I just got my router and my wife and I did a little cost analysis.
That is where I make something for her and she analyizes what I made
and tells me that the router cost too much.
Anyway, I made a simple cutting board on 12x1 oak. I used a 1/2 inch
rounder on the router. My first pass would be fine but the second pass
sounded like I was grinding much more wood. ON top of that the ends of
my router trails always stray a bit. I am new to this and need some
advice. What can I do to make two even cuts and keep them straight the
whole time?
Thanks in advance
Rob
[email protected] wrote:
> I just got my router .....
>
> Rob
<http://patwarner.com/>
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>> I just got my router and my wife and I did a little cost analysis.
>> That is where I make something for her and she analyizes what I made
>> and tells me that the router cost too much.
>>
>> Anyway, I made a simple cutting board on 12x1 oak. I used a 1/2
>> inch rounder on the router. My first pass would be fine but the
>> second pass sounded like I was grinding much more wood. ON top of
>> that the ends of my router trails always stray a bit. I am new to
>> this and need some advice. What can I do to make two even cuts and
>> keep them straight the whole time?
>> Thanks in advance
>
> Slide a bit further down the slippery slope and start seeing a router
> table/fence in your future. Fences and guides make for much more
> precision in your routing work.
>
> Also, what Bridger said.
>
Don't go out and spend $50 on a table fence yet. You need to go out and
spend $2 on a board and $200-400 on a planer to make sure it's straight.
Then, use the board for a fence.
A short (say 2') 1x2 may just be straight enough for most fence purposes
if 100% straight isn't a concern. I was using that yesterday rather than
my table mounted router's fence. (It has a 4" gap around the bit which
makes some operations difficult.)
Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.
To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm
[email protected] wrote in news:1156480821.508417.233310@
75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:
> I just got my router and my wife and I did a little cost analysis.
> That is where I make something for her and she analyizes what I made
> and tells me that the router cost too much.
>
> Anyway, I made a simple cutting board on 12x1 oak. I used a 1/2 inch
> rounder on the router. My first pass would be fine but the second pass
> sounded like I was grinding much more wood. ON top of that the ends of
> my router trails always stray a bit. I am new to this and need some
> advice. What can I do to make two even cuts and keep them straight the
> whole time?
> Thanks in advance
>
> Rob
>
You may want to watch The Router Workshop. They'll show you the right
way to do things unlike some other shows that simply show the tool
functioning.
If your PBS station doesn't carry it, it's available on Woodworking TV on
the Internet. (Someone else will have to give you the URL, I can't find
it.)
Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.
To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I just got my router and my wife and I did a little cost analysis.
> That is where I make something for her and she analyizes what I made
> and tells me that the router cost too much.
>
> Anyway, I made a simple cutting board on 12x1 oak. I used a 1/2 inch
> rounder on the router. My first pass would be fine but the second pass
> sounded like I was grinding much more wood. ON top of that the ends of
> my router trails always stray a bit. I am new to this and need some
> advice. What can I do to make two even cuts and keep them straight the
> whole time?
> Thanks in advance
>
> Rob
>
Don't try to take too much wood off in one pass, feed it too fast, or force
feed. Those were my early mistakes. Let the bit do its work. If you hear
if bogging down, it probably is.
Steve
[email protected] wrote:
> Anyway, I made a simple cutting board on 12x1 oak. I used a 1/2 inch
> rounder on the router. My first pass would be fine but the second pass
> sounded like I was grinding much more wood. ON top of that the ends of
> my router trails always stray a bit. I am new to this and need some
> advice. What can I do to make two even cuts and keep them straight the
> whole time?
> Thanks in advance
>
> Rob
Some speculation here about what you were really doing...
I'll guess you were talking about two roundover cuts, one on each side of the
board, and using the built-in bearing on the bit to guide the cut. If so, then
you _were_ grinding more wood on the second pass. If you're intending to round
over the edges, you can't really route away the whole edge. Rounding over the
edges this way means using a roundover bit where its size is _less_than_half_ of
the thickness of the workpiece. I.E a 1/2" roundover is too big for a 1" board -
especially if the thickness is really closer to 3/4".
Now if you use an edge guide of some sort - either attached to the router
baseplate or - even better - a fence on a router table (either fancy or simple),
then you can do this kind cut more easily and smoothly.
Check the references that others have directed you toward...
--
JeffB
remove no.spam. to email
<[email protected]> wrote in message
> I just got my router and my wife and I did a little cost analysis.
> That is where I make something for her and she analyizes what I made
> and tells me that the router cost too much.
>
> Anyway, I made a simple cutting board on 12x1 oak. I used a 1/2 inch
> rounder on the router. My first pass would be fine but the second pass
> sounded like I was grinding much more wood. ON top of that the ends of
> my router trails always stray a bit. I am new to this and need some
> advice. What can I do to make two even cuts and keep them straight the
> whole time?
> Thanks in advance
Slide a bit further down the slippery slope and start seeing a router
table/fence in your future. Fences and guides make for much more precision
in your routing work.
Also, what Bridger said.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 8/21/06