debris toward the shank and a right-hand

away the Jl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

are mostly for ma-factories.

cut bit is

are JLJu.JI . . . . . , \ . - ,

ways high-spe ed steel. For the most part, router-bit manufacturers are_ ~ ~ , & & A , , ,as handy aremills designed for metalworking. In can usually find at a

Supply on pp. 114-116 .

bearings

of the

router tablesonplastic


78/132

lin

Cove

Roman ogee

many

case.

of

just fl on bit. arefor following a pattern attached to the work and are immensely useful

small

as orand also can be used to make joints, such as edge glue joints or

areprofiling bits, and a good selection of profile bits will add pizzazz to

start commonprofiles shown in the drawing at left.

can

bits, generally of profiles, can be used to produce a

vast variety of shapes by changing the t of the bit and/or the

J _ bi ts are ver-tical configurat ions see the drawing on the facing page). The horizon-

to apowerful router that has speed control. Horizontal bits are typically21/2 to 3 YH so a mum of arouter with a speed control to reduce speed to the 8,OOO-rpm to

vs.

available

a of

as orthey can take only a very light cut you 1l have to make an additional

or two to

can routers con-trols, but they require a much taller fence than supplied with commer-

A 6 8 afor safety and for good results. W itt of Woodhaven has a patenton a onp p 114-116). He also license s others to make the bit. This bit is in. in

fullas small as 1 bi ts that are the1 dia.a control to


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Panel-Raising Bits

Horizontal panel-raising bit

The larger the bit diameter, thefaster its rim will be moving.When using bits larger than 1 inin diameter, it s important toreduce the speed of the router,so the rim speed at the cuttingedge remains within safe limits.A bit that spins too fast tends to

Vertical panel-raising bit

burn the work, and the potentialfor kickback is greater too.Speed may be reduced either

by using a variable-speed routeror an after-market speed-controldevice (see pp. 10-11).

The chart below suggestsmaximum allowable speeds forvarious router-bit diameterswhen cutting wood, M For plywood.

Bit Diameter vs Router Speed

Bit Diameter (inches) Maximum Speed (rpm)

1 or less 20 000 to 24 000

1Y 6 to 2 18 000

Y 6 to Y 16 000

2 16 to 3 10 000 to 14 500

3 : 6 a nd mo re 8 000 to 12.000

This information has been adapted from the Eagle America catalog.

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8 CHAPTFR THREE

atched sets

Many router-table operations call for a set of matched cutters (one isthe negative profile of the other). For example, in a nIle-joint set, thefirst cutter mills a radius and the second cuts a matching roundover,making the joint that allows a drop-leaf table to fold down.

The most common use of matched sets is in the making of cope-and

stick panel doors, where each cutter assembly is composed of two tothree cutters plus pilot bearings stacked on a Ill-in. shank see thedrawing below). The sticking assembly mills a profile on the insideedges of the stiles and rails. The coping assembly copes a matchingprofile on the ends of the rails. Making a cope-and-st ick panel door isdiscussed in detail on pp. 104-107.)

Unless both profiles match exactly, the result will be mediocre at best.That s why don t scrimp on matched sets. buy only from first-ratesuppliers who will exchange a defective set or refund my money if theprofiles do not match.

Many companies offer single-cutter economy cope-and-stick sets.With these sets, the sticking cutter can be restacked on the shank in adifferent arrangement to make the cope cut. These cutters usuallywork fine, but they are not s convenient s having two separate cutters. With a matched set, changing from the stick cut to the cope cut is

as easy as changing bits. With the reversible single arbor set, the operation takes much longer.

Cope and Stick Panel Door Set

vepro o f

o ee cutter

ope bit

V2 in. sh nk

Stick bit

r

eu r

On a matched set the profiles cut y each bit will mate t form a joint.


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to

c use a

or s nded

Cllts inv i te disaster

C l11e

cut


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A well-designed fixture for pilotbearing work holds theworkpiece securely, affords theoperator good leverage forcontrol of the workpiece andputs the operator s hands in asafe relationship to the router bit.Additionally a fixture may serveas a pattern that the pilotbearing follows to mill a specificshape or profile. Such fixturesare well suited to the serial

production of identicalsmall parts.

A fixture can often beimprovised. Grabbing theworkpiece with a clamp willafford leverage and keeps theoperator s hands away from thebit see the top photo at right). Ina pinch, a scrap block can bewire-nailed or taped with doublesided tape to the workpiece to

serve as a fixture.

There are also commercialfixtures, such as RGT Handlersee the bottom photo at right).

This OSHA-approved fixture isuseful in a wide variety of pilotbearing work.

If you don t find a commercialfixture that suits your needs,you can make your own seepp. 74-75 for a vacuum fixtureyou can build). Making fixtures isan art unto itself - no twowoodworkers approach it thesame way, and there is alway smore than one solution to afixturing problem.

72 CH PTER THRE E

Two improvised fixtures: A t left, a scrap block taped to the workpiecewith double-sided tape can e used to guide i t past the bit. At right, asimple clamp grips the workpiece.

RGT Handler is a commercially available fixture that holds the worksecurely, affords the operator good control over the workpiece and putsthe operator s hands out of the way of the bit.


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Pilot-bearing work safe as long as certain precautions are taken. Thecutter a oneyou can make), and the hole in the router baseplate should be close to

use

the cut, feed the work in the proper direction see pp. 80-81 , and takecuts.

cantually any stable, workable material, such as plastic,

ofwood ply-

or common a r e /23 4 in. Templates can often be designed to double as a fixture for an x

see an dooronpp.111-113 .

b can nln insome circumstances. the template on top you generallyuse a flush-trim bit; with the template on the bottom you would use a

a

curved edge that is square to theto ao

template not the workly to

are many to attachscrews or are

can aA template eliminates the need

time or low-production use. When using double-sided tape it impor-to a or

a few seconds to achieve a bond. Otherwise the tape cancut.

ficult to separate once the milling is completed.

Another to hold the template to the workpiece by vacuum.Vacuum fixtures are well suit ed for volume production. They are easy

_ ..... LJ ....... on t

material-just plastic MDF or plywood for a pressure-a a vacu-

um. vacuum pump works well, but these are quite expensive. Youcan use a to I usesa venturi to create a partial vacuum-generally aroun d 3 4 atmosphere25 as as a vacu urn it

sufficient for most purposes.

ROUTER ITS


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The vacuum fixture describedhere will hold a workpiece forpilot-bearing work, and can beadapted to guide-bushing work(see pp. 76-77) as well. Foreither setup, begin by makingthe template. You can use V4 in.thick plastic (Plexiglas workswell), V2 in. M F or V2 in. high-

quality plywood. Cut it to theexact shape of the piece to bemilled and smooth its edges. Ifyou use M F or plywood, sealall surfaces with several coats ofwhite shellac or lacquer toprevent air leakage. You canalso attach handles at this point,if you like.

If your fixture is to be used witha pilot bearing, drill a hole at aconvenient location for thevacuum fitting and placepressure-sensitive gasketing

material around the perimeter ofthe pattern (ordinary pressuresensitive weatherstripping worksfine, and this material isavailable at most hardwarestores and home centers). You llgenerally need a minimum of10 sq. in. of area inside thegasket to hold the workpiecesecurely, depe nding on theefficiency of the vacuum source,and the porosity of the fixtureand workpiece. I have madefixtures with as little as 5 sq. in.,but with these I took light cuts.

Gasket the perimeter of the fixture with pressuresensitive weatherstripping. The hole will receive thevacuum fit t ing.) Screw the vacuum fitt ing into the top of the fixture

and attach the hose. Since pipe threads are taperedthe fitt ing will screw into an accurately drilled hole.A sealant such as glue on the thread will seal thefitting against leakage.

74 CHAPTER THREE


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With the gasket in place screwthe vacuum fitting into the holein the top of the pattern andattach the vacuum hose. Sincepipe threads are tapered thefitting will screw into an

accurately drilled hole. A littlewhite or yellow glue applied to

the threads before assembly willseal the joint against leakageyet allow the fitting to bereplaced easily. Now place theassembled fixture on theworkpiece and turn on the

suction. You are ready to rout.

The finished vacuum fixture can be used with a bearing guided bit

Vacuum Fixture for Use with Guide Bushing

Srt

Guidebu s hi ng

Fixture Workpiece

If the fixture is to be used with aguide bushing you will have toredesign it somewhat. Using 1-in.thick MDF locate the fitting inthe side with a vacuum channelelbowing up to the top side

of the jig as shown in thedrawing below.

Vacu um hose

Gas ketI IIl L ~ m T I \ n

_ _ _ _ _ \ \ U U\Router tabl e

RO UTER ITS


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76 CHAPTER THR El

uide bushingsGuide bushings are tubes that fit into the router baseplate and are concentric to the router collet. They are available in a wide range of sizesto accommodate larger and smaller bits and a variety of situations (seethe photo below). Guide bushings can do the same things as pilotbearings, but in a router table the guide bushing will always be belowthe cutting area of the bit. A typical guide-bushing setup is shown inthe drawing on the facing page.

Most router manufacturers make their own guide bushings, and onebushing often comes with the router. The problem is that the routermanufacturer s system may not be compatible with the after-marketbaseplate you choose for mounting your router in a table. Many baseplates are not designed to accept guide bushings at alL The baseplatesthat are designed to accept guide bushings are generally made for thePorter-Cable system.

Working with guide bushings is similar to working with pilot bearings(see pp. 69-73). Cutter rotation is counterclockwise, and work shouldbe fed into the direction of cutter rotation (from right to left as youface the router). A starting pin is essential and a exit pin may be helpful. For safety, never work with an unguarded bit larger than 3/4-in. tipdiameter, and hold small parts in a fixture.

If you are using a guide bushing, the pattern must be attached belowthe workpiece. That means you ll need a slightJy differen t jig to holdthe two together (see the drawing on p 75).

An assortment of guide bushings


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Most router tablea

router bit shank to pass

Template

is done with a sIB in. dia.a n

larger than the template that the bushing is following. In . . . . , . . L . . U L J U L . . - ,to

making the template smaller than the desired size of the finished

moffset corresponds to half the difference in diameter between the

cuts a see 31 sameplies in router-table work.


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The can most tools in small

millwork. This on the types of operations you can dowith the router table, on practical techniques that

are in the In ownbuild on these basic techniques to achieve more projects of

own

9

finger-jointed box see pp 101-102), a cope-and-stick door frame see107) and an r c h e d ~ p n e ldoor l l l-113)-as ex-

amples of how different router-table . 'AA' can usedin

as

proper to success. Don'tsafety and the quality

compromised. Powerful forces are a bit spinning sev-


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Traditional cope and stick raised panel doors can be made on therouter table using just a few different cutters and setups.

T E e INIOU S


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Strategically locatedfeatherboards hold theworkpiece down on therouter table and t ightagainst the fence.

Feed direction is important toconsider when you are settingup for a cut, particularly with

large-size bits. With the routerupside-down in the table, the bitspins counterclockwise. Thesafe way to feed the workpieceis into the cutter, i.e., to the left ifyou are standing at the front ofthe table (with the fence behindthe bit), as shown in the bottomdrawing on the facing page.

Reverse-direction feeding,usually called Hclimb cutting,should be avoided. If you feedthe workpiece to the right, the

80 CHAPTER f-OUR

eral thousand rpm, and you will have to counterbalance these forcesthrough the use of fences, fixtures or other hold-downs and guards,properly prepared stock and the way you feed the workpiece into thebit. I always al10w 1 to 20 minutes for setup-enough time to p]an forthe details of the operation. It is easy to be lured onto the rocks by thesirens of speed, but don t succumb, even if smal1 jobs, requir ing only acouple of feet of milling, take longer to set up than to run.

In all router-table operations, it is critical to feed the workpiece in theproper direction (see the sidebar below) and to maintain completecontrol over the piece as you move it past the cutter. Featherboardssee the photo at left and the discussion on pp. 51-52) and other com

mercially available guiding devices such as the wheeled hold-downsshown in the top drawing on the facing page should be used whereverpossible to keep the work flat to the table and tight against the fence.

cutter will tend to pull theworkpiece toward itself, possiblydragging your fingers along withit. Climb-cutting cuts are alsorougher and not as easilycontrolled; the bit may grab andthrow the workpiece.

As you plan the feed direction,

also consider the grain of theworkpiece. Generally it s best torout with the grain, but that isnot always possible. If you mustrout against the grain and havedone everything possible toensure a smooth cut, yet are stillhaving problems, here are twotricks to remedy the situation.One is to take several passes,making the final a light one inthe neighborhood of 1 164 in. to1 116 in. The other is to make aseries of plunge cuts by pivoting

the work off of either end of thefence into the cutter at intervalsabout V in. apart. t is oftengood to set the fence a littleforward (or the bit a little lower)before doing this so that you arenot plunging quite to full depth.Now run the work as younormally would; because the

grain is in short sections it willnot tear out.

On the router table, light cuts, asteady feed and firm pressurework best. Use enoughfeatherboards to hold theworkpiece flat against the tableand fence, and let the cutter dothe work. If the router bogsdown (you ll know by a changein the sound), you are feedingtoo fast and/or taking too heavya cut. Recommended feed rate


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Wheeled Hold-Downs

Spring-loaded arms hold angledwheels down on workpiece.Angle of wheels keeps stocksnug against fence.

for a sharp Y2 in. dia. two-flutecutter is between 11 ft. and 12f tper minute. For larger-diameterbits and/or more flutes, the feedrate should be reduced.

Most people tend to feed stockat the wrong speed. The result offast feeding is that wood breaks

out excessively in front of the bitand the surlace finish of the cutsuffers. One of the advantagesof a router is that its high speedleaves an excellent finish, butoverfeeding increases thedistance between cuts, givingthe surface a scalloped look. On

the other hand, feeding the worktoo slowly may burn somewoods like cherry) and thecutter can dull prematurely.

Feed Direction and Grain

count clOCk is

Fence

Climb Cutting

Workpiece

Bit rotatescounterclockwise.

Feed direction

Stock should be fedinto the it fromright to left whenthe workpiece is infront of the bit andthe fence is behind

it . Feed with thegrain} not against it

Feeding in thewrong directionlets the cutterHc lmb up ontothe work anddrag it forward, arisky situationsince lingers canalso e draggedinto the cutter.

TECH NIO UE:S


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Edge-Treatment Profiles

Do uble Roman ogee

Co ve

Chamfer

Fingernail it

Half-Round Bull-Nose) Bit

8 CHAPT ER FOUR

Edge TreatmentsLook closely at just about any piece of furniture and you will find examples of edge treatments you can create with your router table.Table tops, drawer fronts and door edges all regularly feature somekind of molded edge. Even the rule joint used on most drop-leaf tabledesigns is actually an edge treatment.

imple edge treatmentsThe widespread popularity of the router in nearly every woodworkingshop has led to a nearly limitless variety of router bits for c reating decorative edges . You can use some of the basic bits shown in Chapter 3to make effective edge treatments to dress up your furniture projects.Following are several other edge-treatment options.

Ogee bits are perhaps the most common edging bits you will find. Inaddition to the Roman ogee shown in the drawing on p. 66 there aredouble Roman ogees, classical ogees, ogees with fillet and many otherlesser-known variations. Changing the diameter of the bearing thatguides these bits can also alter the profile of the finished edge.

ove bits are shaped like a quarter-circle and come in a variety of sizes.They can be used alone or in combination with other cutters to establish many different profiles.

Chamfering bits cut chamfers, one of the Simplest edge treatments.These bits are available in a wide variety of angles from as little as I I to 5 0 Various chamfer angles can also be used to cut multi-sidedboxes: For example, a hexagon can be constructed by using a 30chamfer, an octagon with a Y chamfer, and so on.

Fingernail bits are oversized cutters with a profile that is part of an l-

lipse or an oval (see the drawing at left . You can use fingernail bits tocreate the soft, elegant, edges that are common to many large classictable designs.

Half-round bull-nose) bits (see the drawing at left give you the sametreatment that you would obtain by making two passes over aroundover bit.

Beading bits have the same shape as roundover bits, but with a slightlysmaller-diameter bearing. The smaller bearings create extra flat faceson either side of an ordinary rounded edge. Edge-beading bits come ina wide variety of styles. The most common put a bead along with asmall reveal that adds both character and dimension to an edge.


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orner side-beading) bits are similar to beading bits but require twopasses-one along the edge and the other along the face of the workpiece. The result is a bead profile that wraps the corner. This detail isoften used on reproduction Shaker-style peg board.

Complex edge tre tmentsOnce you have worked with simple edge treatments you may feel theneed to expand your repertoire into more complex profiles. One wayto do this is by using a multiple-profile bit. Multiple-profile bits have avery complex profile. You use them in one or more passes: If youchange the height of the bit relative to the workp iece only certainparts of the bit cut on each pass. You can also cut different profiles intwo or more pieces of stock and then assemble them into one largemolding as shown in the drawing at right. With this approach theprofiles you can cut are limited only by your imagination and ingenuity. Another way to achieve complex profiles is by positioning theworkpiece at an angle to the bit. Changing the angle allows subtle ad

justments in the profile.

The best way to gain confidence with edge treatments is to try asmany as you can. Experiment with cutting depth and combinationsuntil you have built up a vocabulary that suits the furniture and projects you are most likely to tackle.

Sometimes very simple changes can make a big difference in the lookof the piece. For example the two panels in the drawing below differonly in the location of the chamfer. The first panel with its top edgechamfered has a solid massive feel. The second panel with its bot

tom edge chamfered looks thinner and more delicate.

Edge Treatments and Panel Design

Chamfer on toplends we ightyfeeling to panel.

Chamfer o nbottom yieldslighter, mor edel icat e look .

Creating a ComplexMolding with a Multiple-Profile it

C ut a profile on the large r

piece of s to ck 1), then rai sethe bit an d cu t a differentp rofile on the s maller p ie ce2). Glue the two together 3).

TE HNIOUF S


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CH PTER FOUR

III

Itable is a great tool for cutting decorative or functional

of

cuts a few words of warning are

router table book ocr

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