STL317: Tenons on the router table
Mike, Amanda, and Ben discuss router table techniques, fancy router-based tools, favorite vises, and Mike takes on a burst of quickfire questions. |
For more information on our upcoming woodworking travel tour hosted by Anissa Kapsales and Phil Huber. |
Duplicating a custom molding
From Adam:
Hobbyist here who is restoring an old home and wants to make trim to match some of the existing trim in my house. I haven’t found any trim profiles to buy that match. Thinking about making my own trim. I haven’t found a router bit that matches the profile. How easily expensive are these to get made? I have a large router. I don’t have a shaper or a molding machine. What are your thoughts on trying to get a bit made? Other options I should consider? I’ve seen a blade for a table saw that you attach knives to. Has anyone done this?
Article on running big moldings
Router table joinery
From Nathaniel:
Having recently used a router table for the first time, I began to imagine some brilliant possibilities for making joinery that I haven’t seen covered on the usual sources (YouTube, Google, etc). I’m beginning to fear the reason for this is that the methods are perhaps unsafe. Before I risk digits finding out for myself, I thought I’d throw the questions over to you guys!
#1: Is it possible to make a tenoning jig for the router table that is similar to one you might make for the table saw? For example, one on which you could clamp pieces vertically, and ride along the fence for reference. In my particular instance, I would like to make a sliding dovetail, and the protruding part would have to ride vertically along the fence.
#2: Is it possible to make a kind of miter fence or crosscut fence, using t-track or otherwise, to make tenons faster and cleaner than you might make on a table saw?
Brian Boggs – angled tenon
Favorite vises
Joshua
I am currently gearing up to build my 4th bench (I am a glutton for punishment) and I am curious to know if/ when Mike is going to build another one. I know the FWW crew seems to be in opposition to the leg vise, but recently Mike hinted at liking the benchcrafted hardware and possibly making a modified leg chop. I would love to hear more on this topic.
Quickfire questions from Discord:
Andreas
Any tips or suggestions on shop lighting? I am planning a new shop space and looking for a good solution.
John:
Offbeat skills to try in between projects for people who usually do flat work…. Steam vending, hot pipe bending, soon carving (or green woodwork in general), etc.
Chuck:
If Mike is still using an iPad for designing furniture I’d like to know what software he’s using.
Every two weeks, a team of Fine Woodworking staffers answers questions from readers on Shop Talk Live, Fine Woodworking‘s biweekly podcast. Send your woodworking questions to [email protected] for consideration in the regular broadcast! Our continued existence relies upon listener support. So if you enjoy the show, be sure to leave us a five-star rating and maybe even a nice comment on our iTunes page.
Comments
Shop lighting: In my shop I had 26 48" T-8 bulbs in quad fixtures. I started to lose bulbs, did not like the flickering, then ballasts started to go, and I got fed up replacing things. I decided to go with direct wire LED bulbs. Several advantages, power went from about 30 watts per bulb down to 15 or so. I got rid of the ballasts. You do need new end caps for the wiring part but the back end can be isolated. The wiring is very simple, black in, white out. The lighting is much better. I also replaced four bulbs in my unheated storage area, no dim and flickering lighting. Very happy with LED's.
In my experience, routing tenons on the router table similar to the way you would cut a tenon with a dado blade isn't an efficient cutting action for the bit. I believe that holding the workpiece vertically (using some kind of guide mounted to the fence ... or a shop-made tenon jig) offers both a smoother cut and a better cutting action. It's true, you are limited by the length of the bit in this orientation. But for many furniture tenons, it's appropriate.
Phil Huber
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