Cutting a curve with router and trammel

[Greg Guarino]

A while back I asked for advice here about routing with a trammel setup. I finally got around to doing it and I'm pleased to say it worked out very sm oothly.

My goal was an arc that was 35" wide and had a rise at the midpoint of 4.5" . SketchUp made this child's play to figure out. Simply drawing the curve a nd right-clicking on it got me the radius (36-9/32") with no calculations.

But then I had to implement it, of course. That went well also. I made mark s on my 1x12 oak 35" apart and a mark 4.5" inches in from the edge at the c enter of what would be the arc. I then turned the trammel upside down and m easured along the center line 36-9/32" from the edge of the router bit and marked the spot for the pivot pin.

I intended to use a 10 penny nail for the pin, but it fit just slightly loo sely in the hole I drilled. This probably would have made almost no differe nce, but I found another item that fit the hole perfectly - the drill bit i tself. The smooth shank, of course.

I made 5 or six passes, using the stepped dial on my plunge router to set t he depth for each pass. In the end, the curve passed exactly through the ma rks I had made originally. Success!

Thanks to all who offered advice.

Greg

[Greg Guarino]

I finally got around to doing it and I'm pleased to say it worked out very smoothly.

5". SketchUp made this child's play to figure out. Simply drawing the curve and right-clicking on it got me the radius (36-9/32") with no calculations .

rks on my 1x12 oak 35" apart and a mark 4.5" inches in from the edge at the center of what would be the arc. I then turned the trammel upside down and measured along the center line 36-9/32" from the edge of the router bit an d marked the spot for the pivot pin.

oosely in the hole I drilled. This probably would have made almost no diffe rence, but I found another item that fit the hole perfectly - the drill bit itself. The smooth shank, of course.

the depth for each pass. In the end, the curve passed exactly through the marks I had made originally. Success!

Photos:

516093/

Video:

[Sonny]

Excellent!! Good job.

Now I'm gonna fuss you. You need to set up that work table, in the background. I suppose you might be pressed for space, but against the wall is no place for that table.

Your shop kinna looks like mine, but less so, in that, a little bit of everything scattered about. Those are the best shops, though. Keep up the good work.

Sonny

[DerbyDad03]

I finally got around to doing it and I'm pleased to say it worked out very smoothly.

5". SketchUp made this child's play to figure out. Simply drawing the curve and right-clicking on it got me the radius (36-9/32") with no calculations .

rks on my 1x12 oak 35" apart and a mark 4.5" inches in from the edge at the center of what would be the arc. I then turned the trammel upside down and measured along the center line 36-9/32" from the edge of the router bit an d marked the spot for the pivot pin.

oosely in the hole I drilled. This probably would have made almost no diffe rence, but I found another item that fit the hole perfectly - the drill bit itself. The smooth shank, of course.

the depth for each pass. In the end, the curve passed exactly through the marks I had made originally. Success!

Nice job and thanks for the video.

I added one of these to my router and it sure does help. Of course, you need to layout where the hose will go, especially on a long rout like yours. It sucks (no pun intended) when the hose gets caught mid-rout.

[Greg Guarino]

The problem is that my only really large power tool has a Toyota emblem on it. And it takes up most of the garage. I have muddled through these past several years, not without my share of frustrations.

However, I am hoping to be about two years from retirement and I intend to set up a much larger shop elsewhere during that time in preparation. Can't wait.

[Michael]

. I finally got around to doing it and I'm pleased to say it worked out ver y smoothly.

4.5". SketchUp made this child's play to figure out. Simply drawing the cur ve and right-clicking on it got me the radius (36-9/32") with no calculatio ns.

marks on my 1x12 oak 35" apart and a mark 4.5" inches in from the edge at t he center of what would be the arc. I then turned the trammel upside down a nd measured along the center line 36-9/32" from the edge of the router bit and marked the spot for the pivot pin.

loosely in the hole I drilled. This probably would have made almost no dif ference, but I found another item that fit the hole perfectly - the drill b it itself. The smooth shank, of course.

et the depth for each pass. In the end, the curve passed exactly through th e marks I had made originally. Success!

Good plan. Great execution. Looks like a win!

[hubops]

.. another option - Look / ask around your area for a seniors woodworking center - - there are 2 or 3 within a 30 minute drive where I live - you will benefit from the quality machines and dust collection and the comradery. I've lapsed my membership but a few years ago my local small-town club was ~ $ 100. per year. This link is for a larger center nearby @ $ 225. per year - click on the thumbnail photos to link to more pics of their works.

John T.

[hubops]

A short video clip news item from a different club, near me :

John T.

[Leon]

It's all in the prep. Good job!

[krw]

That would be great. Any other charges outside the annual membership?

[Greg Guarino]

f frustrations.

That looks like a great thing. It does not seem as if there are any shops l ike that convenient to NY City where I live. I found one several years ago in Connecticut, about an hour's drive from home. I thought at the time that it might even be worth the drive - there's a woman who rents time there wh o comes up from NYC on the train! - but I never actually tried it. An hour each way for a guy who isn't (quite) retired yet makes it a less attractive proposition.

I am a part owner of a small building with space in the basement that is on ly used for storage at the moment. Between now and my retirement, I intend to set that up as a shop. There is more than enough space and it's walking distance from home.

[Greg Guarino]

. I finally got around to doing it and I'm pleased to say it worked out ver y smoothly.

4.5". SketchUp made this child's play to figure out. Simply drawing the cur ve and right-clicking on it got me the radius (36-9/32") with no calculatio ns.

marks on my 1x12 oak 35" apart and a mark 4.5" inches in from the edge at t he center of what would be the arc. I then turned the trammel upside down a nd measured along the center line 36-9/32" from the edge of the router bit and marked the spot for the pivot pin.

loosely in the hole I drilled. This probably would have made almost no dif ference, but I found another item that fit the hole perfectly - the drill b it itself. The smooth shank, of course.

et the depth for each pass. In the end, the curve passed exactly through th e marks I had made originally. Success!

That looks pretty interesting. Not expensive either.

I hate when cables and such get snagged. I have a ceiling-mounted rack that holds lumber, tubing and the like. At some point I put some hooks on the b ottom of it. I use those to hang lights and also to hang power cords for th e tool I am using. It keeps it up and out of the way. I make sure there's j ust enough slack to allow the required movement.

I think I may have "discovered" that idea when I was making a bookshelf uni t some years back. It made the sanding so much easier.

93/

[hubops]

Not sure about the big city KW Club - the small town club expected you to donate something to the annual Christmas fundraiser sale . John T.

[hubops]

My first woodworking "course" was an adult night course at a Toronto high school. Week 2 I walked in with a small truckload of rough cut pine & cherry from a back-home sawmill - just to get it planed for future projects .... The city folk who bought their little pieces of finished lumber at the city build-it-store were quite impressed .. the shop teacher less so .. John T.

[DerbyDad03]

e:

of frustrations.

like that convenient to NY City where I live. I found one several years ag o in Connecticut, about an hour's drive from home. I thought at the time th at it might even be worth the drive - there's a woman who rents time there who comes up from NYC on the train! - but I never actually tried it. An hou r each way for a guy who isn't (quite) retired yet makes it a less attracti ve proposition.

Look up Makerspace. There appears to be one with a woodshop in Brooklyn. Th ere must be more than just these 5 Makerspaces in NYC. Google around a bit.

-know/

Where in NYC do you live? I grew up in Flushing, right across the street from Queens College. I was lucky enough to have had a huge amount of green space right outside my front door. On the college land where we used throw the Frisbee in the summer and sled in the winter now stands a 5 story building. You could practically spit on it from my old front stoop. I'm glad I moved before it was built.

only used for storage at the moment. Between now and my retirement, I inten d to set that up as a shop. There is more than enough space and it's walkin g distance from home.

[krw]

^^^^^^^^^^^

Understood. I don't think I would be either.

[krw]

That's my plan as well, though the basement is in my house. ;-) The only time I have is vacation, really. Fortunately, my employer has a really good PTO benefit (but not _that_ good). I'm ready now but I have about a year-and-a-half to go until I can convince SWMBO. ;-)

[krw]

This system is pretty slick.