Popular Woodworking's Guide to Routers

95 Pages·2008·8.06 MB·English

January 2008
PRESENTS TIPS, TRICKS & EXPERT ADVICE
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
US $5.99
01
RouteR Jigs
Boost Your Accuracy
0 74470 01489 8
popularwoodworking.com Display until January 15, 2008
Essential Guide to Routing
ON THE COVER
Routers do more
than just decorate C O N T E N T S
edges. Used
correctly, a router 8 Router Table-mate
can be a joinery With just $50 and a long weekend in your shop, Woodworking Essentials:
powerhouse as well. you can make a router table that puts your old This series of articles from a veteran woodworker
Workmate (or sawhorses) back to use. and teacher covers all the bases of router use.
by Steve Shanesy From choosing and setting up a tool, to making
intricate and complex joints, to selecting the right
PHOTO by Al PARRisH 15 Housed Dovetails b
anitd f okre ethpe y jooub , rtohuist ignugi dine twheill rgigivhet ydoirue cat igoono. d start
The super-strong housed-dovetail joint is a by Nick Engler
stalwart of 18th-century furniture – and it’s
surprisingly simple to cut with your router.
by Geoffrey Ames 27 Chapter 1: F ixed-base Router
Reduced to its basics, the router is simply a
motor and shaft that holds interchangeable
18 The $22 Dovetail Jig bits. Once you understand how the parts
Perfect half-blind dovetails with your router work together, you’re on your way to
don’t require a $300 jig – you can make your becoming a router pro.
own for just $22 (including the bit).
by Troy Sexton
35 Chapter 2: Plunge Router
To expand your routing abilities into joinery
23 Cope-and-stick Joinery you’re going to want to purchase a plunge
Learn to set up and use a matched set of router. Here’s how to choose, set up and
router bits to create doors that are strong, use this valuable tool.
easy to make and beautifully detailed.
by Jim Stuard
43 Chapter 3: The Router Table
Mounting your router in a table makes
many cuts easier, safer and more accurate.
Plus, get ideas for a good table.
8
PoPular WoodWorking January 2008
Essential Guide to Routing
83 Real-world Router Test
A woodworking pro takes on nine two-base
51 Chapter 4: R outer Joinery router kits to fnd his favorite.
How to cut rabbets, grooves, dados, by Troy Sexton
mortises, tenons, coped door joints and
more with your router. 9
0 Shop-made Router Guides
You can make this versatile and valuable system
59 C hapter 5: Use Your Router to for a fraction of the cost of aftermarket guides.
Build Boxes and Drawers by Michel Theriault
Now take all those joints you learned to
make and put them together to make
boxes and drawers.
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 fat.
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
96 Shapers and Router Tables
Though these two tools look similar and
perform similar functions, each has its
advantages (and disadvantages) – fnd out
which is right for the type of work you do.
by Lonnie Bird
102 What’s New in Routers
Discover the editors’ favorite new
routers, bits and accessories.
by Glen D. Huey
102
popularwoodworking.com
®
f r o m t h e e d i t o r Learn How. Discover Why. Build Better.
JANUARY 2008
popularwoodworking.com
EditoRiAl officEs 513-531-2690
Tip of the Iceberg Publisher & GrouP editorial director
steve shanesy
editor christopher schwarz
X1407 ■
We’ve got the C D E
router bits and
accessories
that you are B
F
looking for.
G
Here are 7 of the over 400 A
router bits that we carry.
Stanley #55 Molding Router Bits
A stunningly complex yet incredibly versatile tool used to
make a near limitless variety of moldings, the Stanley
Tools #55 Universal Combination Plane was largely iPnr oofnile sp amsasd.e
mProrfeile psa mssaedse. in two or
produced during the first 60 years of the 20th century.
Many of the unique moldings it produced still exist in
buildings but are not easily reproduced, making repairs
and restoration efforts difficult. With these bits, you can
now produce many of the same moldings you could B. Quarter Hollow Bits E. Grecian Ogee Bits
have done with a #55. Based on 23 of the blade profiles A B Rad. BB A B C
that are most difficult to reproduce, they can be used 16J55.71• 117/32 1/2 13/32 • $27.60 16J55.86• 15/32 1/2 13/64 $23.40
a
cloomnep lefoxr psrimofipleles .m Aoll dhinagvse o1/r2 "i nd ciao. msbhiannaktiso na nfodr am o3/r4e" C1.6RJ5e5v.e7r2s•e Oge2e Bit2s3/32 5/8 • $37.80 16J55.887•• 1171//126 31/4 113/382 $3274.960
1
cm/u2
Mi"tn Ioda.Ddre pe.c tubhinty t c inT3oa/gn4i "wt drOoaialn. Dmi,s .ea dstlleh rosa. uinrFreko d rbo. seuoatermirn egb, i t(tshn iohsta avinlelco lCwuNdseC ud-s)g erwo ouhfne dna 16J55.8231• 111A13/1816 13B1/24 1557C//1362 R371a//146d64. B•B $23576.6280 F1.6 RJo5u5n.9d21 w•i•th Be1aA71/d82 Bits217B/382 Ra37/d6324. 1 Ra93/d/186. 2 $370.680
tungsten-carbide inserts. The bodies have a non-stick G. Reeding Bits
Acfo.orBa atei nasgdm ifnogor teBha istcsyu tr.e Esainc hreA imncolvuadlBe, sa nad Rf rmaicdot.isotn a-friet bdiot uhboled eflru.te D16. RJ5o5m.8a54n• Oge11e1A31 /B126its 75B/8 173C/382 R93a//18d6. B•B $306.960 16J55.9345• 157A1/816 1971/B/1166 R311a//138d26. $2123.040
16J55.61• 7/8 1/4 1/16 $18.80
16J55.62• 15/16 5/16 3/32 $20.40
16J55.63• 1 3/8 1/8 $21.40 • Bits marked with this symbol include bearing 16J95.08. Bearing A B C
16J55.64• 11/16 7/16 5/32 $22.80 • Bits marked with this symbol accept shank bearing 16J95.09 16J95.08• 3/4 1/4 5/16 $4.90
16J55.65• 11/8 1/2 3/16 $23.50 (sold separately).
16J55.667•• 1131//146 95//186 71//342 $247.960 • Fino ra b reotuteter rs taafbeltey, ebqitusi pmpaerdk ewdi twh iath f ethnicse s yamndb nool st huosueld fbree u hseadn do.nly S16hJa9n5k. 0B9e•aring 3A/4 1B/2 3C/16 $7.50
16J55.68•• 13/8 3/4 5/16 $32.50
C
B
A B C D E F G A
BB = Ball Bearings
Rad. Rad. 1 Rad. ABC = IOTnhusiticsdkiedn eDe siDasimametetrer
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.
ommercia l ly made
router tables are every-
Cwhere 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.
• C ompact design so it can
store easily.
• A stout fence that’s long
and easy to adjust.
• E asy bit-height adjust-
ment with no stooping.
• G reat 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
Steve is the publisher of Popular
Woodworking. You can contact him
at
1 Brass threaded
#6-32 x /2"
flathead screw insert 1 1/2" rabbet to hold insert
/8" Plexiglas insert
1
/4"
3
/4"
Router base
attached to
3
/4"
underside of top
Make router base recess
1
/4" larger than actual
base size
mate/router table goes right back and fnd the exact center of the over. Use your center hole and eter insert based on the size of
1
under the stairs and takes up only base. I put the centerpoint on circle jig to cut a ⁄8"-deep circu- your router base. The router I
1
another 1 ⁄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 ft into. The insert Porter-Cable 7518. I made the
3
can also use this router table So once the point is established, diameter is 4 ⁄4". But before you insert hole size large enough to
1
without a Workmate. A simple drill a ⁄16" hole straight through use this insert size, check the size accommodate the largest diam-
pair of sawhorses will suffce. 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)
1
any router-table setup, the table and a ⁄2" straight bit. Set the bit
needs to be customized for your so it will cut to a depth that will
3
needs. You may have a different leave a ⁄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
1
date the shape of your tool. You’ll approximately ⁄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
3
pieces of ⁄4" birch plywood that
are glued together and banded
3 A larger base for the router was
with ⁄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
inserts. Use the same cutter and
where the router base will be
it’s easy to keep track of dimen-
mounted, do it before gluing the
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
ILLUSTRATIOnS BY jOHn HUTcHInSOn
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 fush 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 fush. fush, 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 fle on the top edge. that is the same size as the insert
of plywood and jigsaw the cut to top to fnished 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" rabbet leaves the rabbet. I used inserts for a
41" 1/8" overhang 6/32 fush machine screw. Once
on fence sub
Plan fronts "G" installed, transfer their locations
3" hole cut into
2"8"23/8" 23/8" dust chute back "K"1/2" x 1/8" dado 1/2" 31/4"85/84"3/8" 31/8/8""
21/2" 25°
3"
5" 4" 21/2"
6" 51/2" 51/2" 4" 51/2" 51/2" 6" 1/2" 3"
1/2" 1/2" 1/2" 5" 3" 1/2"
41" 1/8"
85/8"
Elevation Profle
10 PoPular WoodWorking January 2008
to the acrylic inserts, then drill intersect each other to allow It’s best to do the layout by frst gauge, cut the six dados, fol-
and countersink the plastic. the stick to pivot in two direc- establishing the center of the lowing the layout lines already
Next, make a new piece to tions, side to side so that it can length of the fence and work- marked. When done, cut the
replace the rear board on the be lowered when not in use and ing out from there. When done, center dado on the subfronts
Workmate’s table. The home- angled to allow you to tip it for- cut the back shape. It need not making sure it locates precisely
made board is narrower and ward when propping the table- be pretty. where the dado in the bottom
allows the router to swing up top. Use a stout wood screw, a Next cut out the two sub- falls. Next raise the dado set to
3
unencumbered. Cut the board #10 or #12, to connect the prop fronts for the fence. Install your cut ⁄8" deep and run the rabbets
to the dimensions given in the stick to the edge of the new shop- dado blade on the table saw to on the ends and bottom of the
materials list and locate holes made top board. cut the thickness of the Baltic- fence subfronts.
that match those in your exist- Next use a pair of hinges to birch plywood. Remove the dado and cut the
ing Workmate. The new board is connect the top to the Work- Now set the dado blades to fence ribs and pieces that make
1
slightly shorter than the original. mate’s front board. Locate them make a ⁄8"-deep cut. While hold- up the dust collection chute. Use
Install the Workmate connect- about 4" in from each end. ing the front edge of the fence the diagram for the shape. Before
ing hardware and place the board bottom against the slot miter assembling the fence, cut the half
in the furthermost connecting Now Make the Fence
hole of the Workmate. Keep in mind the most impor-
On the underside of the tant factor in making the fence
router tabletop you’ll need to is that it is straight and square to
1
install a piece of ⁄2" material the table. It could be shimmed
where the stick that supports the later, but you’ll be fussing with
top in the open position locks it forever.
3
in place. I used a ⁄4" dowel for a Start by laying out the full-
prop stick and drilled an over- size shape of the bottom piece on
sized hole on a 25° angle in the the material you’ll actually use.
block to nest it. Be sure you have a true, straight
As mentioned earlier, the edge for what will be the front.
length of the prop stick will Go ahead and lay out where
depend on how tall you are. On the dados will be cut, including
the end of the stick opposite the where the half-round throat
25° angle, drill two holes that opening for the router will be.
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 “fy 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
J
to slope the back edge for more N
effcient dust evacuation. CL I
4"
CL
Assemble the Fence CL 4"
Be careful when you assemble 15/8" H
the fence to make sure it goes M
together square. First dry ft all G
the parts to be sure you have a L
good ft. Then glue the ribs and
dust chute sides to the bottom, F
Exploded view K
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
ROUTER TablE and fEnCE haRdwaRE
bottom and ribs. Clamp front to
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"
top and back. Cut a half circle in ❏ 1 B Top edge banding 3⁄4 11⁄2 11 ft. Solid birch roundhead machine
the top similar to the one in the ❏
❏ 1 Dc WProrpk smtiactke board 3⁄4 1843 ⁄4 27 3⁄8 DAonwy heal srdtowcokod escrsre, wfast, wstasr hwears ha-nd
fence bottom.
❏ 1 E Prop bracket 1⁄2 11⁄2 4 Baltic birch wing nuts
dausssAet mcfhtbeulryt te h teao spg ldiunrei p eilnda, ct ghel.e uA feef ntehcre- ❏ 21 GHF DFeunsct ec hsbuobtet fo rsmoidn ets 1⁄2 4381⁄ 8 14281 ⁄ 2 Baltic birch 1 pr. • m pined hiiunmge-dsuty loose-
twhaer db,a icnks tpailelc teh.e T ahneg laendg tloepd atnodp ❏ 1 jI Dchuust ec hauntgel etodp t op 1⁄2 45 453⁄ 4 Baltic birch 1 • 1 ⁄28"" stqhuicakr.e acrylic,
requires a steep angle cut on the
❏ 12 KL cEnhdu treib bsa ck 1⁄2 25⁄ 8 35 Baltic birch 1 • switched plug strip
lower edge to seat down to the
❏ 2 M Mid ribs 1⁄2 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 ftting that reduces openings between the ribs.
a 4" hose to a 3" hose. I used a Make the adjustable fronts
“fy 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 fat 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, fat 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 fat 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.
12 PoPular WoodWorking January 2008