I wouldn't worry about getting it super close. 1/8-1/4" should be fine. In my experience, any router with a decent straight bit can easily cut
1/2 the radius in one pass. If you have a 1/2" chuck and 1/2" bit, 1/4" will be butter, even in maple that deep.If you're concerned with tear-out, cut from the bottom.
Oops, ya beat me to it. :-)
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4b75bd1c$0$9307 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:
Haven't tried it yet, but 1.5 inches of butcher block maple isn't like routing oak or walnut. This stuff is HARD. My Porter Cable is a 25 year old 1 1/2 hp router. It's a good router, but it's no match for the 3 horse monsters folks sell these days.
Having just shelled out for a new jigsaw, I don't think I can justify getting a new router. I'll just have to nibble away at it with my feeble old Porter Cable....
Doug White
-------------------------------- Sounds like a 690 that I had.
Given a sharp cutter, I had no problen with cutting maple.
OTOH, if your cutter is not sharp, no so good.
If the maple burns, cutter needs to be sharpened.
Lew
I've never had any trouble with my PC690. I have the 'D' handle base and it's been a very good hand-held tool. The 3-HP monsters are good in tables but too much to handle, IMO.
As Lew suggests, just put a sharp bit in it and go easy.
I agree, it's all in the "blade."
You can test the shapness of a straight router bit by sliding it across your finger nail like a scraper. *be carefull* You can slice into your thumb pretty good.
Lightly scrape (perpendicular to the blade) down the fingernail and you should see a shaving curl up. If you have to push too hard or it skips, the blade is dull.
You *can* sharpen up straight bits on a flat stone (or equiv.) and it's worth a try, but they are pretty cheap to begin with, so I usually toss them and buy new.
"Doug White" wrote
The cuts for the ornamentation in this table were made with this sabre saw and the blades shown.
Max
I'd go with the T101DP, T144DP, T344DP (note--the "P" matters). The thinner blades can wander a bit in angle in thick material, that one is designed to be stiff enough to not have that problem. Beyond that, get a 5 or 10 piece blade assortment and a 3 piece assortment and experiment and you'll get an idea what the different blades do.
"Max" wrote in news:4b760510$0$12621$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:
Excellent. I just picked up a pack to T101BR blades, which are very similar.
Doug White
I don't know who makes them but the Bosch blades I've used have consistently been the best.
I was going to suggest a reverse cut blade, but didn't know how much experience you have with a jigsaw.
Normal, up-cut blades will pull the saw down tight against the surface of whatever you're cutting. Reverse blades will push the saw up, away from the surface. It can really catch you off guard. Make sure to push down on the saw when running.
I have also had good results with Lennox blades.
Max
Good advice. Another caution: It's easy to push the saw to one side or the other while cutting, causing the blade to bend and you end up with an angled cut. I used to wonder why it was happening to me and realized that in attempting to follow a line, instead of "steering" the saw I tended to push it slightly side ways. "Steer" the saw by moving the tail end.
Max (I hope that makes sense)
I bet they're made by the same company.
Makes perfect sense. There should be less tendency for an angled cut with these blades. IIRC, down-cut blades are thicker than normal to prevent bowing/bending because the stress is in the push stroke.
Doug White wrote: : Anyone care to help whittle this down?
Bosch introducd a ne line in 2008 (one of many review links is below), and they really are the best blades by far I've ever used. Really clean cuts, top and bottom.
Doug White wrote in news:Xns9D1DDAA79C94Fgwhitealummitedu@69.16.186.7:
I just fired up my new Bosch saw with the T101BR blades for the first time. The maple bench top will have to wait until next weekend, but I used the saw on some Melamine laminate shelves this afternoon.
WOW! The saw is fantastic, and the blades are amazing. I could very easily cut with far greater precision than I ever imagined possible with a saber saw. The noise & vibration were much less than with my ancient Black & Decker. The "clean" blades worked great, with almost zero chip- out on the thin Melamine.
I can see this combination being used for all sorts of things.
Doug White
The first time I used my Bosch I had a similar feeling. ;-) My previous sabre saw was a Crapsman scrolling saw that couldn't cut cardboard straight. What a nightmare. The first job I used my Bosch on was to cut out the bottom of a steel chassis for work. I expected to take a ride on the thing but instead it cut the steel like it was cardboard. It cuts straight, too. ;-)
ditto... the b+d will never cut 1.5 inches perpendicular - the bottom of the cut will be wavy.
bosch for saw and blade is the way to go.
shelly
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.