Table Of ContentWOODWORKING
WITH THE
WOODWORKING
WITH THE
ROUTER
Professional
Router Techniques
and Jigs
Any Woodworker
Can Use
Bill Hylton and Fred Matlack
Illustrations by Frank Rohrbach
Photographs by Mitch Mandel
© 1988 by The Readers Digest Asesation, Ine
Ilartiony © 1995 by teak Robbe
Aight reserved. Ne prt ofthis picason may be
ep ced eran ina Zam by ene,
tenis or mechanic eng phoney sori,
for any ester intoraon storage nl etal yer
‘nihout te writen perminsion af hs lieher
The ator a ator who cried this ak have
tried 0 ske af the comnts accurate ua ne
teeth rouble Plan, illattions, photographs, and
"ex haveal em early checked and cros-shosked,
Hever, de tthe vara of ical cenions ce
Strsvon materi, persael kil nid son, mie the
lath moe Rederiet assis ny responsiblity
foe any urs aarel damage or eter sees
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‘Al mscuctions an plans soul 20 carey ees
aclu der be oe gpeming conection,
itearyof Congress Cataloging in bliin Data
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CONTENTS
Introduction * vii
Baseplate Materials...
Routers = Upgrading the Mounting Serews
——— How to Werk Plassic
The Motor 1 ;
‘Soues jor lasts ard Hereare
The Collet 7 Clearig the Tito ricinus
ee 7 4 Fence Rider Base ate mans nm
he BASE nim ect Busepiate
‘The Baseplat smn 10 frames
The Assembled Package R
Laainele Bimmer asians 16
Bits 17 Design Ahern
Cs Mancrints and Constraction
Your Need t0 Know wns i! Constructing the eal Top
Bit Linge a Keeping That Top FLAT
Carbide-Free Bits ones 19 ‘A Router Mint-Tabi
Jos Saring? wer Beneath the Tabletop.
harp Catr yo 4% Mooring te Rout
Shank Sice = 2 pions
Using Bits .... 26 Dust Collection —
BS BEC rman ‘Wat Rover so Usd
BE CHE sos x atin My Rewer Tall an
Plecirfying!
Router 101 *33
Seting Up in 8
Wik Leads. 7 inet Router Table * 68
$87 ome me
Feed Direction 0
Jas end Fixtures ~ 2 Horizontal Router Table* 74
Router Maintenance 2
SECU mn AB Honea Al SAV «snes
Router Table Accessories» 80
CONTENTS
‘Template Guided Work= 139
ing Pin.
Stand Alone Bit Guards,
Fence
Split Fence
Slee
Pir Rewer Arm
pl a a)
Changing Bis
Setung the Br: Hetgh
Choking Up on the Ba
Controlling the Workpiece
Using a Stenting Pin
Fixing the Fence
Special-Duty Control
tea lube Mounted Router @
Sheper?
Router Bench» 109
Sualing Yo BENE! on
Shop Math
Decorative Treatments «115
Profil Bite
Edge-Reuting Techniques
Magic on the Flee ~
Routing irim for Furnivure
no
us
Three Setups 19
Making Templates. 14
Routing along a Templare 151
Feed Direction wits TSE
Ula Basis en DL
Jeinery Cuts |
Pin Routing serine 160
Routing Curves and
Gircle Tammels 162
Rouser Table Cicele Work 199
Overarm Pree smsinina 290.
Oval CxttINg essen ira
Pereiting In the Erejite 175
Template Guided Cuts stig TS
Surfacing with the Router* 183
Flush Trimming, 183
Jointing wit 2 Romer 18
Thiceres8i9g su 92
Shaping Surfaces 197
Frame-and-Panel Constructi
Making Frames soos 200
Making Panels - 206
Ratsing Panels with « Straight Bit... 212
Making Arcittectural Deors and
Windows revoiny 214
CONTENTS
Working Laminates *219 Edge Joints * 252
‘The Material .. 219 Routing an Eege Joint PO 7 3
Cig Lamia Ba Solna! 28a Jer 2
Temiing Lmrate 220° Bsc Joinery witha ROME anny 38
Ojfse-Base Laminate Trimmer 24 ‘The Less Elegant Solutions oeone» 260
Tongieané Grove Js em 20
Shplap Joins CI 3s
Spec ery Bis ™
Mortiseand-Tenon Joints +267
Dadoing and Grooving +225
The Base Pres '
Hand-Guided Through ©. 225 Hand-Routed Mortises 0.000 260
Fractionating Basep!ate 230 Designing the Joint sum 210
‘Grooviag with an Edge Guide 233 ‘Table-Routed Mortises 276
A Homemade Edge 25 Routing Tenons - ~ 281
Cutting Denticulated Serips 236 Hand-Rowted Tenons 281
Grooving he Works Edge bi
eter Table Tarsugh Cut 28 sts
Stopped Cuts a 39 Lap Jotees 268,
Bt Chose: ™ 2
x
Dovetail Joints * 295,
Hall-Blind Dovetail Jigs
Rabbeting #244 Keller Templates
The Leigh Jig
Rabbeting with a Pilored Bit ae Precision Positianing Systems
Rubeng alga 25 porenCahle's Omi
Stopped Rabbers 245 Routed Tals, Hund-Cut Pins ...
Wale Rates ma
ae ee ai au ‘Siding Dovetail Joint + 308
Rabbeting an Assembled Box 248, Cutting the Joiat .. 308
Deep Rabbers 8 The Halj-Dovetail Rabbet 312
Custorn Rabbesing Baseplate 230 Drawers with @ Difjerent Dovetail... 314
rubbetng Curved or 250 Brewer Ba 3
Splined Miter Joint 317
CONTENTS
‘Spline and Dovetail Keys * 330
Flat Mites
Fage Miers
324
The Box-Jointing Jig...
Templave Guide Centered jig
eta Spice
“Using the Jig
Swinging Fingers
0x Joi
317
320
3u4
v7
38
329
329
Making the ji 330
‘Slowing om the FADE eon 332
‘Swinging on a Template Guide 33
Spiining a Frame sme BH
Hand-Routed SI 333
Patting the Keys nn oe
Sources * 337
Index +338
INTRODUCTION
The router is woodworking’: most versatile power
tool. You cats tn just chant every aspen of a job
bn assy Gt wont dave mais or seers, te se
enter. used creative, iT do alost amy Kind of
Sutin shaping of wend, You can use eto prepare
reughrvt uumer fora project. shape che piuxs cut
the jane, ane embellish che ished assembly wit
tdevorstive edge prefs. Though configured by manu
facturets as a porable too! one shat you bole in your
Frans an! pass over dhe work, its uss abnat dhe wal
‘povtabe too that ean ceniby ie mount andl nse 2
stationary tel
Not cvery woodworker basa router hur mast de. An
increasing sumer of tae are aware of all the evil
things you can do yeh 2 wie. 4 Iidozen of more
holes on rte: wooeworkngteaealabie. Every wood
wos mayen aril sbout route occa
Tool eatilogsar need. wih routers, bis. andl sors,
ofroute geard faeures Acevery woudworkingshow,
there's at lene: ne perion demonstrating rave 04
tics—end selling plomos se yowean male your rout
do the sae jobs.
Fre und {wart you to ke mare hm aware. Get cat
there and my that outer in aew apples ons You ay
Adncover thet the oll way isnt the bes way
“Ts book will be your basic router wooeworking
msm Ills how te do al sers of woceworlarg
Dpervions singe roure. There af jobs tha ra be
Aone only wit #tenrer—elge eames and tropa
fed work, toname wa, Ovaerjelt—eutsingouves,
fest jelvery work—can be done exseptionlly well
fits 4 router, thongh these are cthe= options
in some stations, the ower woulda De you
firs-cheice too forthe Jo>—e're willing 0 concede
tha Bur the wer may be a reasonable sierative
They" ead to she “hess” Hove todo job may
Deeniestoassimlare fyou gasp why itsbemgdore 8
ert way And Knowing ky may ead yo to snot
sway thas beter for you-unapbe better pri. Which
Tess us o the ext pat
Tal hese stations, Lares aways move than
sway to do e guen thing. Fred and V have ice prety
Cnscigatioasly to find move than ene way to de every
prmtion we tll: sox 19 this book Gone thaa. ene
‘paterorerisd anpnos ha is). Forexam,a plunge
routermay make az aperston simple. Ne expla ow
Buc aot everyone has a plunge woter 9 we expla.
how todo shen wal a finec-base router 90 (she's
posable), dnd Call, you may want w ay doing he
ery samecperaion'en «router table sahow inde that
scovered as well
“Taotgh he apening chapet sor suters and if
lowed by one orbits, odworking with dhe Rewer sit
rev a sacy ang guide. What we me tying wo dos
pen your eyes tn he variety of weatersavllaleandtn
Satres ard cenfignsione thar you may na know abot
Instead of tei you what igs to fn, we shoe you
what jigs to mae. Aig may Beas simple as an over
‘zed baseplate, bor ifs never more complex thin an
Sdjustable trarsinel, Sure, wean open you walltand
buy aloof these igs, bet why bya iit you can make
it (is always secmed eid ha aks who consider them
selves to be woodworkers would buy tems they c=
asian nove eccaomc Ij—make themselves )
‘Our proertsnclude several diferent router tales,
‘ching one in which 1m rer stead berzontally
[coffers an “angle ofatsck that ahessome jobe easier
roperlorm har. they world be ona regular route ble
‘Toners the wlie cay couter able you make, we
bhave a range of aoescoies nit gums, fences, sles
(which ate ike your uble sew’s mie guage) and a
variety of hold downs ard guides, Most sre sump
ingly exsyto male
Teall hs information orignal OF couse not. Cute
ting 6 dado ts cutang a dade. Someries the best
tecknlquss ae the ied-and-true ones
"What is oul, youl ind ise legal, heroug,
inept preseniadion, Fo: this to bem nic operating
rani Ws got to cove those sli, radon tech
rages, aswel athe exci, ar derivations Likewise,
the infomation mast be cag” :0 find, complete and
clemy preeites. 1's got to be doun-co ran snl
practical: When you've got aqueston, when you cant
Teuverber an operation's exact sequeice of step, 8
‘want ta be able to Bip 0 he proper oage without
thumbing thnoagh the eatce be. You need we be
Sonfdent thatthe e2eration is covered, and that is
Eovated thoroughly and uncersuanes ly ancthat what's
being preerted sit some specuistor, however well:
smtentioned
INTRODUCTION
A base operating anual is exactly what we were
inying to produce here, a systematic, thorough guide-
19 teuter wowxlworking. So we've incidel a
index and eress-rferenses, Cuiting ips 8a lot ke
ig er exo yu sees
from ene duper co snather share auch telersrics
partnent
‘Wier we've invented technigue or uot, we've
weed tin the woodworking shop. Thats to the
‘coopesation and generosity of router and bst mam
facturers, weve becn able to orave eu our tee
nies using » simply capital asorement of otters
and bits. Ard we had a ready supy of entcism and
fcvice, swells an aoundance of suggestions, (rm
four soodworking coleagues, There's nothing in
hte dat we sen conticent about, nding that we
havent siccessally come Wha's ners is not che
sim total of what we tried, of course, We Left out
lecnigaes that proved to be probkanatie, excessively
ino, oo sported, or simply hazards
‘what you yl finds the asi on: Bil ane Teed
snes exelent outer tec
‘The Authorial Team
Bill Hylton has been writing and edling wood
working books fo: 20 yeas, He i theauihov of Bull
Te Beer Yourself, #8 sell as the backyard building
books Projects for Outdoor Living and
Furniture
Fred Matlack as been building projects for mae
nes and hooks lar 12 years. He hes designed and
onstrated Kurdveds 3f projects, ranging ‘tom solst
foul divers to toys 1 aatigue reproductions.
Frank Rolubacl cated Woodring with he
Renters course lasiraioms. 4 Tontime crate
Fisuns, and Setups,
bigs, He ib regular
f Wndvorke magazine
foniristor “0 An
Mitch Mandel ‘oo the patos in Woodring wth
fhe Router A photographer foe more than 12 9
‘Much sca avd and accomplished woodwoike: He is
| comiriating writer and photographer for American
eedworker magazine
(alt ghd Bl, Fred,photagrapher Miteh Mande, book designer Jerry
(Orie, and ilastrtor Frank Rabibach
vith
ROUTERS
The basic
router is
extremely
simple.
Te general tes, i's @ moter and
seven! erucel eangals. The motor
(Gn range up to about 35 horse:
pover und ean tun saywhere om
Oneo pp co around 3,000.4
ovary cer is Btzed inte the collet
the hover god oh ute: moe
Wis dlevr dein che parest form,
omplcaze things ita
Thug vary of eaters 6 available
(Ser the chaptey "Bis.") Being the
business end of the machine, the
cuts largely determine what you
‘an co with he wouter,
‘Thee ae four ma
router the mar the cole
a the bssep ie
‘Themevars the ype row asa
‘universal moor. the same sor chars
used your ether portable power
tools Cour tab saw, jimer, and
coher stationary tools see ifr
lead of mora called an indaction
rotor) The poser ratings of the
‘rotors used rowers range fom
¥: horsepower up 19 abous 34
horsemen. he tne power the
‘morn has, tiger the routers
“Tie cals simple bt ace
dru. Altace oe end ofthe
rmovaranmarathokis tekst sah
‘motarcan make the Bespin, Designs
vary, ad simnecolles ae inns
‘ally eres than hers ll calles,
owever, lw yu to charge it,
erate bases what olds the
rua, posidaning tin relation to
dae work Ttusuely incorporates
andles «0 the operate? ean hold
‘ral nur the machige, One ote
ose ciel lemons of re has is
its deptoeut adjustment mech-
anism, There are ro fundamental
types of Bases: the fie! hace an!
the plage base. The ype of base
yur router has fx petal to what
your router does, hos it handles,
and what i cost.
“The baseplate sa planicaole an
the bottom of hebrse eserves as
bearing Becween the router and the
ror, tabluag the router to slide
Sony actss the work without
smarngit
Let's take a cose lok at cack
of she four pars
THE MOTOR
Here's curiosity. Mentally chock
‘over the power tals you have, ane
those you'd have. What othe
measure of wily a eapariy mest
‘oumonly used with each 003 Does
omer, depen
fupon its Roeseposer rating a che
cular sew chess, oad se
fn tens of te Dade dames fist.
Dri? Cheek enact foe parses
tease from. ek te solemn fot
all presses. ard es6? Depth of
the dant, Plane or joiner? Leigh
of che cating lees Sander? Sie
of che sanding area or belt,
Hark ne vowter hebose-
powerteingyei meron. Youre
fing irl that's thaoughoun his
boos. know dat because we veal
ready aniten most) There ae
some othee measures th might be
ngfulcelle: capacity. range
ff moar rave, haseplae damerer
(erlengrs ane width orarcetlinear
‘pe), weght, Bur she pover
cmveys the sizeof he bits i wll
ds, ard suggests a sie and weigh
