Routing Chamfer on 3/4" stock

I need to put a full 45 deg chamfer on 3/4" MDF.

Don't have a tablesaw; stock too narrow to safely use a circular saw; too long for CMS. Thus I plan to bandsaw off as much waste as possible then use the router for the finish cut.

The chamfer bit with enough cut length to do this is 2 1/4" diameter. I will be using a Hitachi MV12 dialed down to an appropriate speed.

Would it be reasonable (i.e. safe) to attempt routing this handheld? Or should I be out making a new plate to mount the MV12 in the trusty router table?

Thanks for the sanity check.

Tim

If it is a full chamfer, where is the bearing going to run?

Router table?

Given your conditions, the only way you can do this job is with a router table, a fence, and suitable hold downs.

You could just simply clamp a scrap piece of stock under your workpiece for the bearing to ride on and with the whole thing secured to a bench or table top, run the router right on down the edge. The bearing rides against the scrap piece and allows a full chamfered cut.

Jim

Don't forget dust collection, dust mask and if possible a fan behind you blowing towards the work. Joe who still hates mdf, years after using it

Thanks for the advice. I decided to do it in the table. I need to do several pieces and doing it handheld would require alot of set-up and re-set-up. If I only needed one piece I'd be tempted to try it. Plus I'm sure I'll run into another need for the big router in the table, so making a new insert won't be wasted effort.

Tim