help please using my router as a jointer
Hi everbody. I have a Porter Cable router mounted under my Jessem router table with lift and fence. I’m trying to use the router with a straight bit as a jointer to square 12″ long x 2″ wide pieces of eastern maple. I’ve divided the middle of the fence so that each portion lies just outside the cutters of the bit. My depth of cut is about 1/8″. My problem about which I’d like advice is that when the trailing edge of the piece of wood reaches the divided middle of the fence, the wood kicks into the void in the fence, thereby creating a gouge in the last couple of inches of my work. I’ve tried pushing on the leading edge of my work and using a feather board to hold the leading edge of the work against the fence. However, the trailing edge is always kicked into the void in the fence. Any advice on what I’m doing incorrectly would be grately appreciated. Thanks in advance. .. Ken
Replies
Making a router jointer
What you need to do is shim out the outfeed fence the depth of your cut. I would use a large 1-1/4" bit with a nice shear cut and only take about 1/16" cut at a pass.
You need a fence that fits tightly to the bit, no space to drop into. It's better to add some sacrificial fences, feed them into the bit or cut a close fitting hole for close clearance. Setting the outfeed fence flush with the cut of the bit is critical and may take some extra time and samples to get it right. It's difficult to just line up with the edge of the carbide since one flute may be larger by a hair and there can always be a little run out, whether from the stress of cutting, slightly out bit, router not perfectly 90 and so on.
Although your pieces are small, the router table isn't the best way to try to joint rough edges. A sled on the table saw with positioning blocks and a hold down would make a quick job of getting things straight. With a decent rip blade, the edge may only need a little sanding for appearance needs. What are you using for a bit? 1/8" is a lot on hard maple with a 3/4" bit. You also use the term, "to square", what do you mean by that? You wouldn't use the router table with off set fences to cut the end grain on 2" wide stock.
I'm not exactly sure what you need to do and more particularly, why. With small pieces like yours, you could use a shooting board and a hand plane if you have one, end grain or long. You can have success with the router table taking a smaller bite and having a sharp, stout bit, if you want to just clean up an edge. Always use a push block, those rubber bottom ones are great for this operation. Dull skinny bits are going to cause you grief.
Thank you for your replies. It's probably not hard to guess by the question I posed that I'm an inexperienced tho' enthusiastic woodworker. What I'm attempting to do is make a cross piece for a shooting board. I thought that to gain some experience using my router that I would use it to dimension and square the long edges of this small piece while my band saw is awaiting new guides. My desire to learn is being fulfilled, as I hadn't foreseen the problem I'm having. .. Ken
Modest jointing with a router table: http://patwarner.com/routertable_jointing.html
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