Cutting perfect 5 1/2" circles

[Dick Snyder]

I need to cut four 5 1/2" wheels out of 3/4" oak for a toy I am making for my grandson. The size is too small for a router and trammel. I have a book called Woodworking with the Router by Hylton and Matlock that suggests a couple of ways to do this.

1. Drive a pivot hole in the factory baseplate and use the baseplate as the trammel.

1. Do it on a router table. Affix a piece of scrap wood to the router table with a hole in it for the bit to come through. Install a pivot on three scrap wood and drill a hole in the piece of wood that will be come a wheel. Place the blank over the pivot and turn it against the router bit with some kind of pusher to keep your fingers clear.

I kind of hate to drill a hole in my router baseplate but I have not tried either method. Before I launch off into something I thought I would check with this group to see what you would recommend.

TIA.

Dick Snyder

[LEGEND65]

Remove the baseplate and make your own out of 1/4" plywood. Use the baseplate as a template for the hole locations.

-Kevin

[Swingman]

"Dick Snyder" wrote

If you have a bandsaw, a fly cutter will do the trick:

[Dick Snyder]

Thanks Kevin. That can work. I have some 1/8" and 1/4" tempered hardboard (Masonite) that is nice and slippery. I will try that.

Dick

[Dick Snyder]

No bandsaw yet unfortunately...... :-(

[Dick Snyder]

I just followed your link. The device you referred to is a hole cutter that goes into a drill press. I do have a drill press but I have not had great luck with a hole cutter in thick hard wood like the 3/4" oak I am using for this toy.

[-MIKE-]

I think it was a brainfart. I giggled for a a couple minutes when I opened that link. I thought, "I'd like like to see that thing installed on a bandsaw." :-)

Anyway..... Is 5-1/2" negotiable? You'd be surprised what you might have laying around the shop that is close to that diameter that you could use as a template for a bearing guide bit in the router table.

[Lew Hodgett]

Make that a drill press and slow as you go.

My former landlord did it every day with an old Craftsman drill press in 11 ply Birch ply stock.

Clamp blanks to D/P table, make sure bit is sharp and go S-L-O-W.

Have fun.

Lew

[sweet sawdust]

[Lee Michaels]

"Swingman" wrote

Uhhhhhh.........., Swingman, could you post a picture of that thing installed on a bandsaw?

And maybe a video on its safe operation?? ;)

(It might work better on a drill press)

[jo4hn]

Or you can buy a 5 1/2" hole saw. I have used sweet sawdust's sanding method with success. I also have mounted a cut out wheel on a carriage bolt of appropriate size. Thread a nut down and tighten on the wheel. Mount it in a drill press, spin slowly, and hold a rasp or sandpaper to it. sweet jo4hn

[Swingman]

"Dick Snyder" wrote

Yeah, that would be kind of hard to use on a bandsaw! Sorry about that ... I certainly meant drill press. Been doing that too much lately.

I've not any trouble using my General fly cutter in oak. The trick is a combination of DP speed and sharpness of the tool. Since my shop is no longer on the premises, I can't run out and look, but if it becomes something you are forced to consider, I do have the settings marked down, so just holler back.

Good luck ...

[Swingman]

"Lee Michaels" wrote >

Jeeezzzus ... you guys sound like SWMBO!!

Hey, it's taken 60+ years, but there is finally some fallibility creeping in. :(

[Larry W]

Believe it or not there is a simply made jig for the tablesaw that will create perfect circles. You can find several examples by googling for "table saw circle cutting jig" or something similar. Here's one with some nice pictures I just found:

[Dick Snyder]

I'll be darned. That gets the prize for the most unique solution to my problem. Well, I have been given lots of options by the group as usual. I will report back after I do the wheels today to let everyone know what worked best.

[i82much]

How about making a template and using a bearing guide? I've done it a lot..works great

[Keith nuttle]

I have used a router on a table to cut circles. However be very careful on how you feed it into the bit. I was not thinking once and never did find the top piece of the bit. At least it did not hit anything valuable.

[mac davis]

Dick.. A] Nothing is perfect, even when I do it.. ;-]

B] I had to cut several 6" circles a few years back.. about 3/4" larger than my fly-cutter would go.. I ended up fastening a piece of pegboard, about 6" x 12" to my router, using the existing holes in the base plate and using one of the holes in the peg board for the pivot point.. worked great for me but might not fit your application..

I've seen folks use the Dremel routing jig for that too, but I don't think you want to try that with 3/4" stock.. lol

Another old trick is to cut them oversize on the band saw and make a simple jig on a disk sander to both round and size them.. Sort of a V-block with stops..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[alexy]

I made the adjustable trammel described in Hynton's _Router Magic_ and the latest edition of the book you have. It is a tear-drop shaped replacement for your router base, which has a t-groove to accept a stick containing the trammel point. It would have no problem with your task. You would need to tack or double-stick tape your workpiece to a waste backer board, but it should work well.

[salty]

You can always buy a 5 1/2 inch hole saw...