Does anyone know anything about the history of the router,inventor,patent date,early manufactures etc, or a website that could provide that info? My daughter is giving a talk on a tool for a public speaking course and is having trouble coming up with anything on that aspect of routers. Also it has gotten me curious. thanks for any possible help on this.
Chris
Replies
why doesnt she do it on handplanes? theres that much history you couldnt even jump over it.
Cris, I remember reading an artical in Popular Mechanics Magazine (1940's) about a 'Tinkerer'who made a router using a motor from a vacuum cleaner.
Also somewhere I read about the first Motorized jigsaw/sabersaw.
It seems that another 'Putterer' was 'Mucking around' in his garage and attached a piece of hacksaw blade to his wife's sewing machine. TA DAA! A scrollsaw/sabersaw/jigsaw/ lousy sewing machine.
On a serious note, I still have a flexible shaft tool that I made 20 years ago from a vacuum broom motor.
You may buy one that jewelers and craft people use for $300.00 ( FOREDOM)
Old vacuum brooms are conciderably cheaper. Stein.
Edited 11/5/2003 6:23:17 AM ET by steinmetz
Edited 11/5/2003 6:45:34 PM ET by steinmetz
Steinmetz, I've got 3 of those electric brooms around! Send me plans, ROFL! Every 3 or 4 years I buy one, thinking that it'll actually draw in more dust than it spews out. NOT! Sheesh.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I have the coolest 1940's router;
It is a Stanley, about a 1/2 horse, mounted in a drill press contraption, with a removeable fence. The router goes up and down so it can be used like a plunge router, but then it locks in place, so the stock can be slid past the bit, like an upside down router table. Bought it at a garage sale. It is fairly useless as it is underpowered. But one function is does very well is shelf pin holes. The throat is deeper than a drill press, so one can place a 12" cabinet side on the table and drill/rout shelf pin holes.Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
Hi, 'Lady of the Larches', before I start, what the hey is R O F L ? Does that mean you're only kidding, or, are you serious?
I can draw up a sketch, but I don,t know how to send an attachment on prospero. I tried it yesterday to send you something about wood working, but, NOT.
How about I describe it to you (and anyone interested) ?
First, I previously bought the handpiece at a flea market.
Then I purchased the flexable cable from a jeweler's supply.
The motor was from an electric broom, It's shaft is a 'tad' thicker than 5/16". (Probably metric?) The flexable shaft and cable is standard on most Foredom type tools and the parts are available all over the world.
All I had to do, was to file a 'flat' on the motor's shaft to index the small set screw on the cable's end which is inside the sheath (Outer covering.)
Note: If the motor you select has a wider shaft, you can file it to fit.( While running of course) (The motor, not you!)
If the shaft is thinner, cut a soda or tin can to make a 'sleeve' to bend around the shaft to enlarge it.
The only hard part now is to make the nose piece which attaches to the motor housing to accept tthe sheath (this is the stationary part of the flexable shaft.It consists of a pipe flange with a pipe nipple attached.
At the narrow end of the nose piece, I drilled and tapped for a 1/4-20 set screw hold the sheath.
To to attach the nosepiece to the motor housing, drill three holes in the flange, then center it to surround the shaft, and mark and drill and tap for three 8/32 Machine screws. Stein.
Oh, I almost forgot, the motor has a 'bail',(like the handle on a paint can) on it's top to hang overhead on a hook or whatever.
I made a stand from an old pedestal type lamp fixture.'
The motor's speed control is from a sewing machine.
Edited 11/5/2003 6:34:05 PM ET by steinmetz
Edited 11/5/2003 6:37:42 PM ET by steinmetz
stein
It looks as "The Lady of the Forest" may be out to dinner with "The Man of the Future", so I will give you the "skinny" on ROFL. ha..ha..
Rolling On Floor Laughing...
She was serious about it, but found it extremely funny.
Regards...
sarge..jt
Edited 11/9/2003 12:16:55 AM ET by SARGE
Sarge, I should have known, R O F L. I do it often. Trouble is, someone has to pick me up again. (73) LOLOF Oops! Stein.
stein
Ha..ha.. I would have never guessed you were 73 from the energy. I think you have more energy than me at 56. Maybe there is hope after 50. And what are we old guys doing up so late? Probably looking for something to snack on in the frig..
Have a good evening, stein...
sarge..jt
Sarge, Been there done that. Just knocked off a giant potatoe that I bought at a farm stand this morning.
Actually, my daughter helped eat most of it. As to being up this late,I finished my second nap a little while ago.
Looking for a new project to make as I just finished making a big 'Coat Tree' for my hockey ace grandson Ian (14 yrs)
Looks like a hat and coat stand, but has 16 branches shaped like a tree. The grandson hangs all his equip mentup now, (instead of dumping it all in the mud room).
His mom threatens to plant his tree out doors to air out the sweaty smelling gear. Stein.
stein
Clever idea on the tree for the hockey gear. That tips me to you located somewhere up north. I am and have been a big hockey fan since about 73'. We southern boys (Atlanta) didn't get to much ice time back in the 50' and 60's. I have lost most interest in most sports except hockey in the last 10 years or so. I still shoot ranges but lost all interest in hunting after running a "hunter-killer" team in VN.
If you run out of projects, check with the local charities. I do a lot of that type projects at this point. Also a few (was 6, now 12) friends and I do Xmas toys from scraps at this time for needy kids. That's what keeps me up late until Xmas.
I'm hitting the rack at this point as 8 AM is creeping up. :>)
sarge..jt
Forest Gurl, You can check out flexable shaft stuff at: http;//www.foredom.com Stein.
I googled power tools=history routers=history antique tools=router.
Stand back. Lots of information. They came into being just before 1900 as production models, other wise the Romans, Greeks, Celtics and Egyptians had them. So the router has been around as long or longer than the plane. This is a 1k BC item.
Hard to believe routers have been around 3,000 years.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
Since hand roures aren't what you want. Here's a link for electric type.
http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=270
Googled history=electric router
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
Chris, looks like you've got good info on web research. If she'd also like to see some bound info, try the big, comprehensive router books. The introductory pages probably have historical pictures and info.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
http://www.owwm.com/MfgIndex/detail.asp?ID=161
Believed to be invented by RL Carter, then bought by Stanley. She picked a tough one. Best search engine will only get 15% of what's out there, plus many, many things are still not on the internet. Ephemera events, old trade journals, company flyers, patent office searches and the old fashioned way of research will yield more results, but will take considerable time and leg work.
The History channel had a great series on tools a few months ago. They sell DVDs of their shows.
rg
"The New Router Handbook" (already a few years old -1993-) by Patric Spielman has extenssive info on what you ask about.
It is usually stock item at Barnes & Noble, and very likely in a Public Libarary near you.
-mbl-
I think you meant to respond to the original poster.
That is an excellent book. rg
Chris,
IBM has a FREE patent search which is very in depth. You can search the archives and see how the router and all its patents have been adapted and grown throughout the years. Happy hunting
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