Router

[Paul-man]

Have never used one of these before but a need has arisen and trying to decide whether to hire one, or buy a cheap one.. (about the same price, but would the cheap one be up to the job!?)

What I need to do is cut a couple of rebates out of a sheet of 25mm MDF (probably about 10mm deep)- it is for the header of a 300mm wide door lining.

I will also need to make rebates for the hinges and catch.

Will a very cheap model do me for this or should I hire one from HSS?

Also- there seem to be all manor of different cutting bits. What would I need for the job(s) above?

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

Screwfix do a 1/4 collet router for £34.99,I used one while mine was in the repair shop ,I dont usually like cheap routers ,but my repair man let me have one for a fiver, so how could I refuse,anyway it worked fine for quite a few years before the switch went and the main bearing blew out, but it did a lot of work before that I certianly got a fivers worth,router bits are by far the biggest expense in routing , set's are the best value for money,when your starting out, have a look in screwfix you will probably get half a dozen bit's fo less than £20

 

[^woody^]

A cheapo will be fine.

You'll have a job routing the hinges and latch though, without a jig. More trouble than it is worth.

Remember to push it the right way, or the bit and wood will burn

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

A cheapo will be fine.

You'll have a job routing the hinges and latch though, without a jig. More trouble than it is worth.

Remember to push it the right way, or the bit and wood will burn

Why?

 

[^woody^]

Why what?

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

Why what?

why would it be difficult letting in hinges without a jig,jigs have all their own problems in the hands of the inexperienced.

 

[^woody^]

Because by the time he has set the depth, messed about with the fence, then carefully tried to keep the top and bottom edges straight while slowly moving the router keeping it square to the face, and checking the cut, then squared the corners ... he could have hung the door and not had to do any filing where the router slipped.

And that is not to mention doing the cuts on the frame/lining

 

[catlad]

Get some practice on some old scraps of wood first.

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

Have never used one of these before but a need has arisen and trying to decide whether to hire one, or buy a cheap one.. (about the same price, but would the cheap one be up to the job!?)

What I need to do is cut a couple of rebates out of a sheet of 25mm MDF (probably about 10mm deep)- it is for the header of a 300mm wide door lining.

I will also need to make rebates for the hinges and catch.

Will a very cheap model do me for this or should I hire one from HSS?

Also- there seem to be all manor of different cutting bits. What would I need for the job(s) above?

Are the leg's on the door liner also being made from MDF,because a 10mm rebate taken out of 25mm MDF +the hinge depth won't leave much for fixing the hinges a planted stop could sort out a lot of problem's

 

[Norcon]

it is for the header of a 300mm wide door lining

"Lining"?

Here in Norniron we call it a "frame".

Seems pretty narrow for a door. Is it a dog house or summat?

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

it is for the header of a 300mm wide door lining

"Lining"?

Here in Norniron we call it a "frame".

Seems pretty narrow for a door. Is it a dog house or summat?

Where's that at Norcon ?I am pretty sure the OP means the depth of the lining is 300mm, I presume thats why he is using MDF as a liner.Yes there are many names for the many woodworking item's,Up north a door frame could be called a door casing with the rebate taken out not applied.

 

[Norcon]

Norniron = Northern Ireland.
AAh I see now.

Seems a bit strange to me putting mdf up there.

 

[Paul-man]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I won't try and multiquote but a few points...

- Yes the "depth" I guess is 300mm (318 to be precise) I phoned around several timber yards for softwood, all told me it would cost me an arm and a leg as it is non-standard. It's only a cut through a cavity wall into an extension so I'm surprised there is no off the shelf solution for this.

- Yes, was planning to practice on some off-cuts first.

- What is the correct way to push/guide the router? Does the thing have a front and back?

- I don't mind fiddling around setting depths etc. (after a practice) if I get a decent result. From memory, chiselling MDF doesn't work very well, so not sure how I'd hang the hinges otherwise? Open to suggestions though.

- Yes- legs to be made of MDF

The 10mm rebate is only to let the legs into the header (to help me get a square connection and stop twisting before cutting the horns off. (Basically copying the design of a standard door lining "kit".) The hinge cut-outs would be in the normal place out of the 25mm thick MDF legs (Only piddly 75mm butt hinges)

-What is a planted stop?

Thanks for all your pointers.

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

I'm surprised there is no off the shelf solution

- Yes, was planning to practice on some off-cuts first.

- What is the correct way to push/guide the router? Does the thing have a front and back





(Only piddly 75mm butt hinges)

-What is a planted stop?

No of the shelf solution,well there are quite a few solutiones
1 fix a standard door liner flush with the opening side and plaster the reveales
2 fix a standard door liner flush with the opening side and fit a wooden reveals finished of witharchitraves on the other side
3fit a slimmer liner either side of the opening a wooden panel bridges the two doubling up as door stop,georgian style would be panelled
4the method you have chosen
planted door stop is usually1 1/4x9/16 finish,applied to the door liner after the door is hung,as a door stop ,
3" door hinges could be a bit small ,it all depends on the patern and weight of the door
Guiding the router in nearly all occasiones the router travels from left to right ,I would suggest using the router with the switch in the right hand,cord over your shoulder tokeep it out of the way,
sockets for the hinges ,in a MDF frame the use of a router with a straight fluted cutter is essential,due to the difficulty chiseling ,make the sockets for the hinge pre construction of frame for the obvous reason's
Depth of socket,measurment across the hinge flap's while parallel minus thickness of a two pence piece,divided by two
jig's for hinges,no need just free hand and finish off with sharp chisel,trial and error on scrap would be prudent

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

Norniron = Northern Ireland.

Is that colloquial or Gaelic