After a long router mortising project this weekend, I’ve learned some important “Rookie” lessons about routing:
- Template routing rocks
- If you think you have enough dust collection capacity, you don’t have a router
- If you only pick up the router by the handles, you can’t accidently turn it on
- If you’re pretty sure you can get by with only one clamp on the workpiece, think again — you’re almost certainly wrong.
🙂
-M.
Replies
Mark, well put! What're you building, and what type of template set-up did you use? I'm amazed at how many ways have been invented to accomplish mortising with a router.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG,
I was making a bunch of mortises in 4x4's for stretchers -- making an inexpensive workbench (4x4 legs, 2x6 stretchers, plywood & MDF top). I had to make 16 mortises (well, technically I guess I should say 8 mortises and 8 stopped dados). I used my new drillpress with a mortising attachment to waste out all but about 1/8" of the mortise, then used a piece of MDF to make a template that exactly fit the 2x6 stretcher ends (I didn't tenon the 2x6). I then used a 1/2" template bit with the MDF template to clean up the mortises. It actually took me longer to clamp the template exactly in place than it did to route the cleanups. Except for one little excursion when I tried using only one clamp, they all came out perfectly. I was very impressed with myself for nearly 10 minutes.
-M.
Mark
The good news is you didn't need a blood transfusion. The bad news is there is still more to learn. ha..ha..
sarge..jt
Do you have a router table?
That's about the best single upgrade you can do to your router I've found. If at all possible I bring the wood to the tool and not the tool to the wood.
Mark
The most important item you should go back and put at the top of the list is, UNPLUG THE ROUTER BEFORE CHANGING THE BIT. ( Not yelling at you, just emphasizing a point)
My reason for this being at the top of my list, the first router I owned was a Craftsman bought in the early seventies. I was going to change a bit one day without unplugging it. The router had a switch failure and started up when I sat it on the workbench upsidedown. Thank God I had not grabbed the bit yet.
I had the same thing happen to a table saw, starting up by itself. Be careful WW with one hand wouldn't be as easy as with two.
Gods Peace
les
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