Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PWW Ess Routers PDF
PWW Ess Routers PDF
ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO
ROUTERS
Jigs, Joints & skills
Everything You Need to
work Like a Pro
bonus:
The Complete
7-Chapter Guide to
ROUTER
MASTERY
12 Best
Router Jigs
US $5.99
01
67 C
hapter 6: Edge and
Surface Treatments
Cutting mouldings is what routers do best
– and most are made up of three simple
shapes: a bead, a cove and a flat.
75 C
hapter 7: Advanced
Techniques for the Router
Jigs and specialty bits can add a whole
new dimension to what you’re capable of
creating with your router.
90
102
popularwoodworking.com
®
from the editor Learn How. Discover Why. Build Better.
JANUARY 2008
popularwoodworking.com
Titanic techniques that improve your work. senior Editor Robert W. Lang
X1327 ■ robert.lang@fwpubs.com
senior Editor Glen D. Huey
X1293 ■ glen.huey@fwpubs.com
managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick
O
ccasionally I’ll meet someone jects by Nick Engler originally published X1348 ■ megan.fitzpatrick@fwpubs.com
photographer Al Parrish
who works wood as a hobby, in seven installments. Nick is an accom-
creates fine projects in his or her plished woodworker, author and teacher. contributing Editors
Adam Cherubini, Bob Flexner, Troy Sexton
shop and does so without using a router. He’s mastered many areas of woodworking
I wonder how that’s possible. How can including routing and using router acces- F+W PUBLICATIONS INC.
chairman & ceo David H. Steward
someone become an accomplished wood- sories. His vast knowledge is presented in a cfo John Speridakos
worker without using a router? casual, easy-to-understand way. Whether vp, manufacturing Barbara Ann Schmitz
I’ve used routers for years and for many you’re a beginner or an accomplished Executive VP, interactive media John Lerner
different operations. And there is so much router guru, you’ll benefit from Nick’s Director, iT Mike Kuehn
change router setups at every turn. catapult your routing techniques to the
Reading the articles in this issue will next level. PW
SAFETY NOTE: Safety is your responsibility. Manufacturers
increase your knowledge of the router and place safety devices on their equipment for a reason. In many photos
its accessories and, we hope, increase your you see in Popular Woodworking, these have been removed to provide
woodworking abilities as a result. clarity. In some cases we’ll use an awkward body position so you can
The heart of this issue, “Woodworking Glen. D. Huey better see what’s being demonstrated. Don’t copy us. Think about
each procedure you’re going to perform beforehand.
Essentials,” is a compilation of router sub- Senior Editor
looking for.
F
G
Here are 7 of the over 400 A
A
A B C D E F G
BB = Ball Bearings
A = Outside Diameter
Rad. 1 B = Inside Diameter
Rad. Rad. C = Thickness
Rad. Rad. 2
Rad.
Rad.
For more details on these bits and to see our complete line of router accessories,
call to request a free 300-page woodworking tools catalog or visit us online.
1-800-683-8170 www.leevalley.com Shipping and N.Y. sales tax extra.
ROUTER
Table-Mate
Everything you’d want in a router table for just $50 and a long weekend in your shop.
C
o m m e r ci a l ly m a d e
router tables are every-
where these days. Some
of them come with more gizmos
and gadgets than a ’59 Edsel. By
the time you tally up all the
add-ons, the price approaches a
medium-duty shaper. Here’s my
short list of “must-have” features
for a good router table:
• A table the size of a
carrier deck.
• Compact design so it can
store easily.
• A stout fence that’s long
and easy to adjust.
• Easy bit-height adjust-
ment with no stooping.
• Great dust collection.
• A $50 price tag.
With all these features in
mind, I hit on the idea of using
my folded-up Workmate stored
under the stairs. Can’t I just make
a top for it? Then I remembered
the great idea from Nick Engler
in Chapter 7 of the Woodwork-
ing Essentials section in this
issue. Nick made the top of his
router table tilt up for easy adjust-
ments. Bingo. Now my Work-
by Steve shanesy
PHOTOS BY AL PARRISH
1/4"
3/4"
Router base
attached to 3/4"
underside of top
n
Make router base recess
nso
chi
1/4" larger than actual
n hut
base size
joh
by
ns
illustratio
mate/router table goes right back and find the exact center of the over. Use your center hole and eter insert based on the size of
under the stairs and takes up only base. I put the centerpoint on circle jig to cut a 1⁄ 8"-deep circu- your router base. The router I
another 11⁄ 2" of space, the thick- my table 8" in from the back lar rabbet or ledge for your plas- mounted in the table is a massive
ness of the router tabletop. You edge and centered right to left. tic inserts to fit into. The insert Porter-Cable 7518. I made the
can also use this router table So once the point is established, diameter is 43⁄ 4". But before you insert hole size large enough to
without a Workmate. A simple drill a 1⁄ 16" hole straight through use this insert size, check the size accommodate the largest diam-
pair of sawhorses will suffice. to the other side. You’ll need this of your router’s base. You may eter router bits.
location for work later on. need to make a smaller-diam- Now make the hole the router
Customizing Your Table Now set up a router with a
While the fence is generic to circle-cutting jig (see page 90)
any router-table setup, the table and a 1⁄ 2" straight bit. Set the bit
needs to be customized for your so it will cut to a depth that will
needs. You may have a different leave a 3 ⁄ 8" thickness in the ply-
brand router than I do, so you wood top. Cut a circle (assuming
will have to relieve the under- your router has a round base) on
side of the table to accommo- the underside of the top that is
date the shape of your tool. You’ll approximately 1⁄4" larger in diam-
also have to locate the mount- eter than the router base. Place
ing holes for the base to suit your the circle jig’s indexing pin in the
router. You may prefer a differ- center hole you drilled. Rout the
ent table height. If you are below circle and the remaining waste
average height, you’ll want the inside the circle.
make the angle at which the Next, turn the plywood piece
table props up less steep.
The top is made from two
pieces of 3⁄ 4" birch plywood that
are glued together and banded
A larger base for the router was
with 3⁄4"-thick solid birch. Before
the ticket for bridging the open
gluing anything together, it’s areas left by routing out the ply-
best to work on the top plywood wood for the router’s base. It was
piece. Since you must rout out also used as a small circle-cutting
the underside of this top piece jig for the tabletop and plastic
where the router base will be inserts. Use the same cutter and
mounted, do it before gluing the it’s easy to keep track of dimen-
sions for cutting inside or out-
two sheets together. The hole in
side circles.
the bottom sheet can be simply
1 ⁄ 2" ledge
cut with a jigsaw.
for inserts
First, lay out where you want
your router base to be mounted
popularwoodworking.com
r o u t e r ta b l e - m at e
Break in your router table by milling the slots in the fence subfront that will
As you assemble the fence, make sure it is square along its length. Be sure allow the fence faces to adjust into or away from the router bit. Lay out the
and check it again after it is clamped up. stop/start lines and plunge cut the slots.
bits pass through. Leave a ledge handles. When done, glue the ing on. Make sure it is flush to the inserts to cover most of the
about 1⁄ 2" wide all around for the two sheets together. Keep the top. When dry, sand everything router-bit sizes I’d encounter. First
removable inserts to rest on. edges flush. flush, then rout a roundover pro- set the circle jig to cut a circle
Now take the second piece When the glue is dry, trim the file on the top edge. that is the same size as the insert
of plywood and jigsaw the cut to top to finished size on the table hole. Set your router to make an
accommodate the router base. saw. Now prepare some stock for Tabletop Inserts outside cut instead of an inside
Also, make any cuts necessary the solid-edge banding. Miter Make the round tabletop inserts cut. To rout the acrylic, just drill
to allow for your router base’s the corners and glue the band- from 1⁄ 8" acrylic. I made three a hole to accommodate the cir-
cle-cutting jig’s pin or nail.
The three hole sizes I made in
5" 1/2" the inserts were 1", 13⁄4" and 23⁄4".
The smaller holes were drilled
1/2" x 1/8" 1" hole for
13" dado wall hanging 5" using hole saws but the larger size
85/8" required the circle-cutting jig.
3"
Complete the Top
3" radius 1/8" To fasten the inserts to the table,
6" 51/2" 51/2" 4" 51/2" 51/2" 6"
1/2" x 3/8" install three threaded inserts in
1/2" 1/2" the rabbet. I used inserts for a
rabbet leaves
41" 1/8" overhang
6/32 flush machine screw. Once
on fence sub
installed, transfer their locations
Plan fronts "G"
Inside view of the dust chute from the rear including the plastic 4" to 3" Once the tabletop is hinged to the Workmate’s front board, it’s easy to
dust-collection hose adapter. Rout the 3" hole for the adapter with the locate the the positions for the prop stick and stick bracket. Note the shop-
circle-cutting jig or use a “fly cutter” in your drill press. made replacement board for the Workmate top.
popularwoodworking.com 11
r o u t e r ta b l e - m at e
circle in the fence bottom for the
throat opening, then use a rasp
N J
to slope the back edge for more
efficient dust evacuation. CL I
CL 4"
CL 4"
Assemble the Fence
Be careful when you assemble 15/8" H
the fence to make sure it goes M
together square. First dry fit all G
the parts to be sure you have a L
good fit. Then glue the ribs and
dust chute sides to the bottom, F K
Exploded view
making sure all the edges are
flush to the front edge. If you
have a brad nailer, set these in
place with a couple short brads.
Glue the fence subfronts to the
bottom and ribs. Clamp front to
router table and fence hardware
back until the glue dries. NO. LET. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) MATERIAL 3 • 6 ⁄32 threaded inserts
Now cut the three remaining T W L and 1⁄ 2"-6⁄32 screws
dust chute parts: the top, angled ❏ 2 A Tabletop 3⁄
4 23 35 Birch ply 4 ea. • 3 ⁄ 8" x 11⁄ 2"
3⁄
top and back. Cut a half circle in ❏ 1 B Top edge banding 4 11 ⁄ 2 11 ft. Solid birch roundhead machine
3⁄
the top similar to the one in the ❏ 1 C Workmate board 4 4 27 3⁄ 8 Any hardwood screws, star wash-
3⁄
❏ 1 D Prop stick 4 183 ⁄ 4 Dowel stock ers, flat washers and
fence bottom. 1⁄
❏ 1 E Prop bracket 2 11⁄ 2 4 Baltic birch wing nuts
After the glue in the fence ❏ 1 F Fence bottom 1⁄
2 8 41 Baltic birch 1 pr. • medium-duty loose-
assembly has dried, glue the ❏ 2 G Fence sub fronts 1⁄
2 3 121 ⁄ 2 Baltic birch pin hinges
dust chute top in place. After- ❏ 2 H Dust chute sides 1⁄
2 41 ⁄ 8 8 Baltic birch
1⁄ 1 • 12" square acrylic,
ward, install the angled top and ❏ 1 I Dust chute top 2 4 5 Baltic birch 1 ⁄ 8" thick.
1⁄
the back piece. The angled top ❏ 1 J Chute angled top 2 5 43 ⁄ 4 Baltic birch
❏ 1 K Chute back 1⁄
2 5 5 Baltic birch 1 • switched plug strip
requires a steep angle cut on the 1⁄
❏ 2 L End ribs 2 25⁄ 8 3 Baltic birch
lower edge to seat down to the 1⁄
❏ 2 M Mid ribs 2 25⁄ 8 25 ⁄ 8 Baltic birch
flat top. I cut this angle on my ❏ 2 N Fence adjust. front 3⁄
4 4 16 Any hardwood
band saw. The back of the chute
requires a hole for dust collec-
tion. The chute is set up to take
a 3" hose or a fitting that reduces openings between the ribs.
a 4" hose to a 3" hose. I used a Make the adjustable fronts
“fly cutter” in my drill press to from a tight-grained hardwood
make the 3" hole. To complete such as maple. Be sure the mate-
the assembly of the dust chute, rial is flat and straight. Cut the
screw the angled top, then the two pieces to the lengths given.
back in place. Make bevel cuts on the ends as
shown in the diagram. Carefully
Use Your New Router Table locate the hole locations where
Now use your router table to mill the 3⁄ 8" machine screws attach
the slots in the fence’s subfronts the fronts through the slots in
that allow the fence fronts to the subfronts. Drill and coun-
slide left to right. tersink the holes. For attach-
Set your router in the table ment, I used the screws along
with a 3⁄ 8" straight bit. Make a with star washers, flat washers
temporary fence from a straight and wing nuts.
piece of scrap and clamp it to the The last detail is to cut a small Attach the fence faces using 3⁄ 8" roundhead machine screws, a star washer,
tabletop. Use the fence diagram piece of acrylic as a “window” on flat washer and wing nut. I tried using hex-head bolts but switched to
for setting the distance. Cut the the top of the dust chute into the screws because a screwdriver can be used and makes a more secure attach-
2"-long slots in the center of the router opening area below. PW ment with less trouble.
Dovetails
A super-slick trick to
make a super-strong
and traditional joint.
T
he housed dovetail joint
is mechanically sound,
historically correct for
18th-century casework and a
hallmark of fine craftsmanship.
It provides an accurate means
of locating drawer dividers and
runners, and is quite useful when
making shelves. If you can mill
stock straight and square, con-
trol your stock thickness, make
dados and operate a router, then
you can make this joint. When
assembling case pieces or shelves,
you will have little need for glue,
screws or nails.
Dados alone have little
mechanical strength, but with
the addition of a dovetail socket
and dovetail tenon, the joint is
properly aligned and quite strong.
This joint allows cases to be
made without face frames.
When the housed dovetail
joint is used for shelving, the
shelves are prevented from cup-
ping because the shelves are
by geoffrey ames
popularwoodworking.com 15
h o u s e d d ov e ta i l s
5IFIPVTFEEPWFUBJMJT 8JUIUIFIPVTFEKPJOU
FWFO
TUSPOHBOEGPSHJWJOH JGUIFUFOPOJTNJTDVU
UIF
HBQJTFBTZUPIJEFBOEUIF
KPJOUJTTUJMMTUSPOH
"IBMGCMJOEEPWFUBJMJT
NVDITUSPOHFSNFDIBO
JDBMMZUIBOUIFEBEP
"EBEPBMPOFPGGFST
MJUUMFTUSFOHUIBOEOP
Illustrations by John Hutchinson
8JUIBIBMGCMJOEEPWFUBJM
MPOHHSBJOUPMPOHHSBJO JGUIFUFOPOJTNJTDVU
UIF
HMVJOHTVSGBDF HBQJTPCWJPVTBOEUIFKPJOU
JTXFBLFOFEø
The first step is to mill all of the dados to a depth Use the modified guide bushing and a 3 ⁄8" straight Use the same guide bushing and a 3 ⁄4" dovetail
of 1⁄8" with a 3 ⁄4"-diameter straight router bit. bit to prepare the socket for cutting the dovetail. bit to finish the dovetailed part of the joint.
held flat in the straight, shal- edge guides, but my only success
low dados. required the use of a sled and
Much of my work replicates two matching routers – one fit-
18th-century case pieces such as ted with a 3 ⁄4" O.D. straight bit,
chests and highboys. For years, I the other with a 3 ⁄ 4"-14˚ dove-
made furniture by laying out the tail bit.
housed dovetail joinery, care- My search for a simple solu-
fully handsawing, then chiseling tion led me to milling all the
the dovetail sockets. This slow dados prior to routing the dove-
and inefficient process tested my tail sockets. But aligning the
patience enough that I began my dovetail bit with the dado was
search for a quicker, more accu- not possible because a standard
3 ⁄ 4" guide bushing was too deep As you slide the router along the edge, the guide bushing and dovetail bit
rate method.
will enter the dado together.
I like to make the housed for the 1 ⁄ 8"-deep dado, and the
dovetail joint with a dado roughly 3 ⁄ 4" dovetail bit interfered with
1 ⁄ 8" deep. The dado is used to or would shear the guide bush- Now you can set up your 13 ⁄ 16" or 7 ⁄ 8" stock for case sides.
align and strengthen drawer run- ing. Then it occurred to me that router with the modified guide The drawing at the top of this
ners or shelves. By housing the what I really needed was a shorter bushing and a 3 ⁄4"-14˚ dovetail bit page shows the proportions
shoulders of runners or shelves, guide bushing. as seen in the photo above. The and appearance of the finished
the joint doesn’t invite gaps like Get a standard 3 ⁄4 " O.D. bottom edge of the dovetail bit housed dovetail.
a half-blind dovetail joint will, Porter-Cable router-guide bush- should protrude a bit less than
as seen in the drawing. ing and reduce the protruding 1 ⁄ 2" below the guide bushing, A Simple Formula
guide to slightly less than 1 ⁄8". for a total depth of about 5 ⁄8". Be To suc ce s s f u lly m a ke t he
Searching for a Solution You can cut the excess off with sure your stock is thick enough housed dovetail joint there are
As I tried out different meth- a hacksaw, and then file or grind to prevent routing through your a few milling, tooling and setup
ods, I built numerous sleds and the cut edge smooth. workpiece. I recommend using requirements. The dado must
c
c
8PSLQJFDF &EHFPGHVJEFDPMMBSSVOT
POFEHFPGc.BTPOJUF
$MBNQTUSJQ
This clamping jig lets me quickly make the tenons without adjusting
7FSUJDBMGFODF the router setup. The work is clamped vertically below the Masonite
guide piece.
Dovetail tenon-
clamping jig
c c
be a minimum width of 3 ⁄ 4" to right. The dovetail bit and the Masonite
allow a 3 ⁄4" guide bushing to ride guide bushing locate the dado
into the dado to create the dove- and enter the dado at the same
tail socket. The dados should be moment. Keep the router base
slightly deeper than the depth firmly down on the case side and The secret to this jig is the 1⁄8"-thick Masonite guide piece. This matches the
of your modified guide bush- carefully guide the router into depth of the dado, so the only adjustment needed is to move the guide piece
in or out to establish the finished width of the dovetail tenon.
ing. The stock thickness for the and out of the socket without lift-
drawer dividers or shelves of your ing the tool from the work.
case should be identical to the Slide the router up to your ple method to cut the dovetailed the jig top in or out to adjust the
width of your dados. stop line then retract. If you tenons on the end of the drawer tenon thickness to match the
After milling all the turn off the router while it is in divider or shelf. I came up with 3 ⁄ 4" width of the socket.
d a d o s w it h a 3 ⁄ 4 "- d i a m e- the socket the dovetail bit may this jig that uses the same 3 ⁄4"-14˚ The 1 ⁄ 8"-thick Masonite on
ter straight router bit, set up be pulled down and ruin your dovetail bit and router setup. the top of the jig is equal to the
the router with the modified work. Cleaning out the socket The common method used depth of the dado cut in the side
3 ⁄ 4 " guide bushing and a 3 ⁄ 8 "- with a 3 ⁄8" bit prior to routing to create dovetail tenons is to of the case. With the base of the
diameter straight bit. Clearing the dovetail socket helps pre- mount the same dovetail bit used router on top of the Masonite,
out the socket with this bit first vent this. You’ll likely experi- to rout the sockets in a router and the edge of the bushing
will reduce the amount of mate- ence some tear-out where the table and run the long narrow against the edge of the Masonite,
rial the dovetail bit will have to router exits the socket. Make dividers vertically, twice at each the tenons can be made without
remove at the next stage. your workpiece about 1 ⁄8" wider end. This method is precarious changing the router setup.
When you have pre-cut all than the finished dimension and shaky at best. An alterna- The stock used for the drawer
the sockets, switch your router to allow for edge cleanup. Any tive is a horizontally mounted dividers and runners should be
setup to the dovetail bit. Securely tear-out is easily removed by a router, but my method uses a milled to precisely the same
clamp your workpiece to your few passes over the jointer. simple and easy-to-make jig as thickness as the dados. This
bench, lock your router bit’s seen above. housed-dovetail system is based
depth and turn on your router. On to the Matching Tenon When setting up the vertical on 3 ⁄ 4" tooling. Consequently,
The photos in the middle of the Of course the dovetail socket dovetailing jig, make some trial the dados, dividers, runners or
facing page show the sequence of requires a matching dovetail passes on scrap the same thick- shelves should be uniform, flat
the cuts you need to make. tenon. With an easy solution to ness as your workpiece so that and straight. Good stock prep-
The router is slid along the making the female part of the the top of the bit barely touches aration is absolutely essential for
face of the case side, from left to joint, I looked for an equally sim- the top edge of the board. Move good results. PW
popularwoodworking.com 17
The $22
Dovetail Jig
You don’t have to be a master craftsman or have deep pockets to cut perfect half-blind dovetails.
S
eems to me that most peo-
ple think there are only two
ways to cut half-blind dove-
tails: by hand or with a jig that can
cost as much as $300. As some-
one who makes a lot of custom
furniture, I can tell you that nei-
ther method has ever worked well
for me. Sure, the size and spacing
of hand-cut dovetails are easily
customized, and it’s nice to some-
times work in a quiet shop. But
the handwork just takes too long
when time is money. Dovetail jigs,
on the other hand, are fast. But
the size of your drawers is dictated
by all but the most expensive jigs
on the market.
That’s why I’ve come up with
a method that’s fast enough to
use in a professional furniture
shop but allows you to space the
tails almost anyway you want.
The price? Only $12 for a tem-
plate guide and $10 for a car-
bide-tipped dovetail bit (you’d
have to buy both for a dovetail
jig, anyway). I’ve probably made
by troy sexton
popularwoodworking.com 19
T h e $ 2 2 d ov e ta i l j i g
Supplies
• Bushings are available from
many catalogs. Woodcraft car-
ries several universal bushings
that fit a wide range of routers.
Price of the bushing: $8.50.
The lock nut costs $3.50.
Drawer front
Woodcraft
800-225-1153
or woodcraft.com
• Carbide-tipped dovetail bits
(1 ⁄ 2" diameter, 14° slope) are
available from almost every
woodworking catalog and
home center. Expect to pay
Drawer side about $10 on average, and a
little more from specialty bit
manufacturers.
Now lay out the tails by tracing around the inside of your Cutting the tails on a band saw is a breeze once you get Prices correct at time of publication.
pins. A sharp pencil is key. the hang of it.
Joinery
Learn to set up and use
a matched set of router
bits to create doors that
are strong, easy to make
and beautifully detailed.
C
ope-and-stick joinery
today is all about tung-
sten carbide. But the
origins of this important door-
joinery method are rooted in
the world of moulding planes,
chisels and backsaws. A lit-
tle history is in order as to the
origin of the terms “cope” and
“stick.” According to Graham
Blackburn, a noted author on
woodworking and its history,
frame-and-panel construction
came into its own back in the
14th and 15th centuries. Differ-
ent methods evolved for join-
ing a rail and a stile together and
Photo by Al Parrish
by jim stuard
popularwoodworking.com 23
COPE-AND -STICK JOINERY
referred to as a “stuck” moulding. with the stuck edge. The solu- Which Bit is Right for Me? on top and bottom. You cut the
As in, it’s not an applied mould- tion was to make an opposite of You can still make cope-and- stick part of the moulding with
ing; it’s “stuck” on or made on the stuck profile that fit over the stick doors using moulding the top section of the bit, then
the existing edge, hence the edge, filling the profile. planes, but most people use a you raise the bit to cut the cope.
term “stick.” The rail and stile With the advent of mechani- router in a router table. Router- The only drawback to these bits
were joined using a mortise-and- zation in the 19th century, dif- bit catalogs are filled with cope- is that they are a little long and
tenon joint with a miter on the ferent, faster methods had to be and-stick bits that are priced will exaggerate any runout prob-
moulded edge, where the rail devised to join those pesky rails anywhere from about $50 to lems you might have with your
and stile met. This is commonly and stiles. Enter high-speed cut- $150. Essentially there are router or collet.
referred to as a “mason’s miter.” ting tools. They could be set up to three types of bits from which Last, but not least expen-
“Coping” comes from its actual make thousands of feet of stuck to choose. The least expensive sive, is the matched set of bits.
definition: “to deal with a prob- moulding, then the opposite of is what is called a reversible cope- In a matched set, each bit has a
lem.” In the case of rail-and-stile the cutter could be made to cut and-stick cutter. This single bit fixed cutter close to the shank,
joinery, the problem was dealing the cope on the rail ends. has two cutters, a bearing and a bearing and another matched
shims to adjust it. You cut the cutter. These bit sets have advan-
stick part of the moulding, then tages over the other sets. When
you disassemble the bit and stack they’re sharpened, it’s just a
the pieces in a different order to matter of proper shimming to
cut the cope. These are decent get them back to an airtight fit.
entry-level bits, but keep in mind There are two separate sets of
that disassembling the bit can be cutters, giving them longer life
a hassle, and you have to remem- between sharpenings. They’re
ber exactly how many shims go relatively shorter than combi-
between each part or your joints nation bits so they’ll be more
won’t fit. Also, wear on the cut- stable in a router. And once you
ter is doubled, necessitating re- get them set up, you won’t have
sharpening more often. to take them apart until they’re
Setting up and using a cope-and-stick set of bits is relatively easy after the The other “single-shank” resharpened. The only real draw-
shimming is done. First, make sure the bearing on the bit is flush with the solution is the non-adjustable back is that they are usually the
fence on the router table. Flushing the bearings makes sure that the pro- combination bit. This one-piece most expensive solution.
files will match up. Use a straightedge that spans the two fences and tap bit is basically a chunk of metal Which bit is right for you? If
the fence flush to the bearing. If possible, close the fence faces so there’s
on a 1⁄ 2" shank. It has a bearing you make an occasional door,
approximately 1⁄ 8" clearance on both sides of the cutter.
Using featherboards to keep your stock in place, Next, cut the cope profile on the ends of the Once you’ve got rails and stiles that are sized prop-
press the stock into the fence and down onto the rails. Make sure to use a backing piece (some- erly, fit the parts using light clamp pressure and
router table. Which profile you cut first isn’t crit- times called a “cope block”) of scrap. Because take the measurements for the panel. Leave a 1⁄ 8"
ical. Use test cuts to get your bits in the ballpark. of the usual narrow width of a rail and the force gap all around to allow for seasonal expansion.
I cut the stick first. For door construction, you of a router, the rail can easily be pulled into the Run the panel on the router by pressing it flat to the
can cut your stock to finish length, but I prefer to bit. Hold the rail tightly to the cope block to avoid table. Cut the end-grain sides first, then the long-
leave the stiles a little long for trimming later. this. It’s not necessary to push the entire setup grain sides. Make the cut in several passes, adjust-
through the cutter, just the rail ends. Once the ing the height of the panel cutter after each pass.
front of the push block is touching the outfeed If you’re using a big panel cutter such as the one
fence, gently pivot it away from the fence from shown, you’ll want to slow the bit’s speed (if you
the outfeed side. have an adjustable-speed router).
2
Shoulder Tighten the top of the tenon. The next step is to
of bit tighten up the joint between the tenon and the
cope. Using your test cope piece as a guide, mount the
popularwoodworking.com 25
WOODWORKING
ESSENTIALS BY NICK ENGLER
1
CHAPTER
Fixed-base Router
T
he router is perhaps the most ver- motors, and their collets will accept It’s a carving or engraving tool (such
satile tool in your shop. You can router bits with 1 ⁄4" or 1 ⁄2" shanks. The as a Dremel) that can be mounted in
rout not only decorative shapes, bases are usually 6" in diameter. This is a router base accessory. It usually has
but also many joints. the router we will be discussing here. interchangeable collets for 1 ⁄16" or 1 ⁄8"
Reduced to its simplest form, the ■ The Laminate Trimmer shanks. The small size lets you rout
router is a motor and a shaft with means A scaled-down version of the basic inlays, cut mortises for small hardware,
of holding interchangeable bits. Once router, this has a smaller motor and make delicate joints or do other jobs
you understand that, using the router base. It has a 1 ⁄4" collet and is used for where a standard-size router would be
becomes a much simpler task. But first, trimming laminates and veneers, and is too clumsy or difficult to balance.
you should know what all those other especially handy when you are balanc- ■ The Plunge Router
parts are, and why they’re there. ing the tool on thin or narrow work- This does all the things that the
pieces. It’s also useful for chores that basic router can do, plus it makes
Types of Routers require finesse, as opposed to strength. “plunge cuts.” Its motor is mounted on
When you look for a portable router, Some laminate trimmers come with two spring-loaded slides above the base,
you will find that they can generally be interchangeable bases that let you work which let you position the motor above
classified into four categories: in tight areas or will allow you to rout at the work, push the bit into the wood
■ The Basic Router an angle, which no full-size router can. and begin cutting. The plunge router
Sometimes called a fixed-base router, ■ The Rotary Tool excels at cutting joints, such as mortises.
this is just a motor mounted on a base. This lets you use very small bits [Editor’s Note: We focus more on the
Most offer 1 ⁄2- to 31 ⁄2-horsepower and accessories for more delicate work. plunge router in Chapter Two.]
PRO TIP:
Back-routing (climb-cutting)
Occasionally you must back-rout a piece
to reduce tear-out on figured wood. This
means you cut with the bit’s rotation,
instead of against it. It’s much more
difficult to control your work this way, so
be sure to take shallow cuts and feed very
slowly. Keep the router and the work steady,
making sure you don’t let the bit chatter.
TIPS & TRICKS Motor
PRO TIP:
The Need for Speed
Despite a popular misconception, speed
controllers will not harm universal motors
(the type of motor found in all rout- Handle Depth-adjustment ring
ers and most hand-held power tools).
However, they can ruin induction motors. Handle
If you buy an in-line speed controller, be
sure you use it for your portable power
tools only. On/off
switch
GREAT TIP:
popularwoodworking.com 29
TIPS & TRICKS The shank of the bit must be
Bit inserted far enough into the
PRO TIP: Collet
closes
collet for the collet to get a solid
grip. If possible, the entire length
The Bigger They Are, around
fillet of the collet should contact the
The Harder They Work shank. However, don’t insert the
Transition fillet bit so far that the collet closes
The larger the diameter of the bit, the
around the transition fillet – the
more the router has to work to turn it. Just portion of the bit where the
because you can fit a 31⁄ 2"-diameter panel- shank ends and the flutes begin.
raising bit in your 11⁄ 2-horsepower router Collet If the bit is positioned incorrectly
doesn’t mean the motor has the proper – inserted either too far or not
torque to use that bit efficiently. If the enough – the collet may not grip
the shank securely and the bit
router isn’t equipped to handle the torque
may creep out of the collet when
load for that size bit, the motor could heat Right Wrong you rout.
up and burn out.
GREAT TIP: Routing Rules ■ Make several test cuts to check your
A Bit of Help for the Collet The first step in using any tool is to make setup; if a job requires several different
sure it is properly aligned and adjusted. setups, make sure you have enough test
To help position a bit in a collet, stretch
For the router, there are only two pieces at each subsequent stage to carry
a rubber O-ring around the shank to
things you need to check. If you’re using you through the entire procedure.
serve as a depth indicator. When the bit it as a portable tool, check the depth ■ Remove only a small amount of
is inserted, the O-ring will prevent the bit of cut (the distance the bit protrudes stock with any single pass. Set your
from dropping down too far in the collet. beneath the baseplate) and the posi- depth of cut to take shallow cuts, usually
1⁄ 1
tion of the guide (if there is one). If your 8" or ⁄ 4" deep. The illustration below
GREAT TRICK: router is mounted in a jig, check the explains this concept in more detail.
depth of cut (the distance the bit pro- ■ Keep the router moving as steadily
Platforms Help with Mortises trudes past the mounting plate) and the as you can while you cut. If you pause in
If you are routing a large mortise or remov- position of the fence (if there is one). the middle or move too slowly, friction
ing stock from the interior of a board, your Once you’ve adjusted your router, will cause the bit to heat up and burn the
router could become increasingly difficult you’ll need to keep a couple things in wood. However, if you feed the router
to balance as you cut away more of the
mind as you work: too quickly, it will leave scallops or mill
■ Before you turn the router on, make marks in your piece.
supporting surface. This is even more of
sure the bit is properly mounted and the ■ Cut against the rotation of the
a problem with smaller-base routers such
collet is secure. When changing the bits, bit whenever possible, as shown in the
as a laminate trimmer. To compensate know that you might have to clean dust drawing at right. If you use a fence or
for this, use a platform (attached to the out of the collet. A dirty collet won’t grip a straightedge, use the rotation to help
router base as a sub-base) to form an router bit-shanks as well. keep the work (or the router) against it.
oversized router sole – this will span the
gap between the sides of the recess and
keep the router from tipping in or dropping Never “hog” the cut
entirely into the gap. when using a router –
the tool is designed
to remove only small
GREAT TIP: amounts of stock at any
one time. If you need to
Bottom-cleaning Bit Will
make a deep cut, rout Third pass
Improve Your Planing your piece in several
Second pass
If you do a lot of planing with your router, passes, cutting just 1⁄8"
to 1⁄4" deeper with each First pass
invest in a bottom-cleaning bit. Normally
pass. Generally, the
used to smooth the bottoms of mortises, harder the wood, the
it’s available in diameters up to 11⁄ 2" less you should remove
and cuts a wider swath than an ordinary with any one pass.
straight bit.
Router base
popularwoodworking.com 31
Convex side
Tear-out when routing in end grain can make on the work. Position the straight-
be a real problem. In a router table, when
edge on the work parallel to the edge
of the cut and offset it the width of the No
using a miter gauge to rout across the
gauge by using your gauge piece to guide
wood’s grain, always use a piece of scrap
you. Secure the straightedge to the work If you turn the concave side toward the fence,
placed behind the workpiece to prevent and make the cut, keeping the router the cut will be narrower toward the middle of
tear-out at the exit point. firmly against the straightedge. the board than it will be at the ends.
Straight Bit
The most basic groove-
forming bit will give you
Most unpiloted router bits have either top-cut or point-cut flutes – flat or pointed cutting edges clean grooves and dados.
on the ends of the flutes as well as the sides. This feature lets you cut downward into the stock Diameters range from
to make grooves, mortises and other cuts in the interior of a workpiece. For example, a point-cut 1⁄ 3
16" to 1 ⁄ 4".
beading bit (far right) lets you cut quarter-round and half-round shapes in the surface of a piece,
not just on the arrises and corners.
Rabbet Bit
An often-used bit
for edge-form-
Selecting Bits ing. Change the
There are an enormous number of kind that’s available. The flutes of most
bearing size to
router bits available, many more than carbide cutting tools are tipped or faced
vary the width of
can be shown here. But all these cutting with carbide, while the bulk of the tool
accessories can be organized into four is HSS. Carbide is brittle and won’t be as the rabbet. The
simple categories: decorative, used to cut sharp as HSS, but it lasts up to 15 times carbide height is usually 1⁄ 2", with the vari-
moulded shapes; joinery, which are used longer than HSS bits. ous bearings making rabbets possible from
5⁄ 1
to make woodworking joints [Editor’s 16" to ⁄ 2" wide.
out of high-speed steel (HSS), which was 800-678-3313 or carbidespecialties.com available in 15°,
cheaper and easier to make. But now, ■ North American Products: 30° and 45°
tungsten carbide is pretty much the only 800-634-8665 or naptools.com bevels.
popularwoodworking.com 33
JIG JOURNAL
W
hen using a hand-held router to cut dados,
Straightedge
grooves and rabbets, the part of the setup
that eats most of your time is positioning
the edge guide or straightedge. This T-shaped jig
simplifies that chore – just use the short crossbar to
instantly position the longer straightedge. PW
Crossbar
Exploded view
11⁄ 2"
3⁄ Elevation
4"
30"
3"
3⁄
4"
3⁄
4" x 3⁄ 8" dado
14" 3"
1⁄
2"
1⁄
2" x 3⁄ 8" dado
Plan
Dir
ec t
io n
of c
ut
Before you can use this jig, you must cut dados in the cross-
bar – one on either side of the straightedge. Place the jig
over a large wooden scrap and butt the crossbar against
an edge. Clamp the jig to the scrap and cut the dados
with a straight bit, keeping the router pressed against the Lay out the joints on the workpiece. Place the jig across the wood, butt the cross-
straightedge. NOTE: Once you have cut these dados, you bar against an edge or end, and line up one of the dados with the layout lines. Then
can only use the jig with that particular router and that bit. clamp the jig to the workpiece and cut the joint using the straightedge to guide the
The dados won’t line up with different tools. router, just as you did when you made the dados in the crossbar.
2
CHAPTER
Plunge Router
W
hile a fixed-base router is a very Similar to fixed-base routers, plunge- Most larger plunge routers have found
versatile tool, there are still base routers are available in multiple happy homes in router tables (we will
some operations that require sizes and powers. Most will accept both discuss router tables in Chapter Three),
1⁄ 1
different abilities. This is where a plunge 2" and ⁄ 4" collets. and that’s where they belong. They’re
router proves valuable. honestly too large for convenient hand-
For example, some operations Choosing the Right Size held routing operations. They can be
require you to rout the interior of a For Your First Router used this way, but the smaller plunge
board without cutting in from the edge. Plunge routers are available in two main router is more likely the better choice
When you rout a mortise, it’s best to sizes: either a 2-horsepower (or slightly for hand-held routing.
first make a small hole in the interior of less) or a 3-hp (or slightly more) model. The smaller plunge routers are easier
the workpiece, then enlarge it. To make
this starter hole, you must lower – or
“plunge” – the bit into the wood. While
you don’t need a plunge router to do
this (woodworkers have been plunging
with fixed-base routers for years), it does
make the operation safer and can be
accomplished with greater precision.
The main difference between plunge
and fixed-base routers (which are dis-
cussed in Chapter One of this series) is
that plunge routers can make interior
and stopped cuts much more easily.
The plunge-base motor is mounted on
two spring-loaded posts above the base,
which let you position the motor above
the work, then lower the bit straight
down into the wood and begin cutting.
PRO TIP:
How Much is Enough?
To make sure the collet is safely gripping a
router bit, insert 3⁄ 4" of the length of a 1⁄ 4"-shank
bit into the collet and insert a full 1" of every
1⁄
2"-shank bit.
TIPS & TRICKS
Pro Tip:
Use Ball-bearing Guided Bits
Instead of Pilot Guides to
Protect the Wood
Ball-bearing
guide
The 11⁄2-hp router (left) has a base opening that is sized for bits appropriate to that size motor. The
larger plunge router (right) has a 3-hp motor, appropriately sized for larger bits for panel raising
or large profiles. This base has a larger opening to accommodate those bits.
Because the plunge router is designed taking no more than a 1⁄ 4"-deep cut at
to slide out of the cutting position and one time.
then return to the proper depth with a There are a variety of designs for the
plunge, a repeatable and reliable depth plunge-rod/depth-stop arrangement, but
stop is required. The most common and turret depth stops are the most common
simplest repeatable depth stop on plunge height-adjustment system. Many newer
Fine adjustment rod
routers is called a “turret stop.” plunge routers also offer fine adjustment
A height-adjustable rod is mounted to to the depth setting.
the motor housing and aligned parallel This is accomplished either by add-
to the direction of the plunge. Mounted ing a fine-thread screw mechanism to
Turret stop
to the base is a rotating dial with usually the depth rod or by adding a fine-thread
three (but this can vary) stepped-height screw adjustment to the top of one of
stops. The depth rod is plunged against the depth rests on the stop itself. Fine
The fine-adjustment knobs make the depth as
the lowest position for the proper height, adjustment can be very helpful during
accurate as possible.
then locked in place. The other two the initial depth setup, as you frequently
stops come into play when you are mak- can find yourself fighting a balancing act
ing deep cuts in multiple passes to reduce between gravity and the tension of the
the strain on the bit and the motor by plunge springs to get the setting right. Should You Buy Two Routers?
The fine-adjustment feature also Considering the versatility of a plunge
makes plunge routers a good choice for router, why should anyone buy a fixed-
edge routing and profile work, applica- base router? Simply put, with fewer
tions typical for a fixed-base router. In moving parts and a less-complicated
fact, many woodworkers when faced depth adjustment, it’s a simpler tool. A
Turret stop with with using only one router (thankfully fixed-base router is best used for making
fine adjustments that’s not too often) will choose a plunge edge cuttings of a single depth, while the
router, since it is more versatile. plunge router is built for depth changes
But can’t a fixed-base router be used and is best for multi-depth interior cuts,
to make plunge cuts? Sure, but it’s not such as mortises.
recommended. It’s a hazardous opera- Certainly, a plunge router can be
tion because the base is supported on modified or placed in a jig for nearly any
only one tiny edge while you tip the tool cut that you’d want a fixed-base router to
to plunge. If all you have is a fixed-base do, but that doesn’t always make sense.
router, there are ways to get the job done, When in doubt, just keep it simple and,
but for most people who will be making in the best of all worlds, both a fixed-
The turret stop is the most common depth stop more inside cuts, it’s well worth it to get base and a plunge router should find a
in plunge routers. that plunge router. home in your shop.
popularwoodworking.com 37
TIPS & TRICKS
Pro Tip:
Precise Setups with
Feeler Gauges
One of the difficulties when setting up
your plunge router for a cut is fine-tun-
ing the setting in small increments. The
most precise way to change your setting is
to use a set of automotive feeler gauges.
These thin strips of metal are marked with
their precise thicknesses. When you want
to adjust your bit up .005", simply place
the appropriate feeler gauge between your
turret depth stop and the tool’s adjustment
Template guides are designed to follow templates. As the guide traces the shape of the template,
great trick: the bit cuts a similar shape in the workpiece. The routed shape is a little larger than the template,
depending on the relative diameters of the bit and the template guide.
Use a Thick Scrap to Keep
Your Router in Balance
Base-mounted Fences and
Template Guides
Base-mounted guides are available as
accessories for most fixed-base and
plunge routers. The guide follows the
Scrap
edge of the wood and you can use it
rather easily. Instead of holding both
router handles, grasp one handle and
hold the end of the guide with your other
hand. As you cut, keep the guide pressed
firmly against the edge of the workpiece.
Then just feed the router slowly and eas-
ily for a smooth cut.
Template guides attach to the base or
sole of the router and follow a straight or
contoured edge. These round guides sur-
round the bit and the bit protrudes out
through the hole. When using template
guides, make sure the bit does not rub Most base-mounted guides will follow either
If you’re routing the thin edge of a the inside of the collar. That wear could straight or contoured edges, depending on
workpiece (such as when mortising), or if ruin both the bit and the collar. Also, the shape of the guide. Here, a straight guide
– which looks like a small fence – rides along
the workpiece is too narrow to balance the keep the guide pressed firmly against the
the edge of a board.
router easily, clamp a thick scrap to the edges of the template as you cut.
work to provide more support. Don’t forget the most simple of router
guides – a straightedge clamped to the or one of a number of commercially
material you’re cutting. This can be a available guides that have built-in clamp-
simple piece of scrap found in your shop ing, making their use a lot easier.
popularwoodworking.com 39
TIPS & TRICKS
pro tip: Router Maintenance seated properly and cleaned regularly.
Like many modern portable power tools, ■ Brushes are blocks of carbon that
Sharpen Cutting Flutes by
the router is a mostly maintenance-free ride and wear against the commuta-
Using a Diamond Stone tool. There are, however, a few things tor in all router motors as part of the
you must do to keep it in good working motor function. Over enough time,
order. In particular: the brushes can wear down enough to
■ Keep the motor free of dust. Use require complete replacement. Some, but
compressed air or a vacuum to clean out not all routers, make this a simple task by
the housing. Otherwise, the dust will get making the brushes accessible from the
into the bearings – even permanently outside of the router housing.
sealed bearings – and cause them to wear Sparking from the motor that is only
prematurely. The dust also can damage getting worse is a good indicator that
the commutator (a part of the router’s it may be time to replace the brushes.
universal motor that conducts current) This usually is a simple task that requires
and field of the motor. removing the brush cover, removing the
■ Keep the collet dust-free. Dust in a brush, spring and wire, and inserting a
If your cutting edges seem dull, touch up collet is the most common cause of bits new brush. Properly aligning the brushes
the carbide flutes on a diamond stone. slipping. If you don’t keep it clean, the and leaving proper “play” in the spring
Sharpen only the inside (flat) surfaces of collet also can show wear prematurely. will ensure a good fit.
■ Replace the collet immediately if There likely will be a short period
the flutes, leaving the outside (curved)
edges alone. If you try to sharpen those, it shows signs of wear. A worn collet where sparking will continue as the new
you might change the diameter of the bit.
damages the shanks of router bits, and square brush shapes itself to the surface
this may ruin the motor shaft, requiring of the round commutator, but after that
you to replace the entire armature. there should be no problem.
great tip: ■ Wax and buff the base plate and ■ Many switches included on routers
the surfaces of the tool that slide today are sealed against dust. This makes
Wax That Tool; Don’t Worry
together (such as the plunge bars). maintenance on them unnecessary. If
About Wax on Wood This simple act will help these parts you happen to have an older or less-
There is a common misconception that if move freely and keep the router gliding expensive router, you may want to take
you wax a woodworking tool the wax will smoothly across the work. a look at the switch occasionally as well.
■ Specifically with the plunge router, After unplugging the router it’s simple
rub off onto the wood and interfere with a
finish. This is not true, as long as you buff you need to make sure that the plunge enough to remove the switch from the
the wax after it dries. Once buffed, the
bars and sleeves are correctly aligned. If housing and use a soft toothbrush to
the router is dropped, these parts might clean any accumulated dust from the
layer of wax remaining on the tool is only
need to be inspected. In some routers, switch and the switch terminals. Com-
a few molecules thick – enough to protect
the return springs are inside the plunge pressed air is another option for cleaning
and lubricate the metal but not enough to bars; in others, the spring is fitted exter- out the switch. Put things back together
ruin the finish. nally. Either way, the springs need to be and you’re ready to go.
Great tip:
At right is the motor’s brush with
Remove Your Plunge Springs spring and connecting wire, the cap
When Routing in a Table and the hole in the housing where
the brush goes. You can see that
One of the most frustrating things about Mounting hole
the surface of the brush is slightly
using a plunge router in a router table is concave to form to the cylinder of Connecting
that the plunge springs work against you the commutator. When replacing a wire
as you try to increase the height of the bit. brush that is already broken in, the
Spring
shape should be properly oriented
Many plunge routers allow you to easily
to match the motor’s round
remove the springs. Give it a try.
commutator.
Brush
Brush cap
Keyhole Bit
For best results, use guide This is a very specialized bit
bearings, rather than pilots or that allows you to cut keyhole
pins, which turn at the same openings for hanging pictures
speed as the bit and rub the and plaques. Perfect for use
edge of the workpiece. The
in plunge routers.
friction causes them to heat
up and burn the wood. Bear-
ings turn independently of Cuts access hole and
space for the nail or
the bit and won’t rub or burn screw head Cuts space
the wood. for the shank
popularwoodworking.com 41
JIG JOURNAL
Circle-cutting Jig
M
any woodworkers use a router, a
straight bit and a circle-cutting
jig to make circles. And, natu-
rally, there is an easy-to-build and easy-
to-use jig that will help you make these
perfect pieces. This jig is just an elon-
gated router sole that you can attach to
your hand-held router’s base. Make the
jig from plywood, hardboard or a clear
acrylic, such as Lexan.
To cut a circle, drive a nail or screw
into the workpiece to make a pivot
– make sure you drive the pivot nail into
the bottom or inside surface of the work-
piece, because you don’t want the hole to
show on the assembled project. Then just
drill a hole in the small end of the jig,
place the hole over the pivot and swing
the router around the pivot.
The distance from the pivot hole to the nearest edge of the router bit determines the diameter of
the circle. Put a scrap of plywood under the workpiece so you don’t cut into your workbench.
Radius to fit
router base
1⁄
4" plywood, hardboard 1" dia.
or clear Lexan through
CL
11⁄ 4" radius Circle-cutting jig
3
CHAPTER
PRO TIP:
Rout End-grain Edges First
To Avoid Any Tear-out
When routing profiles on four edges of a
rectangular or square piece, start with an
end-grain edge first. If the end of the cut
tears out, the following pass on the long-
grain edge will most likely remove the
torn-out corner.
Starting pin
TIPS & TRICKS Fence
pro TIP:
Titanium-coated Bits Don’t
Mounting plate
Burn Wood When Sharp
Manufacturers sometimes coat the cut- Worktable
ting edges of large, carbide-tipped router
bits with a gold-colored titanium alloy and
claim the bits can be used safely without
reducing the routing speed. This is true to Miter gauge
slot
an extent. Titanium-coated carbide can
be honed to a much sharper edge than the
GREAT TIP:
■ If you don’t have room for a stand- on and off. This led to removable plates
Dust Collector Keeps alone table, you can customize other in the tabletops to which the routers
Table’s Mess to a Minimum fixtures already in your shop to hold a were attached. Rather than crawling
router. A workbench, a table saw or a under the table, the router and plate
radial-arm saw all can pull double-duty could be lifted free from above the table.
as a router table. These plates soon became even more
[Editor’s Note: Check out our plans for helpful with the addition of built-in
how to adapt a Workmate to be used as an
inexpensive and accurate router table on
page 8 of this issue.] Work
Mounting plate
Work
Feed
popularwoodworking.com 45
TIPS & TRICKS
GREAT trick: you also need to check that the router ■ Let the fence surround the unused
Scrap Piece Helps When is properly aligned and adjusted in the portion of the bit.
table. There are two things you need to ■ Whenever practical, use feather-
Routing Narrow Work check – the depth of cut (the distance boards, push sticks and push blocks to
the bit protrudes past the mounting guide the work along the fence.
plate) and the position of the fence. A router table also can be used with-
Other things to remember when using out a fence. In these cases, a starting pin
a router table with a fence include: and a bit with a bearing or a template
■ Keep the workpiece pressed firmly guide attached is used. This operation
Scrap
against the fence to ensure you get as is similar to using a hand-held router
straight a cut as possible. with a similarly guided bit, but the table
■ Feed the work slowly and steadily operation makes it safer and easier to use
– do not pause, if you can help it. larger-profile bits.
When routing the end of a narrow work- The starting pin provides an extra
piece on a router table, use a large square bearing point to allow you to rest against
scrap to guide it along the fence. The scrap two points while routing, adding an
not only holds the work perpendicular to extra level of safety. When using the
the fence, it also backs up the wood so it Fence router table in this setup it’s even more
won’t tear out at the end of the cut. important to maintain proper safety and
hand clearance from the exposed bit.
popularwoodworking.com 47
TIPS & TRICKS
PRO TRICK: Making a Mounting Plate protrudes through the plate. However,
Need Good Dowels? If you buy a router table, many will come bits can range in size from 1⁄ 16" to 31⁄ 4". So
with a mounting plate – a thin, flat sheet what can you do? I suggest you drill the
Just Make Your Own to which you attach the router base. The opening about 1⁄ 4" larger than the largest
plate is needed to mount the router in bit you own, then make several inserts
any stationary jig, including the table. to fit the opening. Use the same trans-
If you’re making your own table, or if parent material that the mounting plate
the one you purchased doesn’t come with was made from and just drill a different
a mounting plate, don’t worry – making diameter hole in the center of each insert
the plate is rather straightforward. All so you have a variety to choose from.
you have to do is cut the material to size, ■ Once you make these inserts, you’re
drill a few holes and screw the plate to going to need to fashion some way to
the jig or table. However, you must make hold them in place. Some router bases
several informed decisions as you fashion have metal or plastic flanges to mount
By rounding over the four arrises of a this simple part. guide bushings. If your router is so
square workpiece (where the edges and ■ The material from which you make equipped, you can use these flanges to
faces meet), you can make your own a mounting plate must be strong enough support and secure the inserts. If your
dowels on a router table. The width and and dense enough to absorb the vibra- router doesn’t have built-in flanges,
thickness of the workpiece should be tions of the router, but thin enough so attach a plastic ring under the mounting
precisely twice the radius of the bit. As it won’t restrict the depth of cut. You plate. The inside diameter of this ring
you rout the four edges, leave about 2" of should be able to cut and drill the mate- should be 1⁄ 2" smaller than the diameter
stock uncut on either end of the piece to rial easily, and it should be transparent so of the mounting plate to create a ledge to
keep the work stable on the router table.
you can see what’s going on beneath it. support the inserts.
There is really only one material that ful- ■ To cut an opening in the table’s
fills all these requirements – transparent work surface for the mounting plate,
plastic. I suggest you use ordinary acrylic first rout a square groove in the surface.
GREAT TIP: plastic that’s rather inexpensive. Some Clamp a wooden frame to the table
Drawers Help Maximize structural plastics are super-strong, but to guide the router and cut the groove
Space in Your Table too flexible. Acrylic is more rigid. I sug- so the depth matches the thickness of
gest using a 1⁄ 4"-thick sheet for routers up the mounting plate. (Make this groove
to 11⁄ 2-hp and a 3⁄ 8"-thick sheet for more about 1⁄ 32" smaller than the circumfer-
powerful routers. ence of the plate; later, you can sand or
■ For safety and accuracy, there should file the edges of the plate to get a perfect
be as little space as possible between the fit.) Then make the router opening by
work surface and the router bit where it cutting around the inside edges of the
Table-edge Bit
groove with a jigsaw. When the waste ■ The work surface should be thick
falls away, the groove will form a ledge to enough to permit you to attach the mount- Because the bit is designed to
hold the mounting plate. ing plate securely – short screws may remove a lot of material in
■ You can attach the mounting plate vibrate or pull loose. If the work surface one pass (and run a lot
in the opening with several screws. Don’t is less than 11⁄4" thick, build up the area of material at one time)
leave it loose, because you don’t want it immediately beneath the mounting plate a router table offers
to shift as you work. by gluing a hardwood frame to the table. power and control for many
edge profile
bits. Table-edge bits are
Screws work great to
large and require more
attach the mounting
plate in the opening,
power and control.
but make sure you do it
tightly – you don’t want
anything shifting while Raised-panel Bit
you work.
Another large bit perfect for router tables
is a raised-panel bit for making doors and
frame-and-panel cabinetry. The one
shown here is a horizontal
bit, but vertical bits also are
available.
popularwoodworking.com 49
JIG JOURNAL
Height Gauge
S
ometimes you need three hands to adjust
the depth of a cut on a router – one to raise
or lower the motor, one to secure the height
clamp and one to hold the measuring device.
And if the router is in a table, you may need to be
extremely flexible to scrunch down and read the rule.
This simple shop-made height gauge eliminates
the need for one of those extra hands and most of
the contortions. The gauge is stable enough that it
does not have to be held and the scale can be read
accurately from most angles. You can use the gauge
with the arm facing down to measure heights of less
than 3" or with the arm up for heights between 3"
and 6". This gauge also can be used with a shaper,
table saw, dado cutter or any other tool or accessory
in which the blade or cutter protrudes through a
worktable or fence.
You also can use the gauge to measure the posi-
tion of a fence in relation to the bit. Just set the
gauge and hold it against the fence with the arm
encompassing the bit. Then move the fence until To use the gauge, set it to the desired height. Place it on the router sole or mounting
the side of the bit touches the arm. PW plate with the arm over the bit. Raise or lower the bit until it touches the arm.
3"
1⁄
Measuring tape 2"
15°
1⁄
2"
13⁄ 4"
Measuring tape
3"
Top view
2"
3"
1" radius
Exploded view
1"
4
CHAPTER
Router Joinery
A
lthough routers were originally than with any other joinery tool. No ■ Most routers won’t stand up to
designed to create moulded matter if you have a fixed-base or plunge continual cutting as well as heavy-duty
shapes, they can be excellent router, you can cut more types of joints woodworking machinery.
joinery tools. In fact, they’re better in than with any other kind of tool. ■ Because you can’t make deep cuts
some ways than table saws, professional- ■ Accuracy: There isn’t a more pre- in a single pass on a router, it may take
quality mortisers or dado cutters when it cise joinery tool. You may find tools just you longer to rout some joints than it
comes to cutting joints. There are sev- as accurate, but none that surpass the would to use a mortiser or dado cutter.
eral reasons routers have an advantage: router. Because routers cut quickly, they ■ Depending on the joint you want
■ Simplicity: Setting up hand- leave a smooth surface, meaning joints to make, you may be limited by the sizes
held or table-mounted routers is rather fit better and bonds are stronger. and configurations of available bits.
straightforward. Tools dedicated to There are some disadvantages to These shortcomings are, however,
joint-making such as hollow-chisel using your router for joint-making, and minor. Routers are indispensable joinery
mortisers are more complex and require I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention them: tools in any workshop.
more time to set up. Sure, it could be
worth the effort to use a mortiser if
you’re planning to make dozens of dupli-
cate joints. But if all you want to cut are
a few mortises and tenons, for example,
a router will save you loads of time.
■ Versatility: You can make a
PRO TIP:
Dehumidifier Can Make
Your Tenons Fit Tighter
Woodworkers who use mortise-and-tenon joints
sometimes keep a dehumidifier in their shop to
make it drier than the surrounding environment.
Once in the shop, wood shrinks slightly. Then,
when a completed project is returned to normal
humidity, the tenons swell in the mortises,
making the joints tighter.
TIPS & TRICKS
pro trick: Rabbets, Dados and Grooves unnecessary, you still should use one to
You can make the most basic woodwork- limit the amount of bit exposed and to
Tilting Pieces to
ing joints – rabbets, dados and grooves help guide the pieces. Align the fence
Create Stopped Cuts – using a simple fixed-base router and an with the outside edge of the bearing for a
inexpensive set of straight bits. seamless process. For improved accuracy
Rabbets (and the simple tongues for and safety, use a featherboard to hold the
tongue-and-groove joints) are produced material against the fence and table.
easily with a router. While you may need As mentioned earlier, a rabbet also
a variety of rabbet sizes, a single rab- can form the tongue for a tongue-
Bit locations beting bit can accomplish them all. By and-groove joint. The tongue can be
marked on
fence purchasing a rabbeting bit with inter- flush to one side of a board (for offset
changeable guide bearings, the width raised-panel doors) or the tongue can
of the rabbet can be changed quickly by be centered on the board. Essentially,
selecting and installing a different diam- the tongue is just a long tenon. Run the
eter guide-bearing on the bit. groove first, then simply size the tongue
Stopped grooves or dados can be made Rabbeting can be accomplished safely to fit in that groove.
safely on the router table by first marking using a router freehand or in a table. For Many dados or grooves can be made
the bit location (both sides of the bit profile) rabbeting smaller pieces (such as with with a straight bit that is sized to accu-
on the fence, then carefully lowering and frames or door mullions) I recommend rately make the joint with a single-width
raising the piece for the cut using the end using a router table. In a table, you can pass. To make a dado or groove that’s a
of the board opposite the cut as a fulcrum. use a simple straight bit to cut the rab- non-standard size, choose a cutter that’s
bet, or you can use a rabbeting bit with slightly smaller than the width of the
a bearing guide. Even though you may joint and cut the joint in two passes, as
pro tip: think the bearing guides make a fence shown in the photos below.
No Templates Needed
If You Copy an Existing Piece When routing dados
and grooves, the joint
To reproduce a shape quickly and ordinarily will be the
precisely without making a template, same width as the bit.
just use an existing part to make copies. If you need to make a
Adhere the shaped part to the stock with joint of a larger size,
double-stick tape and, using either a pat- first make a cut that’s
somewhat narrower
tern-cutting or flush-trim bit, cut the stock
than the joint needed
while tracing the shaped part with the (left), then move the
bearing. However, because the bit won’t fence or straightedge
cut inside corners that are smaller than the to make a second cut
bit diameter, you’ll have to cut these with a (below), enlarging the
joint to the desired
band saw or scroll saw.
width.
GREAT TIP:
Mortising Bits are Worth
Taking the Plunge For
Some manufacturers offer so-called
mortising bits. They look like a standard
straight bit with one difference: They have
an additional small cutter at the end of the
bit. This type of bit allows you to plunge
directly into your work, instead of wiggling
the bit as you plunge, which is typical with
a standard straight bit.
popularwoodworking.com 53
TIPS & TRICKS
pro TIP: Mortises and Tenons The simplest form of template is a
Let the Wood Get Acquainted To make a mortise and its matching piece of plywood that has a hole in it
tenon, you must combine several tech- that is the exact size of the mortise you
With its New Surroundings niques. Although it may seem complex, a wish to rout. Just clamp the template
When you first purchase lumber, bring it mortise-and-tenon joint is just a combi- directly onto your work and then form
into your shop and let it sit untouched for nation of several basic joints. After all, a the mortise using a straight bit that
a few weeks before you use it. This will mortise is simply a groove that’s blind at has a bearing above the cutting flutes.
give the moisture content of each board a both ends, and a tenon is made by cutting There are a variety of ways to make the
chance to reach equilibrium with its new two or more rabbets in the end of a board. template, from making plunge cuts on
environment. If you cut a board while its
The trick to cutting precise mortises a board with a table saw to edge-gluing
and tenons is to make the cuts in the four pieces of wood together and leaving
moisture content is in flux, the wood may
proper order. Most experienced wood- a gap in the middle that is the size of the
expand or contract unevenly, ruining the fit
workers agree that it’s easiest to cut the mortise. All work just fine.
of your joints and distorting the project. mortise first, then fit the tenon into it. When cutting the mortise, first
To make a mortise, you must bore a plunge straight down across the entire
GREAT Trick: starter hole and expand it to the dimen- area you wish to waste away. Then,
sions needed. There are several ways to with the router fully plunged, follow the
do this using a fixed-base or a plunge template’s edge with your bearing to
router, either hand-held or in a table. complete the mortise to its finished size.
However, when you make mortises for (See below for how to cut the tenon.)
mortise-and-tenon joints, you usually
want to make several mortises in several Dovetails
different workpieces, all the exact same There are three basic dovetail joints: half-
size and shape. The easiest way to accom- blind dovetails, through dovetails and
plish this is with a simple template. sliding dovetails. The router is the only
As a general rule, mortises should power tool that can create them all, using
be about one-half to one-quarter the a special dovetail bit.
Connect the Dots to Keep width of the material they’re made in. Both half-blind and through dovetails
Cutting in Straight Lines So a mortise in a 3⁄ 4"-wide piece of wood are most easily made using accurate tem-
should be 3⁄ 8" to 1 ⁄ 4" wide, with a 3⁄ 16" to plates. These can be purchased (there are
The bit does not always fall in the exact 1⁄
4" shoulder on either side of it. The many commercially manufactured ones)
center of a round router base. Because of depth of the mortise should be no less or you can make your own.
this, the cut won’t be accurate if the router than 3⁄ 4" to ensure a good joint, but 1" or Through dovetails require two passes
turns while you’re guiding the base along slightly more usually is a good idea. and two matching templates. These tem-
a straightedge. The accuracy also may be
spoiled when you remove and replace the
base plate. To avoid this, put a spot of paint To make a tenon, cut
on the edges of the router and base plate, two or more rabbets
in the end of the board
one above the other. Keep these spots
– these rabbets will
toward you as you rout, and align them
become the cheeks and
each time you reattach the base plate. shoulders of the tenon.
Scrap To fit the tenon to the
Cheek mortise, cut the tenon
GREAT TIP: just a bit large, then
Watch Your Tenon Widths Shoulder slowly raise the bit,
shaving away a paper-
As a rule of thumb, most woodworkers thin layer of stock on
limit the width of mortise-and-tenon joints each cheek until you
(where the wood grain must be glued get the fit you’re after.
perpendicular to its mate) to 3". Once Guide the cuts with the
miter gauge, using the
you exceed 3" wide, you will need to use
fence as a stop.
double tenons.
popularwoodworking.com 55
TIPS & TRICKS
great trick: Coped Joints ■ Single bit with interchangeable
Perhaps the easiest way to make a joint cutters: You switch from the male to the
Need a Hinge? Just Add a with a router is to cut a “coped” joint, female cutter by disassembling the bit
Hole to Finger-jointed Boards where both adjoining surfaces are and changing the orientation of the cut-
To make a wooden hinge, roundover the shaped. The most common example of ters. There are small shims involved so
ends of two boards with a roundover bit
this is on cabinet doors where the rails you need to keep those in the right place
(the horizontal pieces) meet with the as you assemble the bit each time.
(the radius of the bit must be half the thick-
stiles (the vertical pieces). Each joint ■ Two bits: There’s one bit for cutting
ness of the boards). Cut finger joints in
surface is a mirror image of the other, so the male part of the joint and a second
the rounded ends and assemble the joint. the two surfaces mate perfectly. for the female. This is usually the most
At the center of the rounded ends, drill a This has two advantages: The shape expensive route.
hole through the interlocking fingers and of the joint aligns the adjoining parts so There is another type of bit used for
insert a wooden or metal dowel to serve the surfaces are flush and the corners are assembling boxes that routs the joinery
as a pivot. square, and the shape increases the glu- on both edges. The drawer-lock joint
ing surfaces and strengthens the joint. – one example of these – is shown below.
Coped joints require special router
pro trick: bits that can be pretty expensive. There Loose-tenon Joints
Two Jigs are Better than One, are three types of bits, and each must be Along with all the joints we have dis-
Especially for Dovetails used in a different manner: cussed so far that require joinery parts
■ Single bit with one cutter: The cut on the mating pieces, there are a
Many woodworkers keep two dovetail male and female cutters are on the same number that use an extra piece to form a
fixtures in their shops – one for half-blinds, bit, making it a long piece of tooling. You loose-tenon joint. The three most com-
one for everything else. For example, I raise and lower the bit in the table to mon are the true loose-tenon joint, the
make frequent use of two commercial change which set of cutters are in use. spline joint and the biscuit joint.
dovetail-routing setups. In one, I have an
inexpensive half-blind dovetail jig and an
old router with the necessary guide collar
and dovetail bit installed and set. Because
I rout more half-blind dovetails than any
other dovetail joint, this saves me lots of
time. Then, when I need to rout through
dovetails or other special dovetail joints,
I just use my other jig.
GREAT TIP:
Just a Little Bit off the Top,
Even when Routing Mortises
When routing deep mortises, remember to
make the cut in several passes, routing no
more than 1⁄ 8" with each pass. If the wood
is very hard or tends to chip and splinter,
it’s better to rout in 1⁄ 16" passes. Also,
use a spiral straight bit to help clear the
A drawer-lock joint requires only one bit and
chips from the mortise as you cut. This is one setup. However, instead of reversing
especially important when you’re using a boards face for face as you cut them (as in the
hand-held router and the bit is positioned finger glue joint), you must cut the drawer
over the work because the chips tend to front with the face of the workpiece against
the router table, then cut the drawer side with
fall down into the mortise and clog it.
the face against the fence. Adjust both the
depth of cut and the position of the fence so
the members fit together properly.
Cope-and-stick Bit
Making decorative frame-and-panel
assemblies is a snap with this bit. There
are three versions that have different ways
of approaching the same operation. In this
version, one bit cuts
both the male and
female pieces.
Spline-cutting Bit
Making grooves in edges is
the mainstay of this bit.
Newer versions allow you to
adjust the size of the groove
with shims or by
A tongue-and-groove joint requires two
matching bits. Rout a groove in one edge of adjusting the cutters.
each of the workpieces, then change bits and
rout a tongue in the other edge. You must
carefully adjust the depth of cut for the second
cut to match the first so the faces of the adjoin-
ing boards will be flush.
popularwoodworking.com 57
JIG JOURNAL
Finger-joint Jig
T
his jig will evenly space notches as
you cut them, allowing you to make
perfect finger joints. It’s designed to
mount on any miter gauge and will work
great on your router table with a straight
bit (or, if you’re so inclined, you also can
use it on your table saw).
Make the face and the mount from
cabinet-grade plywood and the stop from
hardwood. If you wish, you can make
several different faces, each with a different-
sized stop. This will enable you to cut
different sizes of finger joints. PW
To use the jig, screw or bolt the mount to a miter gauge. Loosen the wing nuts that secure the face
to the mount and slide the face sideways until the stop is the proper distance away from the bit.
When the stop is positioned properly, tighten the wing nuts.
Mount
5⁄ 1
16" x 1 ⁄ 2" carriage bolt,
washer and wing nut
Face
3⁄
4"
2"
Exploded view
3⁄
4"
141 ⁄ 2"
Top view
3" 31 ⁄ 2" 8"
2" 51 ⁄ 2"
11 ⁄ 2" 11 ⁄ 2"
Illustrations by Mary Jane Favorite
5⁄
16" dia. thru
5⁄
16" wd slot with 61 ⁄ 4" 61 ⁄ 4"
3⁄
4" c’bore
Variable
Front view
PRO TIP:
Read Grain Direction
To Get a Jump on Expansion Grain can run any direction
with plywood bottom
When you make a drawer with a solid-wood
bottom, the grain direction should run from side
to side so the drawer bottom will expand front to
back. If the bottom were to expand side to side,
it would press the drawer sides out, making the
drawer bind or stick in its opening.
TIPS & TRICKS
pro tip:
Drawer Sides Can
Extend Past the Back Front
simplest and weakest corner joint. stronger than regular miters and can be
• Rabbets and Grooves: These look used for medium- or heavy-duty decora-
similar to butt joints when assembled, tive boxes. The splines can be hidden or
Edge guide
Half-blind dovetails
The drawer bottom in the drawer shown at left is 1⁄2" thick but is beveled to slip into a 1⁄4" groove,
a traditional drawer construction method. Also, you can see the half-blind dovetails connecting
the side with the front in the drawer at right.
popularwoodworking.com 61
TIPS & TRICKS
great trick:
Tape Helps You Fit Fabric
pro trick:
If Your Drawer has Slides,
Key Measurement is Width Construction of small drawers can be simple. This drawer for a spice box uses half-blind dovetails
to mate the front with the sides and through dovetails to mate the back with the sides. The bot-
tom is tacked to the sides and back using brads.
Cabinet
side
Making Drawers Consequently, drawers commonly are
1" total As mentioned earlier, a drawer is a box built with extremely strong joints at the
space
without a lid that slides in and out of a front corners, while the back corners and
Drawer larger box, chest or case. Most drawers the bottom are assembled with much
front have five parts – a front, a back, two sides simpler joinery.
and a bottom. There is another reason people opt
Drawers are classified according to to use different joints at the front of the
Workbench
how the fronts and faces fit their open- drawer – traditionally, the drawer faces
ings. They can be “inset” within the looked a lot like solid boards or panels in
When building drawers with slides, the opening, they can “overlay” the face
most critical dimension is the width of the frame or front edges of the case, or they
assembled box. If you’re off by more than can be rabbeted or “lipped” so that only
1⁄
32", the slides won’t work. It pays to mock the lips overlap the case. Front or back
up an assembled drawer to get the fit just To a large degree, drawers are made
right. Standard drawer slides usually need the same way as the cabinets that hold
1⁄
2" of space between the drawer and case, them. The front, back and sides are
so shoot for a drawer that’s 1" narrower arranged to expand and contract in the
than the total case opening. same direction and are joined rigidly at
1⁄ 3
2" x ⁄ 8"
the corners. The bottom usually floats in
rabbet
a groove in the sides, free to move inde-
pro tip: pendently so its shrinking and swelling
Finishing Might Not won’t affect the overall drawer structure.
But there are significant differences
Always be a Good Idea between drawers and boxes. Typically, a
Side
Think about what you will be storing in the drawer must withstand more punishment
drawers before you decide to finish the than a box. As you push or pull a drawer
interior surfaces. Many finishes, especially in and out, there is a good deal of stress
boiled linseed oil, emit an odor long after placed on the corner joints. And because
they’ve cured, and they may impart chemi- the drawer handles or pulls are attached Joining drawer sides to the front and back can
cal smells, especially to clothing.
to the front, most of this stress is concen- be as simple as cutting a rabbet. Then you can
trated on the front corners. use glue and nails to complete the joint.
the drawer front with a dovetail bit in close cousin to the half blinds. While
your router, then cut matching tenons they are easier to create, these joints will
in the sides and slide them together. It’s be visible from the front of the drawer.
unlikely to be used for any drawer joinery Because of this, a through dovetail is
other than attaching drawer fronts. often used for the back joinery in a
■ Half-blind Dovetails: These are drawer, while the more complicated half-
the traditional choice when you need blind dovetail adorns the front.
Half-blind dovetail
popularwoodworking.com 63
TIPS & TRICKS
pro tip:
Plunge Router is Great
When Cutting Box Cavities
When selecting a straight bit for cutting
box cavities, look for one designed to be
used with a plunge router. On these bits,
the flutes protrude below the body of the
bit so it can be used for boring as well as
side-cutting. This makes it easier to rout Half-blind dovetail Half-blind tongue and rabbet
a starter hole. Then simply enlarge the
starter hole to make the cavity. Some bits
are intended solely for side cutting. Their
flutes are almost flush with the bottom of
the bit, making it difficult to plunge the bit
into the stock. Also, these bits will burn the
bottom of the cavity.
great tip:
Work Loose when it’s Cold,
Tight when it’s Warm
If your doors or door frames are made from
Half-blind dovetail with Tongue and rabbet with
solid wood, fit them loose in winter (when overlay false front overlay false front
the wood has shrunk) and tight in summer
(when the wood has expanded).
Drawer back
Front
Drawer-lock Bit
This bit lets you form a
Side
stronger rabbet joint
between the sides and
Back front of a drawer.
The drawer fronts
are cut horizontally,
while the drawer sides
A simple drawer bottom is easily made from 1⁄4" plywood. The sides and front of the drawer are are cut verti-
grooved with a straight router bit, 1⁄4" up from the bottom edge. The back is held short at the top cally against
of the groove. With the bottom slipped into the groove (shown in the inset photo), you can square the fence of a
up the drawer, then nail the bottom in place into the drawer back. router table.
popularwoodworking.com 65
JIG JOURNAL
Tenoning Jig
A
tenoning jig holds a workpiece Glue and screw the spacer to the face. Attach the leg to the spacer with
vertically to make a cut in its end. Secure the quadrant to the face with roundhead wood screws and washers.
This particular jig rides along the carriage bolts, washers and wing nuts. Then adjust the gap between the leg and
router table fence; the workpiece rests (Note that there are six mounting holes the face to fit your router table fence,
against a quadrant and a clamp secures and the quadrant can be attached in four then tighten the wing nuts and you’re
the workpiece to the vertical face of the different positions.) ready to go. PW
jig. You can adjust the angle of the work-
piece between 45° and 90° by rotating
the quadrant.
Make the vertical face, leg and spacer
from 3⁄ 4" plywood and the quadrant from
hardwood. Rout the slots in the spacer
and the quadrant, then make the groove
in the vertical face to hold the spacer.
Next, drill the holes needed to mount
the quadrant and the clamp. Face
Quadrant Spacer
Toggle clamp
5"
11⁄ 2" (typ.)
(typ.) #12 x 11⁄ 2" RHWS 3⁄
and washer (4 req’d) 16" wd. slot
Leg
11⁄ 2" Exploded view
31 ⁄ 4"
Top view
14"
41⁄ 4" 3⁄
4"
(typ.) Clamp locations 3⁄
4"
10"
3⁄
Illustrations by Mary Jane Favorite
4" 3⁄
1" 4" wd. x
3⁄
8" dp. 3"
groove
3⁄
5⁄
16" dia. hole thru (typ.) 3⁄ 4"
8"
x 2" carriage bolt, washer
and wing nut (2 req’d)
End view
Front view
Treatments
R
outers were developed to cut Despite the profusion of moulding shapes that can be cut with a com-
moulded shapes in wood. bits, there are really only three shapes in mon bit. All mouldings are variations
Although their workshop role has decorative woodworking: or combinations of these basic shapes,
expanded (greatly) during the last cen- ■ Bead (convex curve) shown on the following page.
tury to include joinery and other opera- ■ Cove (concave curve) There are no hard and fast rules
tions, moulding is still what they do ■ Flat (straight line) dictating how you combine these shapes
best. They remain the chief woodwork- Every moulding, no matter how com- or how you use them. However, you may
ing tools for edge and surface “treat- plex, is comprised of beads, coves and find these guidelines useful:
ments” – cutting decorative shapes. flats. If you had only three router bits ■ Consider where people will stand
Before we get into the techniques – one for cutting beads, one for cutting when viewing the shapes and present
for making decorative moulded shapes, coves, one for cutting flats – you could these features at an angle that makes
let’s review these shapes and how they’re still produce any shape of moulding, no them easy to be seen and enjoyed.
combined. In many woodworkers’ matter how intricate the shape. ■ Vary the shapes in a complex
minds, this is muddy water. Open any moulding – don’t just repeat the same
tool catalog to the router-bit section and Basic Moulded Shapes shapes over and over. The classic bead
you’ll find whole pages of shapes, all in a Of course, there’s a little more to it. moulding, which incorporates a cove
jumble. But don’t worry. There is some Each of these three main categories is and a bead, has been a favorite of cabi-
order to this chaos. subdivided into a few basic moulded netmakers for hundreds of years – you
pro tip:
Safe Small Profiles
Small (1⁄ 2" wide or less) profiles and edge
treatments can be dangerous to run. To
avoid this, use a two-step process. By
preparing a slab of wood the appropriate
thickness of your profile (let’s call it a 1⁄ 2"
x 10" x 24" piece of cherry) you can safely
run the profile on one long edge, then head
to the table saw to safely cut off the thin
edge piece. Then head back to the router
table and repeat the process. It adds a
couple steps, but it also adds safety.
TIPS & TRICKS
pro trick:
Two Sides of Grooves Make
Pretty Decorative Panels Fillet or listel chamfer bevel flat-bottom groove
Use straight bit Use chamfering bit Use chamfering bit Use straight bit
or V-bit or V-bit
Cut a set of
grooves in
a board that
are parallel
quarter-round half-round bead cyma rectA cyma reversa
to each other. Make each groove a little bead or astragal Use ogee bit (centers Use ogee bit (centers
more than half as deep as the board is Use roundover bit Use beading bit for of curves are aligned of curves are aligned
small beads, nosing horizontally) vertically)
thick. Then turn the board upside down
or roundover bit for
and cut another set of grooves at an large beads
angle to the first set. Where the grooves
intersect, they will create openings. The Basic moulded shapes
size, shape and spacing of these openings
depends on the size, shape and spacing of hardly ever see a moulding with a double ing, you need to plan how you’ll make
the grooves. cove or a double bead. it – what bits to use, how many passes
■ To make mouldings more dramatic, you’ll need to make, etc.
use sharp, crisp transitions between the Then, consider how to incorporate
pro trick: shapes. Make the curves and flats meet at the moulded shapes in the project you’re
Simple Cockbeading distinct angles, or you can use fillets building. You have two choices: You
to separate shapes. can cut the shapes into the surfaces of
• If the structural strength of the the structural parts, or you can make
piece is important, use simpler shapes. separately shaped parts (mouldings) and
Once you have designed a mould- apply them to the piece.
popularwoodworking.com 69
TIPS & TRICKS
pro tip: bit may burn the wood. If you can’t vary tiple passes – or use a more-complex bit.
Subtle Refinement the speed of the router, you shouldn’t use For example, by making multiple parallel
bits larger than 2" in diameter. Even bits passes with a point-cut roundover bit
Edge treatments don’t have to be compli-
larger than 11⁄ 2" can be troublesome. (sometimes called a “beading” bit), you
cated to be effective. A simple roundover can form cockbeads and reeds. Or, you
bit or chamfering bit in the right locations Surface Treatments can make cuts with a veining bit or a
can soften the look and feel of a piece of In addition to cutting edges, you can round-nose bit to create flutes. Also, a
furniture, adding an extra level of elegance create a variety of decorative shapes in point-cut ogee bit will rout a wide groove
as long as you don’t overdo it. And either of the face of your workpiece. Surface treat- with a double-ogee shape.
these bits work well with a bearing guide in ments can be cut pretty easily with
an easy-to-manage trim router. either a hand-held or a table-mounted Making Complex Mouldings
router fitted with either an unpiloted or a When you produce complex mouldings,
point-cut bit. you often make multiple cuts, combining
great trick: The most common surface decora- edge and surface treatments. It isn’t dif-
Keep That Piece tion is a simple groove – flat-bottom, ficult, but there are tricks to help you.
Clamped Down Tight round-bottom or V-bottom. If the groove ■ First, you will need to decide which
is straight, use a straightedge, fence router bits to use to cut the different
or miter gauge to guide the cut. If the shapes. Often this is more of an art than
groove is irregular, you’ll want to use a a science. There may be three or four
guide collar and a template. bits in your selection that will produce
For decorative grooves with a more- a single shape. Knowing which one will
complex geometry, you can make mul- work best is a matter of experience.
When cutting
straight grooves,
you can use a vari-
ety of jigs to get a
Whenever you’re routing something, make decorative effect.
sure that either your workpiece or your Here, a tapering jig
produces a pattern
router is stable and secure – they can’t
of angled grooves
both move. If you choose to move the in a table leg. The
router across the work, clamp the work to grooves create the
your bench. If a clamp interferes with the impression of a
operation, rout up to it and turn the router tapered leg, even
off. Then move the clamp to an area on though it’s straight.
the workpiece that you’ve already cut and
resume routing.
great tip:
Back-routing (Also Known as
Climb-cutting) Can be Tough
Occasionally you must back-rout a piece
to reduce tear-out. This means you are
cutting with the bit’s rotation, rather than
against it. It’s much more difficult to con-
trol your work this way, so be sure to take
shallow cuts and feed very slowly. Keep
the router and the work steady, making
sure the bit doesn’t chatter.
Point-cut bits with a complex shape, such as A flute is just a half-round groove – the opposite of a half-round bead. Often, it’s blind at one or
this pilotless ogee bit, cut a broad groove with both ends. Use a veining bit to cut the flute and a straightedge to guide your router. If the flute is
an interesting shape. The sides of the grooves blind, it helps to have a plunge router. Attach stops to the straightedge to halt the cut when the
are mirror images of each other. flute is the correct length.
popularwoodworking.com 71
TIPS & TRICKS
pro trick: ■ Second, when you know which
Layers Can Help if You Want bits you’re using, carefully plan the cuts.
Complex Mouldings Each cut should leave enough stock to
adequately support the workpiece dur-
ing the next cut. If possible, make small
cuts before large ones, and remove stock
from the interior or middle of the surface
before taking it from the sides.
■ Third, when you make each cut,
Panel-raising Bit
This bit combines two small wings (which
cut downward to shear the top edge) with
two large wings (which shear upward for a
smooth finish). It’s ideal for creating deco-
rative tops and should be
used in a router table.
Next, test-fit the banding in its recess. When you’re satisfied with the fit, spread glue in the recess
and press the banding in place. Wipe away any excess glue, place a piece of wax paper or plastic
wrap over the banding and clamp a straight, thick board to the piece over the covering. The board
helps distribute clamping pressure evenly, and the covering keeps it from sticking.
Beading Bit
These bits add an attractive profile to furni-
When the glue is dry, remove the board ture and millwork. They are different from a
and the covering, then scrape away any roundover bit in that they also
glue that remains on the surface. But
leave a sharp corner – called
be careful – you don’t want to scrape
through the banding. an arris.
Tabletop Bit
This bit, designed with sharp curves, helps
you generate a strong,
uplifting edge, creating
a bold effect on all
kinds of furniture.
When inlay materials are thick, you can rout a recess to make the inlay “proud,” then sand it flush.
When inlay materials are thin, you risk sanding through them if you mount them proud. Instead,
use calipers to measure the inlay thickness, then adjust the depth of cut to match.
popularwoodworking.com 73
JIG JOURNAL
T
his jig simplifies the setup and determined by your needs. Make the the base under the clamping bar. To do
the operation necessary to make base from 3⁄ 4" plywood and the clamp- this quickly and accurately, it helps to
repetitive cuts. Just lock the board ing bar from a hard, dense wood such as make a positioning gauge from a scrap of
between the base and clamping bar, then oak or maple. The bar should be fairly thin plywood or hardboard. Lock the bar
guide the router along the bar. The stock thick so it doesn’t bow when tightened. I down on the base and place the scrap so
doesn’t move, so you don’t have to worry crowned the top and bottom surfaces of that one edge rests against the side of the
about controlling a large piece of wood, my clamping bar, making it 1 ⁄ 32" to 1 ⁄ 16" bar. Rout all the way through the scrap,
and the straightedge doubles as the thicker in the center than at the ends. creating a strip about as long as the bar.
clamp, so the setup is very simple. Even though the bar flexes, the clamping The width of this strip is the distance
The jig is just two pieces of wood (a pressure remains even. from the edge of the router to the bit’s
base and a clamping bar) with the sizes To use the jig, position the stock on cutting edge. PW
Clamping bar
Attach self-stick
#100-grit sandpaper
to bottom edge
3⁄
8" x 5" carriage bolt, flat washer, 0.030"
x 13⁄ 32" I.D. x 3⁄ 4" long compression spring Base
and wing nut (2 sets required)
Exploded view
Use the positioning gauge to align the stock underneath the clamping This jig also is a timesaver for making identical cuts in multiple parts.
bar. The edge of the gauge indicates the inside edge of the cut. To make multiple identical cuts, such as the cheeks and shoulders of
tenons, clamp a short fence to the base to position the parts.
7 Advanced Techniques
CHAPTER
PRO TIP:
Rattle-free Doors
With a solid-wood raised-panel door
such as the one shown here, it’s
important to leave a little room in the
grooved frame to allow for panel
expansion because of changes in
humidity. That’s smart, but the extra
space can make the door rattle. By
adding a strip of rubber tubing or
weather-stripping foam in the groove
prior to glue-up, the panel won’t shift
unnecessarily, but the tubing will
compress, allowing the panel to expand.
TIPS & TRICKS
GREAT TRICK: Rule Joint
A rule joint is not so much a joint as it The trick to making a rule joint is
Use a Push Block When
is two decorated, mated edges between a not as much in shaping the edges as it is
Routing Smaller Pieces tabletop and a drop leaf. Cut a bead and in installing the drop-leaf hinges. Each
a fillet in the tabletop, then cut a match- hinge must be mortised into the wood
ing step and cove in the drop leaf. so that its pin is at the center of the arc
When the table is assembled, the described by the mating cove and bead.
bead will show when the leaf is down. Just fasten the long leaf of the hinge to
When it’s up, the joint will close and the the drop leaf, then fasten the short leaf
surfaces will be flush. to the tabletop and you’re done.
PRO TIP:
Use Bearings to Get Bead Cove
Perfect Fence Alignment
When setting up a bearing-guided bit in a You can rout a rule joint using a simple cove When both rule joint profiles are correct, the
router table during an operation that uses bit. The bit height should leave a flat to match pieces should nest together with the top
the fence, the bearing isn’t a necessary the mating profile’s bead. surfaces flush and a very small gap between
part of the procedure, but it’s still useful to the profiles.
help you set the fence. After adjusting the
1⁄2"
proper height of the bit for your cut, use a 1⁄16"
1⁄16" 1⁄2"
flat
5⁄32"
1⁄2"
1⁄16"mortise
5⁄32" flat typical
A great application for the rule joint is to install drop-leaf table hinges. You just need to make sure
you think before you act. What seems normal – just placing the hinge barrel where the leaf and
top meet, like a door to a stile – is totally wrong. As with all hinges, the location of the pivot point
is the ultimate concern. With the drop-leaf hinge, the pivot point (the center of the pin) must be
centered on the radius of the matching profiles.
Rail or
stile
Large quarter-
round bit
Small quarter-
Panel (wall) Thumbnail round bit
This bit cuts the decorative
profile on the inside edges
Large Chamfer bit
of the rails and stiles, and straight bit Chamfer
mills the mortise for the bit
rails and the groove for the
door’s panel.
Illustration by Mary Jane Favorite
Cove
Ogee bit cutter
Quarter-
Chamfer bit Cove cutter Chamfer bit round bit
Crown Bed
popularwoodworking.com 77
TIPS & TRICKS
INLAY TIP: Tilting Router Stand
Small Inlay? Sticky Solution I’ve designed more than a dozen
whiz-bang router tables in my career,
each one supposedly packing a big-
ger bang than the last. But
what finally dawned on
me a few tables ago is this:
What makes the fixture truly
useful has less to do with the
tabletop than the stand it
rests on.
Whether you build or buy
a router table, you’re faced
To inlay a shape, first trace the outline on
with the same dilemma. The router is
the wood surface. This can be a difficult designed to be a portable power tool. All
task, particularly if the design includes the controls and adjustments are eas-
several small shapes. To keep wooden ily accessible when the router is resting
shapes from shifting as you trace around upright on a workbench. Bolt it to the tend to wear as you pop the plate in and
them, stick them to the surface with underside of a table to convert it to a sta- out. As the plate becomes loose in its
double-stick tape. To keep hard, dense tionary tool and suddenly it is a lot less rabbet, new problems arise with safety
materials in place, glue them to the wood cooperative. Many of us spend a lot of and accuracy.
surface with white (polyvinyl resin) glue. time on our knees in front of our router A tilting router stand makes the
The adhesive won’t hold the inlays in place table, fumbling underneath to change router easily accessible and lets you
permanently, but it will secure them long
bits and adjust the depth of cut. secure the router to the table. The table
A woodworker I know calls this “praying swings up like the lid of a chest, exposing
enough to trace the outline.
to the router god.” the router and bringing it up to a com-
Some woodworkers solve this problem fortable working height. You can change
INLAY TIP: by mounting the router to a plate that bits and make adjustments to the tool
rests in a rabbet, then removing the while standing upright.
Precision in a Small Package plate when they need to get at the router. Of course, to get this amazing con-
Unfortunately, the sides of the rabbet venience you’d have to build a complex
mechanism and a special table, right?
Nope. Most parts are rectangu-
lar boards butted together
and secured with screws
or bolts. The design is
easily adaptable to
support whatever
tabletop you’re
using right now.
Rout the inlay recesses with a straight bit
and a hand-held router. It’s easier to work
with small bits rather than large ones. Not
only can you cut intricate details with small
bits, but they also are easier to control. You
Illustrations by Mary Jane Favorite
3⁄4" 3∕4"
3" 3"
2 1∕4" 2 1∕4"
22" 14"
3⁄4" 3∕4" 3∕4"
3⁄4" 2 1⁄4" 2 1⁄4"
28" 20"
Elevation Profile
popularwoodworking.com 79
TIPS & TRICKS
INLAY TIP: Routing Ovals
While circles have a constant radius, a circle, but you must swing the router
Hand Tools for a Crisp Look
ovals don’t. The radius of an oval or an around both pivots or foci. To do this,
After using a power tool to do much of the ellipse is greatest along the major axis make a double trammel – a beam com-
inlay work, trim up to the line with carving (the length of the oval) and smallest pass with two moving pivots – on which
chisels. Use gouges to cut the curved por- along the minor axis (the width of the to mount the router. This jig works in the
tions of the shape, and use a skew chisel to oval). Ovals also have two pivot points, same fashion as a folk toy you might have
cut straight edges and corners. Then clean each of which is called a focus. See the come across that has a crank handle that
out the waste with dogleg chisels and a drawing below for more details. describes an ellipse as you turn it. By sub-
small router plane. The technique for routing an oval stituting a router for the handle, you can
relies on the same principle as routing rout perfect ovals.
INLAY TIP:
Slow Sand to Smooth Finish &
'PDJ
" #
$ 9 % .JOPS
9
: "YJT
'
After gluing the inlays in, let the glue dry
completely before you scrape away the .BKPS"YJT
32"
Circle pivot block
3 ⁄4" x 2" x 2" 1 ⁄ 2" spacing
3 ⁄ 16"-dia.
typical
Router base Spacer Variable (major axis
location 1 ⁄ 2" x 1" x 2"
minus minor axis
plus 1")
Trim corners
for clearance
3 ⁄4"
1" dia.
Illustrations by Mary Jane Favorite
Mounting plate
1 ⁄4" x 7" x 8"
Sliding pivot block
1 ⁄ 2" x 3 ⁄4" x 2"
(bevel to match
Trammel jig – Sliding pivot block 3 ⁄4" w. x 1 ⁄ 2" d.
Oval pivot block
dovetail slots)
exploded view dovetail slot (double trammel)
Multi-profile Bit
One bit does it all.
By adjusting the
height and the
distance to
the fence, this
Swing the beam 90°, aligning it with the minor axis, and position the router so the bit is at the end
one bit cuts a
of that axis. Center the major pivot over point Y and fasten the beam to it. The beam should now
be fastened to both pivots. To check the setup, swing the router once around the pivots with the variety of profiles.
power off. The bit should pass over the ends of the major and minor axes. Mix and match the shapes.The
options are limited only by
your imagi-
nation and
the jigs you
can use.
Upspiral Bit
At first you may say this bit just
plows grooves. Not true. The
spiraling flutes of this bit also
remove the waste from the groove,
keeping the cut clean and keeping
the bit from overheating and work-
ing harder than
To cut the oval with this double-trammel jig, swing the router around the pivots, pulling necessary.
gently outward. This slight tension will take any play out of the mechanical system as the pivots
slide back and forth in their grooves. Make the cut in several passes.
popularwoodworking.com 81
JIG JOURNAL
Router Crank
I
f you use a plunge router with your
router table, this little gizmo takes all
the frustration out of setting the depth
of cut. Just thread it onto the post, then
crank the router up and down as needed.
There’s an accessory on the market
very much like this, I know. But it has a
simple knob at the top and takes a lot of
wrist action to raise or lower the router.
You’ll find the crank action much faster
and more comfortable. When used with
the tilting router stand I built for my
shop, it helps create a truly user-friendly
stationary routing system. PW
The crank fits most plunge-style routers and helps greatly when the tool is positioned
upside-down in a router table, such as the tilting router table discussed earlier.
11/2"-dia. knob
1/2" radius
21/2"
11/2" radius
Exploded view
Router Test
A woodworking pro
takes on 9 router kits
to find his favorite.
I
’m a full-time professional
woodworker, so I need my
tools to be reliable. And I
absolutely hate to waste time.
I make money when I’m doing
something to a piece of wood, not
when I’m adjusting a tool. When
the editors asked me to test two-
base router kits I agreed to bring
them into my shop and put them
to work, but on my terms.
Most of the magazine tool
reviews I read seem kind of silly.
I don’t need a chart comparing
motor amperage draw and I don’t
care to see a router rigged up with
weights and pulleys. I want to
know what it’s like to hold the
tool and cut wood with it.
W hen t he ni ne routers
arrived in my shop, I put them
to work, comparing them side
by side. I looked at what was
important to me, and I tried to
push them to their limits. Any
by troy sexton
popularwoodworking.com 83
real-world router test
Spindle locks sound convenient, but they all had problems. The Ridgid (left) The large cast wrench of the Milwaukee (right) made for easy bit tightening.
was easy to operate, but in the way when changing bases. The DeWalt was The thin stamped wrench of the Makita (left) tended to slip off the nut.
difficult to press in.
of these routers will do typical to the way your hands are posi- same size and length. This lets The Hitachi is similar to
router work. I was looking for the tioned while depressing the spin- me tighten or loosen the collet the Bosch but its wrenches
one I would want to keep, and dle lock. The spindle locks also by squeezing the two wrenches are stamped metal rather than
those I’d avoid. show wear and tear quickly; the in one hand. The wrenches and cast. The Makita also comes
I compared the most com- hole can become egg-shaped and nuts are also sized to make align- with stamped wrenches. It has
mon tasks first. What was it like the button can break or stick. ing them incredibly easy. Next one thin nut and one thick nut,
to change a bit? Was it easy to All the routers in the test with easiest were the Bosch and the which makes it hard to get the
reach the switch? Did the motor spindle locks showed some wear Craftsman. They both have nice wrenches on the nuts and tighten
vibrate too much and was the after testing. wrenches that are easy to align them without slipping.
plunge mechanism easy to use? Among all the routers, the and don’t slip, but they were The Freud had the easiest-to-
Then I looked at the finer points, Milwaukee is the best of the harder to torque down because reach spindle-lock location, but
the little things that make a group when it comes to bit chang- one wrench was smaller to fit on the nut can only be tightened
router easier or better to use. ing, with two large nuts and the motor shaft rather than on a using the spindle lock. The Porter-
two cast wrenches that are the second nut. Cable, DeWalt and Ridgid all
Bit Tightening
Tightening the bit in the collet
is to me one of the most impor-
tant design considerations. Every
professional woodworker I know
has had a router bit move in the
collet while it’s in use – a danger-
ous and maddening situation. I
want to be sure that the collet is
tight on the bit, and I want bit
changing to be painless.
There are two systems in use.
The first employs two wrenches,
and the second uses one wrench
and a button that locks the tool’s
spindle. I prefer the two wrenches
because I can easily get the bit
as tight as I want it. The spin-
dle-lock systems are conve-
nient because you need only one
wrench, but I think it’s difficult to The switch on the DeWalt is in an easy-to-locate and For some switches, such as on this Makita, it’s necessary
get a lot of torque on the nut due easy-to-operate position. to remove one hand from the router to turn it on or off.
popularwoodworking.com 85
two-base router kits
bosch The Bosch wasn’t the winner, but there weren’t many com- Likes
plaints. It’s a solid tool that performed well. Bit tighten- ■ Smooth plunge action
877-267-2499 ing and depth adjustments were good, and the fixed
boschtools.com
■ Excellent micro-adjustments
base can be adjusted from above in a router table.
■ Easy bit and base changes
It has a solid, well-balanced feel in hand-held use,
and the plunge action was smooth, but the spring ■ Good balance and control
is weaker than some of the routers tested. There is ■ Good dust collection
an adjustable nut on the stop rod for precise depth
Gripes
adjustments in plunge mode. The dust collection was
among the best; the fitting was easy to attach, and it could ■ Wood knobs on fixed base
exit on either side of the router. ■ Soft spring on plunge base
Craftsman (Editor’s note: As of press time this kit was discontinued, Likes
but may still be available in some outlets.) ■ Plunge action and adjustments
800-549-4505
craftsman.com While this appears to be a clone of the Bosch, there are ■ ood bit tightening and
G
differences that don’t offset the difference in price. wrenches
The Craftsman had the most motor vibration of
any in the test, and it seemed some corners were cut
Gripes
in the quality and accessories. The Craftsman base ■ Above average motor
plate was made of a flexible plastic that allowed saw- vibration and noise
dust to pack between the base plate and the router base. ■ Lack of vacuum attachment and
template guide
DeWalt The DeWalt had good ergonomics and a low center of gravity. Likes
The short motor housing helped with control when mounted ■ Switch location and operation
800-433-9258 in the fixed base, and didn’t take much space when
dewalt.com ■ Good balance and control
mounted in a table. The plunge action was smooth
and the threaded nut on the end of the plunge rod
■ Plunge base micro-adjustment
depth stop made fine-tuning settings a breeze. The ■ Good ergonomics
handles were nicely shaped and rubber coated, and
Gripes
the switch was in a great location and operated easily.
The through-the-post vacuum dust collection worked ■ Awkward spindle-lock system
well and kept the hose out of the way. There is no provision ■ Noticeable motor vibration
for adjusting the bit height from above the table. ■ No above-table height adjustment
hitachi If style is important to you when choosing power tools, then Likes
this router has some appeal. If substance is more important ■ Template guides included
800-829-4752
than style, you might want to take a closer look. Of the fea- Extra-large clip on motor clamp
hitachi.com/hpt ■
tures I looked at, the large base plate was the only item
rated above average. Gripes
Motor vibration, ergonomics, plunge operation and ■ Coarse fit and adjustments of
base changing were decent, but nothing to write home fixed base
about. Changing bits was difficult, and the height adjust-
■ Hard to find/reach switch
ment in the fixed base had a lot of play. It also had the same
switch placement issues as the Makita.
Milwaukee This router ran the smoothest and had the easiest bit-chang- Likes
ing. The switch and other controls were easy to locate and ■ Overall design, easy to
800-729-3878 operated well in either hand-held mode, or inverted in a
milwaukeetool.com operate
router table. Changing the motor from base to base ■ Least motor vibration
was simple and obvious, and the innovative micro-
adjustments worked great in all configurations.
■ Easiest bit changes
The few things I didn’t like were all related to ■ Switch location and above-
the round base plate. I prefer one with at least one table height adjustment
straight edge for locating the tool on a straightedge
Gripes
fence. The base plate attaches to the router with Torx
drive screws, and the screws to attach a fence (not included ■ Use of Torx screws
with the kit) and the vacuum attachment are mounted on ■ Round base plate
the bottom of the base plate. These are minor inconveniences ■ Accessory screws located
however, not deal breakers. below base plate
Overall, the quality feel, ease of use and smooth operation
and performance put this router ahead of all the others.
Ridgid The Ridgid is smooth and powerful in operation and it’s the Likes
only router in the test with a light that shines on the bit. It also ■ Light illuminates bit
866-539-1710 has a cord light to indicate when the tool is plugged in. Visibil-
ridgid.com ■ ibration-free operation
V
ity is good as the base has a lot of open area. The plunge-depth
adjustment is threaded instead of a turret.
■ Above-table height
The biggest problem with this router is the place- adjustment
ment and operation of the spindle lock. To change Gripes
bases, the lock must be depressed. This complicates the
■ Spindle lock interferes with
change and requires two steps for removal.
base changes
■ Switch placement
Porter-Cable The Porter-Cable has some features that are ahead of others in Likes
the test, but it also has some quirks. In addition to an above- ■ Handle shape and ergonomics
888-848-5175 the-table height adjustment, it was the only router in the test
porter-cable.com ■ Solid feel with little vibration
that provided a way to lock or unlock the motor to the base
■ A bove-table height adjust-
from the top.
It has a solid feel to it with nicely shaped rubber- ment and lock
■ Smooth plunge action
coated handles and the motor had plenty of power
with little vibration felt. The plunge mechanism is
Gripes
smooth in operation, with a powerful spring. The
spindle lock is in an awkward location, and it was dif- ■ Spindle lock hard to use
ficult to hold in. The micro-adjustments on the plunge turret ■ Backlash in height adjustment
use a Torx-head screw, and the adjustments on the fixed ■ Torx screws for fine plunge
popularwoodworking.com 87
real-world router test
(continued from page 85)
Depth Adjustments
I’m a perfectionist, so I need a
simple and reliable way to change Above-the-table adjustments aren’t always as easy as
the depth of cut to make that they seem – the hole to reach the screw can fill with
The Milwaukee’s fine adjustment on its fixed base was debris, and you’ll likely need to bend down anyway to
final, half-a-hair adjustment. I
the favorite of the routers tested. see the edge of the bit.
get frustrated if there is enough
play in the mechanism due to
coarse threads, or if there’s There are two basic systems ing. Twisting the motor in the adjustment knob is longer than
enough sloppiness to make the used with the fixed bases. The base raises and lowers the motor. it needs to be, and keeps the top
bit move more than I expect first, found on the Bosch, Crafts- Both systems worked well with of the router off the table if you
when I reverse direction. man, Freud, Milwaukee, Por- the fixed bases in this test. flip it upside down to change or
Rating the fine adjustments ter-Cable and Ridgid, employs The Milwaukee latch system adjust the bit. The Porter-Cable
on these tools is difficult because a threaded rod that’s adjusted was the most user-friendly; the adjustment had some play in it,
not all the routers tested use the with the thumb and forefinger. base didn’t move when I locked about a half-turn, before engag-
same mechanism in each of the The other system, used by it down. The Bosch, Craftsman ing when changing directions.
three possible configurations DeWalt, Hitachi and Makita, and Ridgid moved slightly when The Hitachi sits loosely on its
(plunge base, fixed base and fixed has large coarse threads that locking the base. threaded motor housing, and it
base in a router table). spiral around the motor hous- On the Freud router, the can drop when the motor latch
is released.
Mounted in a router table, the
threaded rod adjustments work
a little better than the threaded
motor housing. The Bosch,
Craftsman, Milwaukee, Ridgid,
Freud and Porter-Cable can be
adjusted from above the table
with an accessory tool. The Por-
ter-Cable also includes a motor
latch that can be engaged from
above the table.
Above-the-table adjustment
sounds like a good idea, but the
access to the adjustment can eas-
ily fill with dust and you still need
to bend down to see the bit and,
except for the Porter-Cable, lock
and release the motor base’s grip
on the motor.
When set up as plunge rout-
Routers without a fine-thread adjustment on the fixed Several of the routers offered above-the-table depth ers, final cutting depth is set with
base have coarse threads on the motor housing. Depth adjustment, but the Porter-Cable is the only one with an a depth-stop rod, and a turret for
of cut is set by twisting the base in the motor housing. above-the-table motor latch. making stepped cuts. The Bosch,
popularwoodworking.com 89
shop-made
Router Guides
For a few dollars worth of acrylic and some hardware, you can add a versatile and
valuable system to your router at a fraction of the cost of aftermarket guides.
T
he router is one of the
most versatile tools in
any woodshop. With the
addition of this shop-made mod-
ular router base system, it will be
even more valuable.
The router base system starts
with a special offset base (a good
thing by itself) that’s designed
to accept other router accesso-
ries without having to remove
your router from the base. It
takes less than a minute to
switch accessories, which include:
a circle-cutting jig, an edge guide
and a flush-trimming attach-
ment. An additional extension
increases the reach of both the
circle-cutting jig and the edge
guide.
by michel theriault
popularwoodworking.com 91
shop-made router guides
router bit with a top-mounted from the end through the center
bearing in your table-mounted of the 2" hole you just cut.
router to shape the outside edges Measure and mark for the
of the template. three holes as shown in the dia-
Next, drill 1⁄ 4" holes through grams at right and drill all three
the flush-trimming template at holes with a 1⁄ 4" drill bit, then
the 1" and 6" locations, using sand all the edges smooth with
the holes in the offset base tem- a sanding block.
plate as a guide. Find the cen-
ter of the 2" hole and mark that Extension Template
location. Follow the diagrams to For the extension template, start
draw two lines at right angles to with a piece of MDF 21⁄ 2" x 21".
each other, meeting at the cen- Choose one of the ends as a ref-
ter of the 2" hole. At the inter- erence and make a mark in the
section, drill a hole slightly larger exact center at 1", 4 1⁄ 2", 61⁄ 4" and
than the size of bit you will be 193 ⁄ 4" from the reference end.
using for flush cutting. Finally, Using a compass, draw a 21⁄ 2"-
After transferring the template pattern to the template material, it takes cut along the two lines with a diameter circle at the 193⁄4" mark
only a minute to rough-out the shape on the band saw. Cut as close to the band saw or jigsaw and smooth as shown on the drawing.
line as you can to keep clean-up to a minimum.
with a sanding block. Cut out the round end of the
template using a jigsaw or band
Edge-guide Template saw. Drill a 1⁄4" hole at each of the
To make the edge-guide tem- other marks as shown.
plate, first cut a rectangular
piece of MDF 6" wide by 8" long. Making the Offset Base
This is longer than needed so All of the bases are made from
3⁄
you can drill the 1" radius cut- 8"-thick (except for the slider
out. To make the cutout, mea- piece which is 3⁄16"-thick) acrylic,
sure 3" in from the long edge such as Lexan or Plexiglas. These
and 5" from the end and make can be commonly found at a local
a mark. Cut a 2"-diameter hole plastics store. Check the phone
with a hole saw, or other appro- book in your area.
priate saw, at the mark. To fin- Before cutting the outer
For the interior holes in the template, hole cutting saws, Forstner bits or ish the template, use your table shape of the offset base, the slots
spade bits will do the job. Make sure you back up the template to avoid saw or chop saw to cut the scrap need to be routed into the acrylic
blowout on the backside of the workpiece.
such as those in the offset base and the extension, take light cuts and
keep the feed rate fast, to reduce the possibility of melting.
Cut edges are very sharp, so ease or break them with fine sandpaper,
a file or even a roundover bit. You can also improve the look of cut edges
by running a butane torch over the edge quickly to melt the edge slightly
and remove the fine sandpaper and cutter marks.
With everything cut, bored and sized appropriately, the last step is to clean Gluing acrylic requires a special glue (available from a plastics sup-
up the edge so that it’s smooth. A block and sandpaper can do most of the
ply company) that literally melts the acrylic pieces together. —MT
work, but an edge sander (if available) will be much quicker.
1/4" 1/4"
51/4"
R 1"
1/2" wide x
1/4" deep slot
121/2"
1/4" wide Flush-trimming attachment
thru-slot
91/4" 21/2"
11/4"
41/2"
1" 61/4"
1/4"
Offset base
1/4" countersunk
1" for wood screw 1"
3/8"
R 1"
Glue slider
5" here 193/4"
4"
21"
1/4" 1/2" wide x
11/2" 1/4" deep slot
3"
6" 1/4" wide
1/2"
4"
illustrations by john hutchinson
11/2" 1/4"
Slider Extension
popularwoodworking.com 93
shop-made router guides
while it is still rectangular. Start fence 31⁄ 4" from the center of onto the bit until it cuts all the the 2" hole in the template in
by measuring 1", 6" and 91⁄4" from the bit. Run the groove in two way through, then carefully feed order to rout the 2" hole with
1⁄
one end and make marks at the 8" passes, feeding the blank into the blank into the bit until you the template bit already set in
center of the piece. These are the bit until it reaches the 91⁄ 4" reach the 6" mark. your table.
reference marks for routing the mark on your work. With the slots cut, apply dou- Finally, round over the bot-
slots. The first slot is 1⁄2" wide and Without moving the fence, ble-stick tape to one side of the tom edges of the offset base with
1⁄
4" deep and goes from one edge replace the 1⁄ 2" bit with a 1⁄ 4" spi- template and, using 1⁄ 4" bolts a 1⁄ 8" roundover bit and sand all
to the 91⁄ 4" mark. ral carbide bit and set it 1⁄ 2" high. through the holes in the tem- the sharp edges of the acrylic
If you aren’t able to find 3⁄ 16" If you have to remove the fence plate, position the template onto with fine sandpaper.
acrylic for the slider piece, 1⁄ 4" to change the bit, mark its exact the acrylic blank so that the two
1⁄
can be used, but you’ll either position and set the fence back to 4" holes in the template line up The Flush-trim Attachment
need to make this 1⁄ 4"-deep the mark after changing the bit. with the 1⁄ 4" slot in the acrylic. Use the same steps as used on
groove slightly deeper, or recess It’s important that the 1⁄ 4" slot is Trim the acrylic on the band saw, the offset base to trim the flush-
the slider strip into a correspond- centered in the 1⁄ 2" slot. then use the template bit to trim trimming template to the acrylic
ing groove in the edge guide. Turn on the router and posi- the base to the template. blank. Using the 1⁄ 4" holes in the
Using a 1⁄ 2" router bit in your tion the blank over the bit at the Next, drill a 5⁄ 8 " or larger template as a guide, drill 1⁄4" holes
table-mounted router, set the 1" mark. Slowly lower the blank hole through the acrylic inside through the flush-trimming base.
Knock off the sharp edges with
fine sandpaper, then counter-
sink the 1⁄ 4" holes on one side of
the acrylic to accommodate the
flathead bolts.
popularwoodworking.com 95
shapers and
Router Tables
Though these two tools look similar, each has advantages and disadvantages
that a woodworker must consider when choosing which to buy.
H
aving trouble deciding
between a router table
and shaper? I’m sure
you’ve heard many of the argu-
ments: Isn’t a table-mounted
router really a small shaper?
Doesn’t the shaper have more
power? How about cost? Let’s
take a look at these issues as
well as some of the other pros
and cons of each machine so that
you can decide for yourself.
Anatomy
Shapers and table-mounted rout-
ers do appear similar, and they
are in many ways. Both have a
broad, flat top with a hole in the
center for the cutter. Under-
neath the top is a motor for
spinning bits or cutterheads at
high speeds. Additionally, each
machine has a fence that locks
to the table to safely and effec-
tively guide the workpiece past
the spinning cutter or bit. Most
of the operating principles are
the same. Both machines can
by lonnie bird
popularwoodworking.com 97
s h a p e r s & r o u t e r ta b l e s
ing on the density or hardness of small stock. And with the enor-
the wood. When shaping long mous variety of router bits avail-
runs of mouldings or a number able, diminutive details that are
of raised panels for kitchen cab- difficult to produce with a shaper
inet doors, the time saved with are created easily with the router
the shaper is significant. And in table. If you flip through the pages
fact, you’ll even notice a differ- of any router-bit catalog you’ll see
ence when shaping smaller pro- dozens of small profiles that sim-
files as well; the shaper powers ply are not available for the spin-
through any cut more efficiently dle shaper.
and smoothly. Additionally, the smaller
With its large spindle and diameter of router bits allows
plenty of raw power, the shaper is you to use a much smaller fence
clearly the best choice for produc- opening on the router table,
tion runs and large, heavy cuts. which decreases the chance of
But a table-mounted router has a short workpiece dropping into
several distinct advantages over the bit and being spoiled.
the shaper, too. Let’s take a look Remember: Whenever the
at some of these advantages. workpiece is small, it’s impor-
tant to follow all the manufac-
Versatility turer’s safety precautions and use
Although a table-mounted router the appropriate jigs to distance
is no match for a shaper in size your hands from the spinning bit.
and horsepower, it makes up for The jig can be as simple as clamp-
it in versatility. For example, a ing the work to a backup board
table-mounted router can be attached to the miter gauge.
One of the advantages of the shaper is that its motor can run in reverse. This used for plunge cuts when shap-
allows you to adapt to wood where the grain runs in a different direction. It ing flutes and grooves, whereas Shaping Tight Contours
also helps with wide, thick or odd-shaped stock.
shapers can’t. That’s because The small size of a router table
shapers use a spindle nut to and router bits can also be a tre-
Even the small- secure the cutterhead but rout- mendous advantage when shap-
est shapers
ers use a collet to secure the bit. ing curved stock. Although both
(those with a
11⁄ 2-horsepower In fact, this feature allows man- the router table and the shaper
motor) are pow- ufacturers to produce a whole excel at shaping curved mould-
erful enough to array of router bits that cut on ing, legs and other details, shap-
raise a panel in the end, such as corebox and ing tight contours is where the
one pass. Most straight bits. router table outperforms the
routers would However, as I mentioned ear- shaper. Because of the small cut-
need to perform
lier, size is also another impor- ting diameter, router bits will
this operation
in three or more tant difference between the two shape curved edges of tight con-
passes. machines. Although the smaller tours where the large diameter
scale of a router and router bits is of a shaper cutterhead simply
sometimes its greatest weakness, can’t reach. In fact, the cutting
many times it’s also its greatest diameter of many router bits
strength. The small size of router is no greater than the shaper’s
bits and their guide bearings spindle diameter alone.
enable you to make a variety of
cuts that are difficult or impos- Inside Corners
sible to make with a shaper. Let’s Many furniture details include
look at a few examples. sharp, distinctive inside cor-
ners at the intersection of pro-
Shaping Small Stock files. And because both shapers
Because of its smaller size, the and routers leave an inside corner
router table is by far the best tool rounded, the shaped detail must
for safely and effectively shaping be carved by hand to be com-
One of the big advantages of router tables is that they can sneak into tight Another advantage of router tables is that you can cut directly above the bit,
corners a shaper cannot. The ogee profile on this piece will need to be fin- such as with this fluting shown here. Making this cut on a shaper requires a
ished up with carving, but this cut would be almost impossible on a shaper. trickier setup.
popularwoodworking.com 99
what’s new in
Routing
Routing innovations push the tool’s usefulness to new heights.
D
uring the past few years
there have been a num-
ber of innovations that
opened our eyes in the world of
routing. There’s a new router
design that just might make your
current fixed-base router a lit-
tle jealous, an accessory that has
the ability to turn a trim router
into an accurate micro-adjust-
able plunge router, and a new
router-bit design that doubles
the number of cutting edges to
produce a near-flawless cut, add
to the already numerous tasks
The Bosch Colt is small enough to fit
tackled with a router.
comfortably in your hand and pow-
We think these innovations erful enough to give your current
are worth a close look and that router a day (or week) off.
you’ll find a place to use them in
your woodshops.
power ratings aside, the pint-
PHOTO BY AL PARRISH
Trimmers: Not Just For sized tool packs real punch. Need
Laminate Anymore to round over a table edge? No
Trim routers have been a main- problem. Need to trim patterns
stay in the laminate industry for flush? This tool and its small base
years. But as these one-handed will get you in tight places your
tools have acquired more features the release of the Bosch Colt, we parallelism to the bit. So, you big router could never go.
and power, they have migrated think your fixed-base router is quickly get your depth really In fact, we think your fixed-
into woodworking shops. With going to get a little jealous. close, then dial it in perfectly. A base router might get a vacation
Bosch upgraded and rede- slick thread bypass feature makes once the Colt lands in your shop.
fined its line of trim routers to coarse height adjustments simple It has enough power to do any
by glen d. huey
make them more durable and as well. And an overmolded con- chore that a 1 ⁄ 4"-shank bit up
Glen is a senior editor of Popular convenient for woodworking toured grip improves the tool’s to 15 ⁄ 16" in diameter can han-
Woodworking, a published author and operations. The base is beefier comfort when in use. dle, including hinge mortising
host of the Woodworker’s Edge DVD and offers an easier fine-depth The Colt is a 5.7-amp tool and even dovetailing. We tested
series. Contact him at 513-531-2690 adjustment (one revolution is with a soft-start motor that is the variable-speed model, the
x1293 or glen.huey@fwpubs.com. 3 ⁄ 64"), while still maintaining rated at 1 horsepower. Horse- PR20EVSK ($111), with speeds
Woodworking Magazine
—The Book
Get your hands on Woodworking
Magazine — now in book form!
We’re pleased to offer the first seven
issues of Woodworking Magazine in
book form—252 pages and the only
place you’ll find the sold-out issues
in print form.
Woodworking Magazine, a sister
publication of Popular Woodworking,
teaches the fundamental knowledge
necessary for good craftsmanship.
In each issue, we challenge
woodworking’s conventional
wisdom to find the
techniques, materials and
tools that work best.
800-663-8932
Leigh Router Joinery Jigs
w h at ’ s n e w i n r o u t i n g
without the edge guide, you can
Quadra-Cut bit
see the bit well enough to waste
the background in a carving or
between the pins of half-blind
dovetails. The small LED light
is quite effective, as is the dust
collection shroud.
Swiss-watch precision and
smooth operation are com- Standard bit The finished cut using
bined in a package that is eas- Freud’s Quadra-Cut
ier to compare to fine German router bit is not the
sports cars than to other wood- least bit fuzzy. The
working tools. (800-480-6427 or downshear cut is the
microfence.com) reason.
New Router Bits Cut bide cutters instead of the usual by profile router bits when cut- bits are an industry first, soon to
Twice as Well two. The additional cutters are ting across the grain. be the industry leader.”
While many router-bit manu- pitched in a different direction. Freud offers these bits with Freud officials say the Quadra-
facturers have improved their Two of the carbide cutters have 1 ⁄ 2" shanks and only in select Cuts will cost on average about
cutters with better carbide and an upshear angle to remove most profiles (20 as of press time). 10 percent more than the compa-
closer manufacturing tolerances, of the stock, then a pair of down- Because of the mass needed for ny’s two-cutter bits. New profiles
Freud took a leap forward in 2007 shear cutters make a final cut, these additional cutter wings, the are being added to the Quadra-
with its new Quadra-Cut bits. finishing the profile. The result: stronger shank is a requirement. Cut line – we think they’re worth
As you might have guessed These new router bits remove According to Cliff Paddock, waiting for. Check with your cur-
from the product’s name, the material efficiently and elimi- director of new product devel- rent Freud router-bit supplier for
Quadra-Cut bits have four car- nate the fuzzy edges produced opment, “The new Quadra-Cut profiles and details. pw
BREATHE EASY!
Triton's Powered Respirator
Provides complete
personal protection
when operating
power tools
A continueous wash of
filtered air keeps the
user comfortable and 'ET ISSUES OF
the visor fog free.
ON DISC
These new, interactive CD-ROMs grant you instant access to a full
year’s worth of Popular Woodworking! Each disc contains 7 complete
issues packed with project plans, tool reviews, shop tips and more, in
an enhanced format that allows you to quickly locate your topics of
interest.
Plus, the discs’ searchable indexes cover every word in every article,
so you’re never more than a few clicks away from the info you need.
PRC001
You can even print out the pages and take them with you to the
shop—with no worries of ruining your favorite printed issues!
Rechargeable power pack with 4 hour runtime. ÓääxÊ>`ÊÓääÈÊ`ÃVÊViVÌÃÊ>ÀiÊ>Û>>Li°Ê
Full protection for your eyes, ears, head and lungs. ½ÌÊÜ>ÌpÀ`iÀÊÞÕÀÃÊÌ`>Þt
Very effective in filtering airborne dust while woodworking. To order, visit
Contact us for product information or for a dealer near you. popularwoodworking.com/store/books/magazines.asp
WWW.TRITONWOODWORKING.COM or call 1-800-258-0929
Toll free: 1-888-874-8661 (just $19.96 each, including s&h!) Item #PW2005 and #PW2006