wood routers

Is there any problem using a plunge router as a non-plunge one? I don't know what to buy.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright
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You don't *have* to plunge a plunge router. But, if you don't, it assumes that you can approach the edge of the material you want to route rather than needing to work in the middle of an area.

If you lock the plunge mechanism with the router bit protruding through the base plate by the requisite amount, you then have - in effect - a non plunge router.

Maybe you ought to tell us what you're setting out to achieve?

Reply to
Roger Mills

With all bearing cutters, and most edge profile cutters you need to use them locked in position. As you enter the work from the side.

michael adams

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Reply to
michael adams

No, pretty much anything you can do with a fixed base router you can do with a plunge. Fixed base have the edge on rigidity - especially at the cheaper end of the market.

What do you want to do with it primarily?

Reply to
John Rumm

The only issues I have had arise from the adjustments not being tight enough: Either the depth stop or the lock on the plunge position slipping in use. That is probably just me, however, although I prefer to blame it on a router being cheap and nasty as the only decent one I have doesn't seem to suffer from any such issues.

Reply to
GMM

Depth stops and plunge locks that don't work properly, are a common problem on cheap routers - they really make them a false economy, since by the time you have ruined a few bits of timber you may have well spent the wasted cost on the router.

My first one (B&D "Woodworker") used to drive me up the wall as it slowly slipped its plunge lock as you made a cut - ending up with it shallower at the then than the start!

Reply to
John Rumm

A general increase in my woodworking capabilities. Now retired I find I'm doing more woodwork, partly because the kids seem to think they have a duty to keep me occupied.

The first project for the router will involve putting some 9mm grooves across some 2" x 1" timber. The timbers will be uprights; the grooves will support horizontal pieces of ply. It's a rather skeletal thing for holding three storage boxes.

Do I need a router table?

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

AOL

I'd use a pull over saw to make parallel cuts. You can do the same with an adjustable height bench saw with no guard/riving knife. Carefully count your fingers:-)

I have one spare if you are ever anywhere near Herts.

Reply to
Tim Lamb

Because of the way my page breaks, IRTA

" Carefully count your fingers:-)

"I have one spare if you are ever anywhere near Herts.

Nick

Reply to
Nick Odell

In message , Nick Odell writes

I did once trim off a finger tip. Bit like a Star fish, it re-grew!

Lots of other dents and dings, molten lead, knives, cycle events but nothing from wood working machinery:-)

Reply to
Tim Lamb

I would suggest a medium sized 1/4" shank plunge router is a good starting point (most keen woodworkers normally end up with more than one in the end). If you are prepared to go for a good quality tool, then something like a Trend T5 is nice.

The logic being 1/4" tooling is cheaper and readily available (and tooling is where you really spend the money in the end), and a router with 1200 - 1500W has enough power to turn its hands to most tasks, while the machine itself is light enough and small enough to be used freehand without being too big and awkward. So you have something that will do edge profiling and detail work, but also has the grunt to do joinery work like cutting groves and dados etc. About the only jobs that are not really doable with a medium sized router are the heavier joiner jobs like mitring kitchen worktops, or using bigger jigs like a letterbox jig - where you need a length and size of cutter that does not usually come in 1/4" format.

Not immediately, and if you get one, you will probably want a dedicated router to use in it. Since its a pain to have to keep installing and removing it from the table. Also table use really warrants a more sophisticated router than is necessarily required for handheld work - even when talking about big 1/2" collet 2kW machines. (e.g. built in an readily accessible height adjustment is *very* handy in a table (unless you have a really posh one with a router "lift"), as is a very wide range speed control that will go right down to 8 or 10k rpm for use with large cutters.

Tables are one of those workshop tools where you often get a better and more functional result building your own from components, than buying a ready made one.

A couple of home made jigs however can be very useful. The routerboard:

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Is fairly quick and simple, but makes doing housed rebates for shelves and any other slotting application where you need to match a slot size to another item, very quick and easy.

You can do a "poor man's" version as well:

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but that take more setup each time

Reply to
John Rumm

Oooo that's a good idea. I've got one of them.

Carefully

Before or after?

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

Thanks so much for that. Really helpful. I've saved it.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

Yup dados (i.e. slots, grooves, trenches etc) on a table saw can be fast

- especially if your saw will take a set of stacked dado cutters (many don't these days alas). It does help to have lots of space round the saw plus side and outfeed tables though if you want to work on bigger projects.

Both, and if you find a mismatch, only then start worrying ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

To cut mutiple rebates all you need do on the first setup is to screw two pieces of wood, offcuts of shelf, or something thicker across each end tight to the shelf. The whole thing can then be slid up and down and fixed with only one clamp.

michael adams

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Reply to
michael adams

As the rebate is in the upright not the shelf (oops) the word "shelf" has now been substituted for "upright" throughout

Reply to
michael adams

Its aright I knew what you meant ;-)

Its a fair point actually for repetitive "more of the same" cuts. I might add that bit to the wiki!

Reply to
John Rumm

Not for that. Clamp your timber down, and clamp a scrap piece at right angles, the correct distance from where the groove needs to be, to guide the flat side of the base plate. If doing several timbers, clamp them together and do them all at once.

Now if you wanted grooves *along* the timbers rather than across - e.g. for sliding glass doors - a table *would* come in handy. You *can* do it hand-held, but whatever clamps your timber down is likely to get in the way of the router. Much easier to have the router fixed, and slide your material over the upturned cutter - guided by the guide fence.

Reply to
Roger Mills

ok, here you go:

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Reply to
John Rumm

Or you could use a circular saw with a framing square.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

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