Routing technique?

[The Natural Philosopher]

I am about to embark on a spending spree as SWMBO wants something done that requires a bit more kit than have.

Basically I need to rout a nice moulding onto an elliptical bit of - let's call it architrave..

Material is seasoned oak, 19mm planed.

There will be other bit to be done later as well, but this is the first and most difficult bit.

I have an old but good ELU router, think its a 1/2" shaft..

My thoughts have been along getting a Trend Craftsman router table, and an 'elegant mould' cutter..

But I am unsure as to whether this is all a good idea, and whether a bearing guided cutter is the way to go. Or if i should cut a template and use a ring guide on the table..

I guess for a one off its as easy to gut the curve into the oak first..with a jigsaw and hand sanding..OTOH it might be easier to cut thin MDF for a template..start with a straight cutter to get the edge on first..then use the moulding cutter..

Any comments gratefully accepted.

[Cicero]

================================== If you've got a decent pillar drill you could try this technique.

I made some round pattresses and a ceiling light surround a few years ago. I used my bench drill with a contiboard table mounted on the metal table of the drill. I use a single piece of 2" x 1" timber (expendable) as a fence so any size of router bit can cut its own working recess.

The circular pieces were first cut roughly by hand and then fixed to the table with a dowel and rotated against a rotating straight router bit to give a perfect circle. This will only work with circular items - other curves would need to be cut on a accurate bandsaw or otherwise suitably prepared.

The decorative rebates were then cut by feeding the work piece against the fence with the router bit recessed into the fence.

Cic.

[John Rumm]

What sort of diameters are we talking about here?

The router table is ok, although I expect if I were buying again I would probably get the bits from Axminster and make my own...

How many are you making?

Generally cutting your blank to the correct outline first is easier, and then you can run whatever profile cutter you want round it. If it is a one off then you could simply mark your shape on the job, jigsaw round a little wide of the line and sand to final shape. Alternatively make a template in the same way to follow with either a guide bush or a template following cutter.

If you need to do lots of them, then buy/make a ellipse following jig for the router, and use it to cut the shapes directly, then edge mould as a separate operation.

[The Natural Philosopher]

No bandsaw either ;-)

Jigsaw and hard work.

works on convex: this is concave.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Of this shape just one. Its a (internally) profiled architrave to go on an alcove opening, now lined with oak..

But I expect to do a lot more other stuff - straight mouldings - if this works. Wood panelling and bookcases etc.

Yes. I thought that would be the way..

Yes. Question is how likely I am to screw up the one and only piece of shaped oak..OTOH the template itself has to be screwed to the oak..not nice.

Nice jig, but not worth it for just one off

Many thanks John.

I had a problem in thinking about cutting all the stuff in one go, but realised that essentially the router can be lowered to do a little at a time - he guide bearing will always find 'mew wood' to rest against.

My experience has been on full sized able routers with jigs before, or hand held against a guide..first time setting up a hobby style router n a table, so just after accumulated expertise.

[Cicero]

================================== I think it does work on concave also - I'll have to try it sometime. But the point is really quite academic since you haven't got a suitable drill.

Cic.

[John Rumm]

The template can be screwed to the *back* of the oak, or carpet taped in place, of for that matter just clamped in some cases, trapping the work between template and bench.

Generally doing a decorative edge with a bearing guided cutter is pretty easy if you take your time. If working on small strips of wood freehand then it is worth adding a packer behind the strip to give you a bigger flat surface to rest the router on. Obviously not so much problem in a table.

Yup, if starting with a top bearing and template. You can always place scrap packers under your template to increase the distance from template to work. That will let you do a shallow enough cut the first couple of passes without needing a thick template. Failing that make a template out of 19mm mdf etc and then it is easy since you have plenty of template to follow.

A template for a guide bush is simpler still, although you need to allow for the template to cutter offset in the template.

If you fit it with a "lift" it makes taking successive passes easy, as does having a router with a nice easy to grab fine height adjuster.

[John Rumm]

You can use a lead on pin in place of the fence for concave work.

[NoSpam]

A small word of caution. The chuck on a pillar drill is normally held on a morse taper with no drawbar to hold it in place. Side loads from routing will eventually free the morse taper; the chuck + router bit will then either chase after your fingers or just fall down onto the work. It isn't safe to apply side loads to pillar drills - use a router instead.

Dave

[Cicero]

================================== Thanks for that advice. I'm aware that this isn't an orthodox use of my drill but I have actually been using it intermittently as a router for about 20 years without mishap. The weak point (on mine at least) is that the drill head is held in position on the pillar by a rather puny grub screw which has occasionally allowed the drill head to swing around, fortunately without causing any damage.

I keep promising myself that I will one day make a proper overhead stand to carry a conventional router as I find this method of working much easier than other methods.

Cic.

[Cicero]

================================== Yes, I saw this method being used once by the famous Norm Abrahams. I think in my set-up it might be a case of moving the fence to the outer edge of the table and making sure that there's enough free space around the drill.

Cic.

[TheOldFellow]

The only thing I'd add to the comments already is that SEASONED oak can be very very hard. Ancient Oak, e.g. old pub ceiling beams, can be like rock. Small light cuts recommended, and the biggest shank bit your machine will take. As in all things like this: practise on a bit that won't show first.

Your ELU will be better than anything you can buy today.

R.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Ah..interesting point that.

[The Natural Philosopher]

The oak is kiln dried and planed..its not TOO bad. No problem cutting with normal saws.

Will definitely be doing a small pass at a time though.

[Andy Hall]

I've got one of these gathering dust in the roofspace of my workshop.

TBH, it's OK for small work and I think safe with a largeish cutter. The problem is with working with large pieces of material. The support on infeed and outfeed is not enough on the table itself for the kind of weight and manipulation of a large piece of oak. I would say this size of table is reasonable for doing panel raising for say a kitchen cupboard door or for machining of a longer piece of fairly light material.

Once one has added extra supports etc to be able to handle a larger piece of material, I think that a router table insert let into a piece of worktop or something along thos lines would be much better and easier to use.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I take the point. Normally when you do long bits you use a fence and spindle moulder, but it should be big enough with its 'ears' on for what I want - about 600x400mm.

And a couple of 1500 long bits..and a mate can always hold the other end of the stuff down on longer runs. The oak is basically door board T&G stock. - picked up a loads of rejects ..

[Andy Hall]

The main part is an aluminium casting of some kind whereas the little tables are only bent steel sheet.

One thing that you can do here is to screw the table to a board and then clamp that thoroughly to something heavy. Obviously you don't want it to tip. Then the other aspect is to avoid the board vibrating and causing chattering against the bit.