Freehand plunge routing

[Donnie Vazquez]

I needed to make a couple of mortises for a bench I'm building. While I contemplated the forstner bit & chisel method, I also thought about making a router jig. Unfortunately, having very little free time for the shop in the past year, I didn't want to blow little bit of free time I did have on jig building. So I decided to try out my $100 Borg PC 8529 (drive-by) and free hand the mortises as close as could and finish them up with the chisel. This was my first time using a plunge router and I just wanted to let anyone who may be inimidated by the idea of freehand routing (like I was), know how easy it is. Go for it, it's a piece of cake. I couldn't believe how easy it was. Clean too, the PC has a dust port on it which I rigged to my shop vac and it didn't miss a speck. I will eventually make a mortise jig, but until I do this is a fast, clean, easy way to do mortising.

BTW, after getting to know the PC 8529, I love it. If you're in the market for a plunge router, it's definetly worth a look.

[Routerman P. Warner]

Not blowing smoke here, but you're at risk free hand plunging. If stops and edge guides were employed the router is restricted in its pathway, each stage of the cut would be cut to the same X & Y. If free handing it, there is nothing stopping the router from going into a no-cut zone at depth. And herein lies the hazard, especially with a spiral cutter. Let a big spiral cutter engage new wood at 50-100% of its flute and it can pull the router from your hands and pull itself from the collet. A Sudden Impact reaction to be sure.

(Routers)

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